Stripe's standard fee in the UK is 1.5% + 20p for a payment with a standard UK card. Premium UK cards cost 2.8% + 20p, cards from the EEA 2.5% + 20p, and other international cards 3.15% + 20p, plus 2% if the money has to be converted to pounds. There's no monthly fee on the standard plan.
Below are the full 2026 rates, what a typical payment really costs, and how to record Stripe fees correctly in your accounts — the part most small businesses get wrong.
Stripe fees UK 2026 at a glance
| What | Stripe fee | |---|---| | Standard UK cards | 1.5% + 20p | | Premium UK cards | 2.8% + 20p | | EEA cards | 2.5% + 20p | | International cards | 3.15% + 20p | | Currency conversion | +2% when needed | | Dispute (chargeback) received | £20 | | Instant payout | 1% (minimum 40p) |
Source: Stripe's UK pricing page, October 2026. Stripe can offer custom pricing to larger businesses.
What a £50 payment really costs
- Standard UK card: 75p + 20p = 95p fee, you receive £49.05.
- Premium UK card: £1.40 + 20p = £1.60 fee, you receive £48.40.
- International card: about £1.58 + 20p = £1.78 fee, you receive £48.22.
The 20p fixed part hurts most on small payments: on a £5 sale, a standard UK card costs 27.5p — 5.5% of the sale.
Other Stripe fees to know about
- Disputes: £20 when a customer disputes a payment, and another £20 if you respond manually (refunded if you win).
- Refunds: Stripe generally keeps the original processing fee when you refund.
- Instant payouts: 1% of the amount, minimum 40p. Standard payouts are slower but avoid this.
- Stripe Tax: 0.5% per transaction on the no-code version where you're registered to collect tax.
- Stripe Invoicing: 0.4% per paid invoice on the Starter plan.
- Stripe Billing (subscriptions): 0.7% of billing volume on pay-as-you-go.
- Stripe Connect: platforms pay extra fees for connected accounts — check Stripe's Connect pricing if you run a marketplace.
Stripe payment processing fees vs PayPal and others
Card fees are similar across the big providers; the differences are in international cards, currency conversion and add-ons such as invoicing or tax. Compare on your mix of customers: a business selling mostly to UK consumers pays far less on average than one selling abroad.
How to account for Stripe fees
Stripe takes its fee before it pays you, so your bank only ever sees the net amount. To keep your books right:
- Record each sale gross, at the full amount the customer paid.
- Record Stripe's fees as an expense (payment processing fees), not as a reduction in sales.
- Use a Stripe clearing account: sales go in, fees and payouts come out.
- Book the fees once a month from Stripe's tax invoice for its fees. That invoice shows whether VAT was charged on the fees — read it rather than assuming.
- Check the clearing account equals your Stripe balance at month end.
If you book only what lands in your bank, your turnover is understated and your fees vanish from your profit and loss. Our guide to reconciling Stripe payouts walks through the full method.
Are Stripe fees VAT-able?
It depends on how your Stripe account is set up, so go by Stripe's own tax invoice. If it shows UK VAT and you're VAT-registered, you can usually reclaim it. If it shows no VAT, don't invent any.
Are Stripe fees tax-deductible?
Yes. Payment processing fees are a normal business expense, so they reduce your taxable profit for Income Tax or Corporation Tax.
Track Stripe fees automatically with AccLedger
AccLedger's Stripe integration reads your Stripe account (read-only) and compares the month's Stripe fees with the fees you've booked. If they don't match, it prefills the expense so you can book it from Stripe's tax invoice. It also lists payments without an invoice, matches payouts to your bank and checks the clearing account — then files your VAT return to HMRC.
It's £6 a month including VAT on top of your AccLedger plan, with a 30-day free trial.
Start a 30-day free trial — no card needed.
FAQs
How much does Stripe charge per transaction in the UK? 1.5% + 20p for standard UK cards, 2.8% + 20p for premium UK cards, 2.5% + 20p for EEA cards and 3.15% + 20p for other international cards.
Does Stripe have a monthly fee? Not on the standard pay-as-you-go plan. Some products, such as Stripe Tax Complete or Billing contracts, have monthly fees.
Does Stripe refund its fee when I refund a customer? Generally no — the original processing fee is kept.
How much is a Stripe chargeback fee? £20 per dispute received, plus £20 if you counter it manually, which is refunded if you win.
How do I record Stripe fees in my accounts? As a payment processing expense, booked from Stripe's monthly tax invoice, with sales recorded gross through a Stripe clearing account.
Can I reclaim VAT on Stripe fees? Only if Stripe's tax invoice shows UK VAT and you're VAT-registered.
This article is general guidance based on Stripe's published UK pricing as of October 2026. It is not tax advice. Stripe's fees change; check stripe.com for current rates.