Credit card processing fee calculator: Stripe, Shopify and PayPal
A processing fee is what Shopify, Stripe or PayPal keeps from each card or wallet payment before you're paid: a percentage of the order plus a fixed amount. Type an order total or drag the chart to compare every method side by side, buy now, pay later included, and click one to see what you keep.
Every card or wallet payment costs a processing fee: a percentage of the order plus a fixed amount, kept by Shopify, Stripe or PayPal before you’re paid. Type an order to see what each one takes.
You keep, with Shopify Payments, Basic
$77.38
Shopify Payments, Basic keeps $2.62 of a $80.00 order, 3.27%. Stripe, ACH Direct Debit would cost $0.64. Example order; type yours or drag the chart.
Fee on a $80.00 order, every method. Click one to make it yours.
- Fee
- $2.62
- Effective rate The fee as a share of the order, fixed fee included. It's higher on small orders: a $10 order at 2.9% + 30¢ pays 5.9%.
- 3.27%
- Published rate
- 2.9% + 30¢
Published US online rates. Your contract may differ; check the provider’s pricing page.
How to read your number
A payment processing fee is what a payment provider keeps from each sale for handling the card or wallet payment, usually a percentage of the order plus a fixed amount. On an $80 order, Shopify Payments on the Basic plan and Stripe both charge 2.9% + 30¢, so $2.62 and you keep $77.38. PayPal Checkout's 3.49% + 49¢ takes $3.28, and Shop Pay Installments' 5.9% + 30¢ takes $5.02.
Why it matters
Fees come out of every order before anything else, so a 1-point difference in rate is a 1-point difference in margin on all your revenue. At 500 orders of $80 a month, Shopify Basic's 2.9% + 30¢ costs $1,310 a month; moving that volume to a method that costs 1 point more adds $400. Knowing the fee per method shows which payment options are worth their conversion lift, and when a higher Shopify plan pays for itself.
Automations
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Formula
Fee = order total × percentage rate + fixed fee. You keep = order total − fee
International cards add a surcharge: 1% on Shopify Payments, 1.5% on Stripe and PayPal. To net a set amount, divide instead: price to charge = (amount you want + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − rate).
Other ways to calculate credit card processing fee
- What you keep
- kept = total − (total × rate + fixed)
- Reading a payout, or checking margin on an order you've already priced.
- What to charge (gross-up)
- charge = (target + fixed) ÷ (1 − rate)
- Invoices and fixed-price deals where you need to receive an exact amount. Adding the rate on top of the target falls short, because the fee is worked out on the larger total.
- Effective rate
- effective rate = fee ÷ total
- Comparing providers on your real order size: the fixed fee weighs more on small orders. A $10 order at 2.9% + 30¢ costs 5.9%.
- Capped bank payments
- fee = min(total × rate, cap)
- ACH and pay-by-bank, such as Stripe's 0.8% capped at $5, which beat card rates on large orders.
How to calculate credit card processing fee: a worked example
An $80 order is paid by a US card through Shopify Payments on the Basic plan (2.9% + 30¢).
- Percentage fee = $80 × 2.9% = $2.32
- Fee = $2.32 + $0.30 = $2.62
- You keep $80 − $2.62 = $77.38
- To receive exactly $80: ($80 + $0.30) ÷ (1 − 0.029) = $82.70
The store keeps $77.38 of an $80 order, an effective rate of 3.28%, and would charge $82.70 to receive a full $80.
When a higher Shopify plan pays for its fees
Each Shopify plan lowers the card rate, so above some monthly volume the plan pays for itself. Billed yearly, Grow costs $50 a month more than Basic and saves 0.2 points on every online card sale: it pays off from about $25,000 a month in Shopify Payments sales. Advanced costs $270 a month more than Basic and saves 0.4 points: about $67,500 a month.
Payment methods are the other lever. Buy now, pay later options like Shop Pay Installments, Klarna and PayPal Pay Later cost about twice a card, so they're worth it when they lift conversion or order value by more than the extra 2 to 3 points. Check your own numbers with the contribution margin calculator.
| Payment method | Rate | Fee on $80 | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Payments, Basic | 2.9% + 30¢ | $2.62 | $77.38 |
| Shopify Payments, Grow | 2.7% + 30¢ | $2.46 | $77.54 |
| Shopify Payments, Advanced | 2.5% + 30¢ | $2.30 | $77.70 |
| Shopify Payments, Plus | 2.25% + 30¢ | $2.10 | $77.90 |
| Shop Pay Installments | 5.9% + 30¢ | $5.02 | $74.98 |
| Stripe, cards | 2.9% + 30¢ | $2.62 | $77.38 |
| Stripe, Klarna | 5.99% + 30¢ | $5.09 | $74.91 |
| Stripe, ACH Direct Debit | 0.8%, max $5 | $0.64 | $79.36 |
| PayPal Checkout | 3.49% + 49¢ | $3.28 | $76.72 |
| Pay with Venmo | 3.49% + 49¢ | $3.28 | $76.72 |
| PayPal Pay Later | 4.99% + 49¢ | $4.48 | $75.52 |
| PayPal, standard card payments | 2.99% + 49¢ | $2.88 | $77.12 |
| PayPal, advanced card payments | 2.89% + 29¢ | $2.60 | $77.40 |
| PayPal QR code | 2.29% + 9¢ | $1.92 | $78.08 |
| PayPal invoice, pay by bank | 1%, max $10 | $0.80 | $79.20 |
Questions about credit card processing fee
- What are credit card processing fees?
- They're what a payment provider keeps from each card sale, usually a percentage of the order plus a fixed amount. Online in the US, Stripe and Shopify Payments on the Basic plan charge 2.9% + 30¢, so an $80 order costs $2.62. Cards issued abroad, currency conversion and buy now, pay later cost more.
- What are Shopify Payments fees?
- For online card payments in the US: 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic, 2.7% + 30¢ on Grow, 2.5% + 30¢ on Advanced and from 2.25% + 30¢ on Plus, with 1% more for international cards. Without Shopify Payments, Shopify adds its own 2%, 1%, 0.6% or 0.2% fee on top of your provider's.
- What are Stripe's fees?
- Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ per successful online payment with a US card. International cards add 1.5%, a currency conversion adds 1%, and a manually entered card adds 0.5%. ACH Direct Debit is 0.8% capped at $5, and disputes cost $15 each.
- Is PayPal more expensive than Stripe?
- For PayPal-branded checkout, yes: 3.49% + 49¢ against Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢, so about 66¢ more on an $80 order. PayPal's card processing is closer, at 2.99% + 49¢ standard or 2.89% + 29¢ on advanced card payments.
- How much does Shop Pay Installments cost merchants?
- 5.9% + 30¢ per order on standard Shopify plans and 5% + 30¢ on Shopify Plus, charged once per order instead of the card rate. The shopper pays in installments, and the store is paid in full up front.
- Can I pass card fees on to customers?
- Sometimes. Card network rules allow a surcharge on credit cards in most US states, up to 3% and no more than your cost, disclosed before payment. Some states restrict them, and debit and prepaid cards can't be surcharged. Building the fee into prices avoids the question.
Sources
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Prompt: “show payment processing fees by payment method last month”
