Square: 2.9% + $0.30 online API
A US baseline for card payments made through Square’s online payment APIs.
Head-to-head fee guide
Square vs Stripe fees
Compare baseline online-payment pricing for two popular US payment platforms.
Sq
VSSquare
2.9% + $0.30 online APISt
Stripe
2.9% + $0.30Same sale, different result
Take-home examples at five sale amounts.
Each row models one transaction at the displayed gross amount and applies the published baseline shown above. Any modeled monthly charge is included once.
| Gross revenue | Square keeps | Stripe keeps | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $9.41 | $9.41 | $0.00 |
| $50.00 | $48.25 | $48.25 | $0.00 |
| $100.00 | $96.80 | $96.80 | $0.00 |
| $500.00 | $485.20 | $485.20 | $0.00 |
| $1000.00 | $970.70 | $970.70 | $0.00 |
Verify the assumptions
What each baseline represents.
Use the detailed guides and official pricing pages before making a final decision.
Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30
A baseline estimate for a successful domestic online card payment in the United States.
Model your own costs
Order count, product cost, shipping, advertising, and overhead can reverse a headline-fee winner.
ClearFeeMath verdict
Their online API baseline is the same in this model. The decision usually turns on product fit: Square for a connected point-of-sale ecosystem, Stripe for flexible online payment infrastructure.
Choose Square when…
Businesses that combine physical selling, point of sale, and online payments in one ecosystem.
Choose Stripe when…
Online-first businesses that value developer tooling, global payment options, and checkout flexibility.
Common questions
Is Square cheaper than Stripe online?
The referenced US online API baseline is 2.9% plus $0.30 for both. Product choice and transaction type can produce different rates.
Are in-person fees included?
No. This comparison uses online-card baselines; in-person, manually entered, invoice, and international transactions use other rates.