Stripe fee calculatorWhat to charge so you still receive the full amount
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Charge your client
$1,030.18
- Invoice
- $1,000.00
- Tillage platform fee
- +$0.00
- Stripe fee (card)
- +$30.18
- You receive
- $1,000.00
Fees are 2.93% of the charge.
If you cover the fees instead
- Fees taken from the invoice
- −$29.30
- You keep
- $970.70
How much Stripe charges
Stripe takes a percentage of every payment, plus 30¢ on cards. The fee comes out of what your client pays, so if you invoice your exact rate, you receive a little less than you billed. Stripe’s standard US processing fees:
- Cards: 2.9% + 30¢ per successful payment
- ACH bank payments: 0.8%, capped at $5
- Cards issued outside the US: an extra 1.5%
- Currency conversion: an extra 1% when the payment needs one
Stripe fees per transaction
What Stripe takes on common invoice amounts, using the standard US rates above:
| Payment | Card fee | ACH fee |
|---|---|---|
| $100.00 | $3.20 | $0.80 |
| $500.00 | $14.80 | $4.00 |
| $1,000.00 | $29.30 | $5.00 |
| $5,000.00 | $145.30 | $5.00 |
| $10,000.00 | $290.30 | $5.00 |
On larger invoices, ACH is far cheaper: a $10,000 payment costs $290.30 by card but $5 by ACH.
The gross-up formula
To receive a set amount after a card fee, add the 30¢ and divide by what’s left after the percentage:
charge = (amount you want + 0.30) ÷ (1 − 0.029)
To receive $1,000 on a card, charge (1,000 + 0.30) ÷ 0.971 = $1,030.18. Stripe keeps $30.18 and you keep $1,000. With Tillage’s 1% platform fee, it goes on top of the amount before dividing: a $5,000 invoice becomes (5,000 + 50 + 0.30) ÷ 0.971 = $5,201.13, the same figure as on our pricing page.
ACH works the same way without the 30¢, until the fee reaches its $5 cap. From an invoice of $620 up, you just add $5.
Stop doing this by hand
Set fees to “Client pays” and Tillage grosses up every invoice at checkout, card or ACH. Your client covers Stripe’s fee and the 1% platform fee, and you receive what you billed. It’s $0/month.
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Stripe fee questions
How much does Stripe charge per transaction?
For a US card payment, Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢: $3.20 on a $100 payment, $29.30 on $1,000 and $145.30 on $5,000. ACH bank payments cost 0.8%, capped at $5, so any ACH payment of $625 or more costs $5. There’s no monthly fee on Stripe’s standard pricing.
How are Stripe fees calculated?
Stripe’s standard US pricing is 2.9% + 30¢ per successful card charge, and 0.8% capped at $5 for ACH bank transfers. Cards issued outside the US add 1.5%, and Stripe adds another 1% if the payment needs a currency conversion. The percentage applies to the whole charge, and the 30¢ is a flat fee on every card payment.
How do I make sure I receive the full invoice amount?
Gross up the charge: raise it so that after Stripe takes its fee, your invoice amount is what lands in your account. For a card, charge = (amount you want + 30¢) ÷ (1 − 2.9%). The calculator above does this for you, and Tillage does it on every invoice when you set fees to “Client pays”.
Can I pass Stripe fees on to my clients?
Yes. Add the processing cost to what the client pays so they cover it. In Tillage, set processing and platform fees to “Client pays” in Team Settings → Payments. Your client sees the fee at checkout before paying, and you receive the full invoice amount.
Is it legal to charge clients a card processing fee?
Card surcharges are allowed in most of the US if you disclose them before the client pays and follow the card networks’ rules, which cap the surcharge and exclude debit cards. Connecticut, Massachusetts and Puerto Rico don’t allow them. Rules change, so check the rules where your clients are.
Are Stripe fees lower than Square’s?
For online invoice payments, usually yes. Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ per US card payment and 0.8% capped at $5 for ACH. Square Invoices charges 3.3% + 30¢ for online card payments on its free plan (2.9% + 30¢ on Plus, $49/mo) and 1% with a $1 minimum for ACH. See the full Tillage vs Square comparison for sources.
Does Tillage charge its own fee?
Tillage is $0/month. A 1% platform fee applies only when a client pays online through Tillage, capped at $50 per invoice, and it’s separate from Stripe’s fee. You can pass both to your client. Checks, wires and other offline payments never carry a Tillage fee.
What’s the difference between card and ACH fees?
Cards cost 2.9% + 30¢, which adds up on larger invoices. ACH bank transfers cost 0.8%, capped at $5, so they’re far cheaper for big payments: a $10,000 invoice costs $290.30 on a card but $5 by ACH.
