Stripe fees explained for creators (2026): what you really keep
Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ per US card sale, plus extra for international cards, disputes, and subscriptions. Here is what you keep, with examples.
Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ for each successful US card payment. International cards add 1.5%, and currency conversion adds 1% more. A dispute costs $15, refunds don't give the fee back, and standard payouts are free. On a $29 template, that leaves you $27.86. Selling through a creator platform adds its own cut on top, so the real question is what the whole stack takes.
This guide is for creators who sell templates, courses, coaching, or memberships and want to know where each dollar goes. Full disclosure: we make Eden, a creator workspace with a store that runs on Stripe. Every Stripe number below comes from stripe.com/pricing and Stripe's docs, and every platform fee from that company's own site, checked in September 2026.
Stripe's fees at a glance
These are Stripe's standard US prices. Other countries have their own rates, so check Stripe's pricing page for yours.
| Fee | What it costs |
|---|---|
| US card payment | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| International card | +1.5% |
| Currency conversion | +1%, only when conversion is needed |
| Dispute received | $15, not returned |
| Dispute countered | $15 more, returned if you win |
| Refund | No fee, but the original fee isn't returned |
| Standard payout to your bank | Free |
| Instant payout | 1.5%, 50¢ minimum |
| Stripe Billing (subscriptions) | 0.7% of billing volume, pay as you go |
| Stripe Tax Basic | 0.5% per transaction (no-code setup) |
| Stripe Tax Complete | From $90 a month, 1-year contract |
The card fee is the one you pay on every sale. The rest show up only in certain cases, so let's walk through them.
The fees that surprise creators
International buyers
If your buyer's card comes from another country, Stripe adds 1.5%. If the payment also needs to change currency (say, a buyer pays in euros and your account settles in dollars), that's another 1%. A US seller selling to a European buyer can pay 5.4% + 30¢ instead of 2.9% + 30¢.
If a big share of your audience lives abroad, plan for this in your price.
Refunds
Stripe charges nothing to send a refund. But Stripe's docs are clear that the processing fee from the original sale is not returned. Refund a $300 course and you're out the $9 you paid to take the payment.
Disputes (chargebacks)
A dispute is when a buyer asks their bank to reverse a charge. Stripe pulls the money plus a $15 fee from your balance right away. That fee stays gone even if you win.
If you fight it with evidence, Stripe charges a second $15 "dispute countered" fee. You get that one back if you win. So a lost fight costs $30 plus the sale, and a won fight costs $15. On a $29 product, fighting often costs more than it's worth. Clear product pages and quick refunds for unhappy buyers stop most disputes before they start.
Payouts
Moving money to your bank on Stripe's normal schedule is free. An instant payout costs 1.5% (at least 50¢). Some creator platforms built on Stripe charge payout fees of their own. Stan's help center, for example, lists 0.25% + 25¢ per payout, $1 minimum.
Subscriptions
If you charge monthly through your own Stripe account, Stripe Billing adds 0.7% of what you bill, on the pay-as-you-go plan. Platforms handle this differently. Stan's help center lists a 0.5% fee for recurring payments.
Sales tax
Stripe doesn't collect sales tax unless you turn on Stripe Tax. Stripe Tax Basic costs 0.5% per transaction with Checkout, Payment Links, Billing, or Invoicing (50¢ per transaction if you use the API). It works out and collects the tax. Registering and filing is still on you, unless you pay for Tax Complete, which starts at $90 a month and includes some filings. More on this in what a merchant of record is.
What you keep on Stripe alone
Here are three common creator products, sold to a US buyer with a US card, straight through your own Stripe account.
| Product | Price | Stripe fee | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template | $29 | $1.14 | $27.86 |
| Course | $300 | $9.00 | $291.00 |
| Membership (month) | $49 | $2.06 | $46.94 |
The membership fee is the card fee ($1.72) plus Stripe Billing's 0.7% ($0.34). With an international card, the course fee jumps to $13.50, and to $16.50 if the currency also needs converting.
Notice the flat 30¢. On a $300 course it barely matters. On a $5 product, it's 6% of the price on its own. That's why very cheap products lose a bigger share to fees.
What you keep with a platform on top
Most creators don't sell straight through Stripe. They use a store that runs on Stripe and adds its own fee. Here's the same math with the platform added, still a US card.
| Product | Stripe alone | Stan (0%) | Eden (5%) | Gumroad (10% + 50¢) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $29 template | $27.86 | $27.86 | $26.41 | $24.46 |
| $300 course | $291.00 | $291.00 | $276.00 | $260.50 |
| $49/mo membership | $46.94 | $47.03 | $44.83 | $41.88 |
How each column works:
- Stripe alone: 2.9% + 30¢, plus 0.7% Stripe Billing on the membership.
- Stan: 0% to Stan, plus 2.9% + 30¢ to Stripe. Stan's help center adds 0.5% on recurring payments, and payouts cost 0.25% + 25¢ ($1 minimum), which isn't in the table.
- Eden: 5% to Eden, and Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢ comes out of your share.
- Gumroad: 10% + 50¢ to Gumroad, plus 2.9% + 30¢ card processing. Gumroad's help center says plainly that its fee does not include card processing.
The per-sale table leaves out the monthly plan. Stan Creator and Eden Starter are both $29 a month. Gumroad has no monthly fee.
A note on Gumroad
It's easy to think Gumroad's 10% + 50¢ covers everything. It doesn't, for direct sales. Gumroad charges its fee plus 2.9% + 30¢ card processing. The only rate that includes processing is the flat 30% on sales that come through Gumroad's Discover marketplace.
What Gumroad's fee does include is tax. Gumroad is the merchant of record, which means it collects and pays sales tax and VAT for you. Stan and Eden don't. That's worth real money if you sell to buyers in many countries. See Gumroad fees for the full breakdown.
The whole month, not just one sale
Say you sell 20 templates at $29 a month ($580) to US buyers.
| Platform | Plan | Platform fees | Stripe fees | Total cost | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stan Creator | $29 | $0 | $22.82 | $51.82 | $528.18 |
| Eden Starter | $29 | $29.00 | $22.82 | $80.82 | $499.18 |
| Gumroad | $0 | $68.00 | $22.82 | $90.82 | $489.18 |
Stan's payout fees would add a few dollars to its line. On price alone, Stan wins at this level, and Eden passes Gumroad at about 15 sales of a $29 product a month. The bigger your sales, the more a percentage fee costs compared to a flat plan. We break this down more in Stan Store fees.
Price isn't the only thing that matters, though. Look at what each plan includes. Stan puts discount codes, order bumps, and affiliates on its $99 plan. Eden has discount codes and order bumps on its $29 plan, and affiliates on its $79 Pro plan. Gumroad handles your tax.
How Eden's fee works
Eden takes 5% of each sale, and Stripe's processing fee comes out of your share. On a $29 template, that's $1.45 to Eden and $1.14 to Stripe, so you keep $26.41. Here's what else to know:
- Your money goes to your own Stripe account. Payouts, balances, and disputes live in Stripe.
- Memberships: Eden keeps 5% of every payment, renewals included, per the membership help article.
- Refunds: Eden returns its 5% on the part you refund. Stripe keeps its processing fee, same as anywhere.
- Sales tax: Eden is not the merchant of record. Sales tax through Stripe is yours to handle.
- Currencies: you can price in USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, or AUD. See selling in your own currency.
- Your own checkout: if you already sell through PayPal, Gumroad, or another checkout, Eden can give buyers access with no Eden cut on those sales. That checkout's own fees still apply. See use your own checkout.
Selling needs the $29 Starter plan. Building products is free on any plan.
How to keep more of each sale
- Raise very low prices. The 30¢ flat fee hurts most under $10. A $5 product loses about 9% to Stripe alone.
- Bundle small products. One $39 bundle pays one 30¢ fee instead of three.
- Sell yearly as well as monthly. One yearly charge pays one flat fee instead of twelve.
- Stop disputes early. Clear product pages, a visible refund policy, and fast replies cost less than $15 to $30 per fight.
- Skip instant payouts unless you need the cash today.
- Price for international buyers. If half your buyers are abroad, your real card fee is closer to 3.7% + 30¢ than 2.9% + 30¢.
How to sell with Eden
On Eden, you create a product in Your store → Products → New product: a digital download, a course, coaching, a membership, or a Custom AI that buyers chat with. Every product shows on your free link-in-bio page. Connect Stripe, pick your price, and publish.
Where Eden falls short on fees: it costs more per sale than Stan, it doesn't handle sales tax like Gumroad does, and it has no split-pay plans. Where it earns the 5%: bumps and discount codes on the entry plan, upsells, affiliates, and Meta Pixel tracking on Pro, plus products that teach buyers instead of just handing over a file. See the Eden store.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Stripe take per sale?
2.9% + 30¢ for a US card in the US. International cards add 1.5%, and currency conversion adds 1% when it's needed.
Does Stripe refund its fee when I refund a customer?
No. Refunds cost nothing to send, but the processing fee from the original payment isn't returned.
How much is a Stripe chargeback fee?
$15 when the dispute arrives, which you don't get back. If you counter it, there's another $15, which is returned if you win.
Does Stripe charge to pay me out?
Standard payouts to your bank are free. Instant payouts cost 1.5%, with a 50¢ minimum. Some platforms built on Stripe add their own payout fees.
Does Stripe collect sales tax for me?
Only if you turn on Stripe Tax, which costs 0.5% per transaction on the Basic plan. Filing the tax is still your job unless you pay for Tax Complete. This isn't tax advice, so ask a tax professional about your case.
Want a store that sells more than a file? Start Eden free and build your first product.