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.
Stax
Payment Processor · 4.0/5 mean
Stax is a payments technology company founded in 2014 that partners with SaaS companies, ISOs, and SMBs to enable flexible, multi-channel payment processing and invoicing solutions, claiming a distinctive subscription-based pricing model with 0% interchange markup.
Read the full review →Stripe
Payment Processor · 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 2, 2026 and August 19, 2026.
| Criterion | Stax | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 4.0 | 5.0wins this criterion |
| Feature set | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ease of use | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Straight from each provider's published documentation. Where a number isn't published, we say so rather than estimate.
| Metric | Stax | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Online rate | $0.15 per transaction (flat, no % markup) | 2.9% + $0.30 |
| Monthly fee | $99–$199+/month (depending on subscription tier) | No monthly fees |
| Payout | Next business day | First payout 7-14 days; then a rolling schedule of about 2 business days |
| Contract | month-to-month subscription | No long-term fixed contract requirements for standard services / 1-year minimum commitment for add-ons and enterprise services |
| In-person rate | $0.08 per transaction (flat, no % markup) | 2.7% + $0.05 |
| Keyed rate | $0.15 per transaction | Not disclosed |
From the Stax review
Stripe charges no monthly, setup, or PCI fees and offers industry-standard APIs, which suits online businesses that don't clear the volume where Stax's subscription pays off. Stax still holds up for merchants processing enough that paying interchange at cost plus a fixed subscription beats Stripe's flat 2.9% + $0.30.
Pick Stripe if you run an online business with developer resources and want no monthly 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 | 3.0 | 4.0wins this criterion |
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| Contract terms | 4.0 | 5.0wins this criterion |
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| Industry reputation | 4.0 | 4.0 |
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| International rate | Not publicly specified | +1.5% + ~1% for conversion |
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| PCI fee | Not on Stax's published rate card; $10/month is third-party reporting | No separate PCI fee |
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| Statement fee | Not disclosed | No monthly statement fee |
|---|
| Chargeback fee | Not on Stax's published rate card; chargeback protection is offered as an add-on at an unpublished price | $15 per chargeback |
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| Early termination | None (month-to-month; 30 days written notice required to cancel) | No early termination fee under the pay-as-you-go model |
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| Last fact-checked | September 2, 2026 | August 19, 2026 |
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