Payment Processor Fee Comparison
Side-by-side default schedules on any amount. On $100, the cheapest default in this table is $0.00 (Zelle); the highest is $13.70 ( Gumroad). Lower fee is not always better — weigh protections and payout speed.
| Processor | Fee | Net | Effective |
|---|
Key takeaways
- On $100, Zelle is the lowest default fee at $0.00.
- Creator platforms (Patreon, Gumroad, etc.) blend platform commissions — they are not 1:1 with card processors.
- Open each tool to reverse-price a target net; see the Stripe vs PayPal fees guide for narrative context.
Not financial advice. These calculators use published fee schedules with last-verified dates. Providers change rates and apply custom pricing — confirm on the official provider site before setting prices or filing taxes. This site is not affiliated with Stripe, PayPal, Square, Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, Patreon, Ko-fi, Buy Me a Coffee, Gumroad, Shopify, or Wise.
On a $100 charge using each product’s default schedule in our dated dataset, in-person or P2P options can look cheapest, while creator platforms with platform commissions cost more. Use the interactive table to change the amount and sort by fee or net.
Static comparison at $100
| Processor | Default schedule | Rate | Fee | Net | Tool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zelle | Standard Zelle (most banks) | 0.00% + 0.00 USD | $0.00 | $100.00 | Open calculator |
| Wise | USD → GBP (estimate, unverified) | 0.43% + 0.50 USD | $0.93 | $99.07 | Open calculator |
| Venmo | Venmo Business Profile | 1.90% + 0.10 USD | $2.00 | $98.00 | Open calculator |
| Cash App | Cash App for Business | 2.60% + 0.15 USD | $2.75 | $97.25 | Open calculator |
| PayPal | US Goods & Services (Send/Receive Money) | 2.99% + 0.00 USD | $2.99 | $97.01 | Open calculator |
| Stripe | US domestic cards | 2.90% + 0.30 USD | $3.20 | $96.80 | Open calculator |
| Shopify Payments | Basic plan – online | 2.90% + 0.30 USD | $3.20 | $96.80 | Open calculator |
| Ko-fi | Free plan – one-time tips (with Stripe est.) | 2.90% + 0.30 USD | $3.20 | $96.80 | Open calculator |
| Square | US Free plan – online / invoice | 3.30% + 0.30 USD | $3.60 | $96.40 | Open calculator |
| Buy Me a Coffee | Standard (platform + Stripe + payout est.) | 8.40% + 0.30 USD | $8.70 | $91.30 | Open calculator |
| Patreon | New creators (10% platform + processing est.) | 12.90% + 0.30 USD | $13.20 | $86.80 | Open calculator |
| Gumroad | Direct sales (10% + $0.50 + processing est.) | 12.90% + 0.80 USD | $13.70 | $86.30 | Open calculator |
How it’s calculated
For each processor we take the default schedule (percent + fixed), then fee = amount × percent + fixed and net = amount − fee. The interactive table re-runs that formula when you change the amount and sorts by fee ascending.
How to compare payment processors fairly
- Match the same country and channel (online vs in-person vs P2P).
- Include platform commissions for creator tools (Patreon, Ko-fi, Gumroad).
- Price with reverse mode so your net margin survives fees.
- Verify live rates — custom Stripe/PayPal pricing can beat published list rates.
FAQ
Which payment processor has the lowest fees?
It depends on average order value, country, and whether you need chargebacks protection. Zelle is often $0 but is not a full merchant stack. Compare with your real volume on this page, then open each calculator.
Should creators use Gumroad or Stripe?
Gumroad bundles storefront features with a higher take rate. Stripe is usually cheaper per payment if you already have a storefront. Run both calculators on your price point.
Learn more
Related tools
Formula
fee = amount × percent + fixed; net = amount − fee (default schedule per processor).
Sources
- Stripe — US domestic cards . Used for: default schedule 2.90% + 0.30 USD. Checked .
- PayPal — US Goods & Services (Send/Receive Money) . Used for: default schedule 2.99% + 0.00 USD. Checked .
- Square — US Free plan – online / invoice . Used for: default schedule 3.30% + 0.30 USD. Checked .
- Venmo — Venmo Business Profile . Used for: default schedule 1.90% + 0.10 USD. Checked .
- Cash App — Cash App for Business . Used for: default schedule 2.60% + 0.15 USD. Checked .
- Shopify Payments — Basic plan – online . Used for: default schedule 2.90% + 0.30 USD. Checked .
- Gumroad — Direct sales (10% + $0.50 + processing est.) . Used for: default schedule 12.90% + 0.80 USD. Checked .
- Patreon — New creators (10% platform + processing est.) . Used for: default schedule 12.90% + 0.30 USD. Checked .
- Ko-fi — Free plan – one-time tips (with Stripe est.) . Used for: default schedule 2.90% + 0.30 USD. Checked .
- Buy Me a Coffee — Standard (platform + Stripe + payout est.) . Used for: default schedule 8.40% + 0.30 USD. Checked .
- Wise — USD → GBP (estimate, unverified) . Used for: default schedule 0.43% + 0.50 USD. Checked .
- Zelle — Standard Zelle (most banks) . Used for: default schedule 0.00% + 0.00 USD. Checked .
Estimates only; published rates change and custom pricing may differ. Not financial advice. Not affiliated with Stripe, PayPal, Square, Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, Patreon, Ko-fi, Buy Me a Coffee, Gumroad, Shopify, or Wise. Found an error? Tell me.
Calculator version 1.0 · fee data 2026.11.07 · Fee changelog