See exactly what PayPal, Stripe, Shopify Payments, and Wise each take on the same transaction — side by side, in one table.
| Processor | Fee | You Receive |
|---|
Wise assumes bank-funded transfer at the lower end of its typical range. Actual rates vary by currency route, funding method, and your specific plan — always confirm current rates before pricing a large transaction.
Each processor charges a percentage fee plus (usually) a small fixed fee per transaction. On a domestic card payment, PayPal and Stripe land close to each other. Once a payment crosses currencies or comes from an international card, the gap widens fast — PayPal and Stripe both add a cross-border surcharge, while Wise is built around minimizing exactly that cost.
PayPal: 2.99% + $0.49 domestic Goods & Services, 4.99% + $0.49 international, plus 3.5% if currency conversion is involved.
Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30 domestic card, 4.4% + $0.30 for international cards (adds a 1.5% cross-border fee).
Shopify Payments: 2.9% + $0.30 on the Basic plan (used here as the baseline — Grow and Advanced plans get 2.7% and 2.5%).
Wise: roughly 0.33%–2% conversion fee plus a small fixed fee ($0.50–$5), no markup on the exchange rate itself — best suited to transfers rather than instant checkout.
On a $1,000 international payment, the difference between the cheapest and most expensive option here can be $30–$50. That's real margin, especially for freelancers and small sellers who get paid internationally on a recurring basis — over a year of monthly payments, picking the wrong processor can cost several hundred dollars for zero extra benefit.
Which processor is cheapest overall? For simple domestic checkout, Stripe and Shopify Payments (on higher plans) are usually cheapest. For cross-border payments and currency conversion specifically, Wise is almost always cheapest by a wide margin.
Why is Wise not built for checkout? Wise is designed for transfers and payouts, not embedded card checkout on a website — but it's frequently the best option for receiving freelance/invoice payments from international clients.
Do these numbers include chargeback or dispute fees? No — this compares standard processing fees only. Chargeback fees ($15–$20 typically) apply separately if a dispute occurs, and vary by processor.