On Stripe's standard US pricing, every card payment costs 2.9% plus 30¢ and every ACH Direct Debit payment costs 0.8%, capped at $5. On a plan, the card percentage adds up to the same total however you split the balance, but the 30¢ is charged on every payment. ACH costs more as you add payments, because the $5 cap only helps on payments above $625. Refunds don't return the processing fee, and each card dispute costs $15.
What does Stripe charge for each payment?
Stripe's standard US pricing, as published:
- Domestic cards: 2.9% + 30¢ per successful payment.
- International cards: an extra 1.5%, and 1% more if currency conversion is needed.
- ACH Direct Debit: 0.8% per payment, capped at $5.
- Card disputes: $15 for each dispute you receive, and $15 more if you respond to it manually.
Contracts with custom pricing differ. Check your Stripe dashboard.
Does splitting a plan into more payments cost more?
A little by card, a lot more by ACH. Here is a $6,000 balance paid four ways:
| Paid as | By card | By ACH |
|---|---|---|
| 1 payment of $6,000 | $174.30 | $5.00 |
| 6 payments of $1,000 | $175.80 | $30.00 |
| 12 payments of $500 | $177.60 | $48.00 |
| 24 payments of $250 | $181.20 | $48.00 |
By card, the 2.9% comes to $174 whatever the split. Only the 30¢ per payment grows. By ACH, each payment above $625 hits the $5 cap, so fewer, larger payments cost less. Even so, ACH is far cheaper than card at every split.
What happens to fees on a refund?
Stripe doesn't charge to issue a refund on a card, but the processing fee from the original payment isn't returned. Refund a $500 card payment and the $14.80 fee stays spent. On a plan that ends early, the fees on payments already made are a cost of the plan.
What does a failed or disputed payment cost?
A card dispute costs $15 whatever the outcome, and another $15 if you respond to it manually, which Stripe returns if you win. A failed ACH payment can carry a failure fee. Stripe lists it on its pricing page for bank payments. See ACH returns on payment plans for why bank payments fail.
Can the customer pay the card fee?
Where your state allows it, a disclosed surcharge on credit card payments can recover it. A convenience fee can't be used on plan payments. See convenience fee vs surcharge.
Every figure on this page was checked against these sources on Oct 6, 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.