Stripe fee calculator.
Enter an order total — see the exact Stripe fee and what you actually receive. Defaults to standard EU rates (1.5% + €0.25 for European cards, 3.25% + €0.25 for international).
Enter order details
Defaults work for most small shops in the EU.
You receive (net of Stripe)
How this calculator works (same formula nouz uses).
Stripe's price is two numbers, not one: a percentage of the order plus a fixed fee on every transaction. The headline percentage (1.5% for European cards, 3.25% for international, with a few card-specific exceptions) is only half the story — that flat fee per charge, usually €0.25, is what quietly makes small orders expensive.
The math is Fee = (amount × percentage) + fixed fee, then You receive = amount − fee, and the number that actually matters, Effective rate = fee ÷ amount. Because the fixed fee is the same on a €5 order and a €500 order, the effective rate climbs sharply as order values fall. Price for the headline percentage alone and you will under-collect on every small basket.
A worked example
Take the defaults: a €25 order at 1.5% + €0.25. The percentage fee is 25 × 0.015 = €0.375, plus the fixed €0.25, for a total fee of €0.63. You receive 25 − 0.63 = €24.38. The effective rate is 0.63 ÷ 25 = 2.5% — noticeably above the 1.5% on the label, because that flat €0.25 is a full 1% of a €25 order on its own. Multiply across 200 orders a month and Stripe takes 0.63 × 200 = €125, month after month.
What a healthy number looks like
The effective rate, not the headline, is the number to watch. As a rough rule of thumb, an EU-card business with typical basket sizes should see an effective rate landing somewhere around 2–3%; the higher your average order, the closer you get to the 1.5% floor. When the effective rate creeps past 4–5%, it is a signal that your average order is too small for the fixed fee — a €5 order pays about €0.33 in fees, roughly 6.5%, while a €100 order pays €1.75, just 1.75%. International cards at 3.25% shift the whole band upward. The practical takeaway is to track your own blended effective rate over a month rather than trusting the number on the pricing page, because your real mix of order sizes and card types is what actually leaves your account.
Common mistakes
- Pricing off the headline rate. The 1.5% ignores the fixed fee; your real cost on small orders is far higher.
- Forgetting the fee on refunds. Stripe keeps the fixed fee on many refunded orders, so a high refund rate quietly raises your effective cost.
- Assuming every card is an EU card. International and some premium cards carry higher percentages — check the mix, not the best case.
- Leaving fees out of the daily P&L. A €125 monthly bite is a real cost line, not a rounding error.
- Comparing processors on headline rate alone. A lower percentage with a higher fixed fee can cost you more if your orders are small — compare on effective rate for your basket.
When to use it — and what's next
Run this when you set prices, add a minimum-order threshold, or decide whether to nudge small purchases toward cash — it turns an invisible processor cost into a number you can price against. Then fold that cost into the day it belongs to with the daily profit and loss template, and see the effect on real profit with the daily profit calculator.
Common questions
How does Stripe actually charge for each transaction?
Stripe charges two things per charge: a percentage of the order (1.5% for European cards, 3.25% for international, with some card-specific exceptions) plus a fixed fee, usually €0.25. So the fee is amount times the percentage, plus the flat fee, and what you receive is the order amount minus that total.
Why is the effective rate higher than Stripe's headline percentage?
Because the fixed €0.25 fee is charged on every transaction regardless of size. On a €25 order that flat fee alone is 1% of the order, so on top of the 1.5% percentage the effective rate becomes 2.5%. The smaller the order, the bigger the fixed fee looms and the higher the effective rate climbs.
Why do small orders hurt the most?
The fixed fee does not shrink with the order. A €100 order pays €1.75 in fees, an effective 1.75%. A €5 order pays about €0.33 — roughly 6.5% effective. If your business runs on high-volume small baskets, Stripe fees eat far more than the headline 1.5% suggests.
What can I do about Stripe fees if I can't change the rates?
You cannot change Stripe's pricing, but you can reduce its bite: encourage cash for small purchases, set a minimum-order threshold to lift average basket size, or bundle products so orders clear the fixed fee more efficiently. Most importantly, price with the effective rate in mind, not the headline percentage.
With the default settings, how much do I keep on a €25 order?
A €25 order at 1.5% plus €0.25 costs €0.375 in percentage fee plus €0.25 fixed, for a €0.63 total fee. You receive €24.38, an effective rate of 2.5%. Across 200 orders a month that is €125 in Stripe fees — a recurring cost line worth putting into your P&L.
Do international cards cost more than EU cards?
Yes. European cards default to about 1.5% plus the fixed fee, while international cards are commonly around 3.25% plus the fixed fee, and some premium or corporate cards cost more still. If a meaningful share of your customers pay with non-EU cards, set the percentage higher to reflect your real blended rate.