Head to head
Compared side by side on published facts and the same six criteria every review is graded on — generated from the live directory, not a sales page.
Shift4
Platform / Acquirer · 3.5/5 mean
Shift4 Payments is a full-service payment processor and POS provider specializing in integrated commerce solutions for restaurants, hospitality, retail, and enterprise merchants.
Read the full review →Stripe
Payfac / Aggregator · 4.5/5 mean
Stripe is a leading payment processor known for its developer-friendly API, transparent pricing, and comprehensive suite of payment solutions for businesses of all sizes.
Read the full review →Stripe holds the higher standing — by grade, then mean category score. The row-by-row picture below is what should actually decide it for your business.
Both graded against the same six criteria. How we grade · Last fact-checked September 8, 2026 and September 16, 2026.
| Criterion | Shift4 | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 2.5 | 5.0wins this criterion |
| Feature set | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ease of use | 3.0 | 4.0 |
Straight from each provider's published documentation. Where a number isn't published, we say so rather than estimate.
| Metric | Shift4 | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Online rate | 2.7% – 3.5% + $0.10 – $0.30 per transaction | 2.9% + $0.30 |
| Monthly fee | $10 – $50 per month | No monthly fees |
| Payout | 1 – 2 business days | First payout 7-14 days; then a rolling schedule of about 2 business days |
| Contract | 1 – 3 year contracts. Enterprise agreements may be longer. | No long-term fixed contract requirements for standard services / 1-year minimum commitment for add-ons and enterprise services |
| In-person rate | 1.4% – 2.6% + $0.05 – $0.20 per transaction | 2.7% + $0.05, plus $0.10 per authorization for Tap to Pay |
| Keyed rate | 2.5% – 3.9% + per transaction fee |
From the Shift4 review
Stripe publishes flat-rate pricing and lets standard accounts leave at no cost, where Shift4's pricing is quote-based and cancellation can run $250-$500 or more. Shift4 still holds up for restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues that want acquiring, gateway, and Shift4 Dine POS integrated under one provider.
Pick Stripe if you want transparent published pricing with no contract or early-termination fee
Ideal for
Not recommended for
Ideal for
Not recommended for
The full reviews carry the pricing narratives, contract analysis and everything else behind these numbers — or let the matching funnel score the whole directory against your business.
| Customer support | 3.5 | 4.0wins this criterion |
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| Contract terms | 3.0 | 5.0wins this criterion |
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| Industry reputation | 4.0 | 4.0 |
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| International rate | +1% cross-border fee (in addition to normal card rates) | +1.5% + ~1% for conversion |
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| PCI fee | $5 – $25 per month | No separate PCI fee |
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| Statement fee | $5 – $15 monthly | No monthly statement fee |
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| Chargeback fee | $15 – $25 per chargeback | $15 dispute received fee per dispute, kept whether you win or lose; a further $15 dispute countered fee if you respond manually, returned if you win and kept if you lose |
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| Early termination | Depends on contract terms: Often $250 – $500 (Some contracts charge liquidated damages equal to remaining contract value) | No early termination fee under the pay-as-you-go model |
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| Last fact-checked | September 8, 2026 | September 16, 2026 |
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