What Stripe Invoicing Fees Cost Your Business
Stripe Invoicing stacks two fees: a plan fee per paid invoice and the card processing fee. Here is what Stripe's own pricing page says each one costs.
You send a customer an invoice through Stripe. She pays it with her card. Two separate fees come out of that payment, and Stripe's pricing page prices each one on its own line. Know both lines and you can predict the cost of an invoice before you send it. Otherwise you find out later, when the money lands with a piece missing.
The two fees behind every paid invoice
Stripe invoicing fees are really two costs stacked on top of each other. The first is a fee for the invoicing software itself, charged when an invoice gets paid. The second is the ordinary payment processing fee, the same kind that applies when a customer pays you any other way. Stripe's pricing page says its invoicing software lets you create, customize, and send an invoice in minutes with no code required. That convenience has its own price line, and it rides along with the card fee rather than replacing it.
The Starter plan fee, per paid invoice
Stripe's pricing page says its Starter invoicing plan charges 0.4% per paid invoice. That percentage comes off the invoice total, so a bigger invoice means a bigger software fee. The fee applies to paid invoices, so an invoice the customer never pays does not trigger it. If you send ten invoices a month and eight get paid, the software fee lands on those eight.
The card processing fee on top
The invoicing fee is only half the cost. When the customer pays online with a domestic card, the payment itself is charged at Stripe's standard online rate. Stripe's pricing page says that rate is 2.9% + 30¢ per successful transaction for domestic cards. So on a paid invoice you pay the 0.4% invoicing fee and the 2.9% + 30¢ card fee together. The card fee side has more detail on Stripe payment fees. Extra charges that can ride on a payment are listed on Stripe charge fees.
When the rate goes up
The standard online rate is the floor, not the ceiling. Stripe's pricing page says manually entered cards add 0.5% to the online card rate. That matters if you take a card over the phone and type it into the invoice yourself. Stripe's pricing page also says international cards add 1.5% and currency conversion adds 1%. Say a customer abroad pays with a card issued abroad. That invoice can carry three add-ons at once. The international card increase and the currency conversion increase both apply. If you keyed the card in, the manual entry increase applies too.
What happens to the fees on a refund
A refunded invoice does not return all of your money. Stripe's pricing page says the payment processing, Connect and currency conversion fees from the original transaction are not returned. Stripe's pricing page does not say whether the invoicing fee is returned on a refund, so ask Stripe before you count on getting it back. On standard pricing, refunds through bank transfers may carry fees, and Stripe's pricing page says that for all other payment methods there are no fees for issuing refunds. The full picture on refunds is on Stripe refund fees.
What Stripe says it does not charge
Stripe's pricing page says the standard plan carries no setup fee, no monthly fee, and nothing hidden. Stripe's pricing page also says it charges no setup fee, no monthly fee, and no hidden fees such as a closure fee. Every fee a business on standard pricing pays is published on Stripe's site. The cost is per paid invoice plus the card fee. Stripe's pricing page says standard pricing is pay-as-you-go.
When custom pricing enters the picture
High invoice volume can change the math. Stripe's pricing page says Stripe offers custom pricing for businesses with large processing volumes, and eligibility varies by market. It says its sales team can design a custom package with Payments, Radar, Connect, Invoicing, Billing and more. Custom packages can include IC+ pricing, discounted flat rates, subscriptions, and buy-rates for platforms. Stripe's pricing page also says it gives volume discounts tied to volume tiers, commitments, and how much of the product you use. Custom packages are for businesses with large payments volume or unique business models. On refunds, Stripe's pricing page says businesses on custom pricing may face fees, depending on their fee schedule with Stripe. That is a reason to read a custom contract closely before signing. Ways to trim costs on the standard track are on lower Stripe fees.
Estimate one invoice before you send it
Take a real invoice amount and add the two fees. Say a $500 invoice is paid online with a domestic card. The invoicing fee is 0.4% of $500. The card fee is 2.9% of $500 plus 30¢. If the card is keyed in by hand, add 0.5%. If the card is from another country, add 1.5%, and add 1% more if the payment needs currency conversion. Run the numbers on your typical invoice, then on your largest one. Then you will know what a paid invoice costs before the customer ever sees it. Stripe's pricing page says dashboards, tools, and APIs give you transparency into your costs. You can check the real figures against your estimate after the fact. Prices move, so read Stripe's own page on the day you sign up. One more wrinkle. Stripe's pricing page says Stripe must charge tax on certain products and services. The tax is based on your location or your business or tax status.
Do you bill the same customer every month? The billing product has its own fees, covered on Stripe subscription fees. If you send invoices through a hosted payment page instead, see Stripe checkout fees.