Payment Gateway Cost FAQ
The 20 most-asked questions about payment gateway cost, aggregated from every page on the site.
What does a payment gateway actually cost?
Flat-rate vendors (Stripe, PayPal, Square) charge 2.4%-3.5% + 10c-49c per transaction. Interchange-plus (Helcim, Stax) charges interchange + 0% to 0.50% markup + cents. Quote-only enterprise (Adyen, Worldpay) typically lands at 10-30 bps + interchange + scheme at $50M+/yr GMV.
Why do some vendors not publish rates?
Six vendors covered here (Adyen, Worldpay, Checkout.com, NMI, BlueSnap, Fiserv/Clover) and Afterpay refuse to publish a public US merchant rate card. Reasons: bespoke interchange-plus pricing, direct-to-enterprise sales motion, or reseller-dependent distribution. We never invent rates for these vendors.
Is Stripe really 2.9% + 30c for everything?
Only for US online card. International cards are 3.9% + 30c. ACH is 0.8% capped at $5. Custom rates and interchange-plus open up above roughly $80K/mo.
Are Stripe dispute fees refunded if I win?
Partly. Since 17 Jun 2025 the $15 receipt fee is non-refundable even on a win. The separate $15 counter fee is refunded on a win. Stripe Smart Disputes waives the counter for a 30% success fee. The old 'both fees refunded' line is no longer accurate.
What is the cheapest payment gateway?
By raw published rate, Helcim at IC + 0.15% + 6c (in-person, $1M-$5M tier) is the cheapest published US rate. Square Free at 2.6% + 15c plus $0 chargeback fees is often cheaper in practice for SMB.
When does interchange-plus beat flat-rate?
Above ~$300K/yr GMV. Below that, flat-rate's predictability and no-monthly-fee model wins. See /interchange-plus-vs-flat-rate/ for the break-even worked examples.
Is PayPal more expensive than Stripe?
On Standard Checkout (3.49% + 49c), yes. On Advanced Checkout (2.89% + 49c), within a cent of Stripe. PayPal's FX margin (up to 4%) is the bigger cost driver on cross-border volume.
Does Square charge chargeback fees?
No. Square absorbs chargeback fees and gives up to $250/mo of dispute protection at no charge. This is unique in the comparison set.
What is the cheapest gateway for in-person retail?
Square at 2.6% + 15c (or 2.4% + 15c on Premium tier) for SMB. Helcim interchange-plus above ~$300K/yr.
What is the cheapest gateway for online SaaS?
Stripe at 2.9% + 30c with hosted Checkout for under-$1M ARR. Negotiated Stripe IC+ or Braintree IC+ above that.
Are Apple Pay and Google Pay free?
Apple and Google charge merchants $0 for accepting their wallets. You pay your underlying card processor's normal rate (typically 2.9% + 30c online with Stripe).
What is the BNPL cost on Klarna?
Klarna's standard merchant rate is 5.99% + 30c. Negotiated rates down to 3.29% + 30c above $5M/yr.
What does PCI compliance cost?
SAQ-A self-assessment for Level 4 is $0-$500/yr. Level 1 Report on Compliance (over 6M transactions/yr) is $40K-$200K+/yr. Stripe.js, PayPal Hosted, and Square iframe checkouts qualify most ecommerce for SAQ-A.
What is the FX margin on cross-border payments?
Stripe 1%, PayPal up to 4%, Braintree 1%, Wise Business at mid-market with a per-pair spread. PayPal is the worst in this list on FX.
Is ACH cheaper than card?
Above roughly $45 ticket on Stripe (ACH 0.8% capped at $5 vs card 2.9% + 30c), yes. ACH takes 1-3 days to settle and ~0.5-1% of transactions get returned.
What is the cheapest UK payment gateway?
Shopify Payments at 1.5% + 25p (UK Advanced plan, online) is the cheapest published UK flat rate. Stripe UK at 1.5% + 20p (UK/EU consumer cards) is comparable for direct integration.
What is a quote-only vendor?
A vendor that refuses to publish a public merchant rate card. Adyen, Worldpay, Checkout.com enterprise, NMI, BlueSnap, Fiserv/Clover, Afterpay. We flag these on every page and link to the vendor's contact form rather than inventing a rate.
How often is this data updated?
Full re-verification at minimum quarterly. Per-vendor watch-list re-check triggered by announced pricing changes. Last full pass: June 2026.
Are there any affiliate links on this site?
No. PaymentGatewayCost.com is independent of every vendor listed and does not run affiliate links, sponsored placements, or a lead-gen funnel.
How do I switch payment gateway?
Typical cycle is 8 weeks for SMB-mid-market: requirements, shortlist, RFP, technical bake-off, negotiation, legal, onboarding. See /buying-guide/ for the full playbook and /implementation-cost/ for the total switch cost.