Comparison · Updated October 8, 2026
QuickBooks Payments vs Stripe
QuickBooks Payments (Intuit)
B
QuickBooks Payments is Intuit's card and bank-payment service, sold as an add-on to QuickBooks Online rather than as a standalone merchant account. Intuit was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California; money movement is provided by Intuit Payments Inc., licensed as a money transmitter by the New York State Department of Financial Services, and the card acquiring itself runs through JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Paymentech, LLC under the commercial entity merchant agreement Intuit publishes. Rates are published in full and, as of the figures Intuit dated 30 April 2026, are 2.5% for in-person payments, 2.99% for invoices and other card and digital-wallet transactions, 1% for ACH bank payments, 3.5% for keyed cards, and 2.99% for buy-now-pay-later through Affirm. There is no monthly fee for Payments itself, no minimum and no long-term contract. The defining trade-off is reconciliation: nothing else puts card, ACH, PayPal, Venmo and Affirm volume straight into your books with no matching step, and nothing else in this price band has quite the same reputation for freezing deposits.
Stripe
A
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.
VS
Overview
This is a US comparison, using Intuit's standard pricing for QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Money and GoPayment (rates dated 18 September 2026) and Stripe's US pay-as-you-go pricing as of October 2026. QuickBooks Desktop has a different rate card and is not covered here. The two charge differently. QuickBooks Payments sets one flat rate for each way of paying: 2.99% on an invoice paid by card or wallet, 2.5% in person, 3.5% keyed and 1% for ACH, with no per-transaction cents. Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ online, 2.7% + 5¢ in person and 0.8% for ACH capped at $5, and then adds fees for the tool you use: 0.4% per paid invoice, and 0.7% of volume for subscriptions on Billing. That makes QuickBooks cheaper on card invoices, in person and on small keyed payments, and deposits arrive faster: the next business day for card payments taken before 3 p.m. PT, against Stripe's two business days. Stripe is cheaper on large bank payments, chargebacks and instant payouts. It also has a real checkout and API, prices in 135+ currencies, and offers 24/7 support. QuickBooks puts every payment into your books with no matching step. Stripe needs a third-party app to sync with QuickBooks Online. Payment Review grades Stripe A and QuickBooks Payments B.
Key Takeaways
- ✓On a card-paid invoice QuickBooks charges 2.99% flat. Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ plus its 0.4% Invoicing fee, so a $1,000 invoice costs $29.90 on QuickBooks and $33.30 on Stripe.
- ✓Stripe is cheaper for bank payments: 0.8% capped at $5, against QuickBooks' 1% with no cap published. On a $5,000 transfer that is $5 against $50. Stripe's 0.4% invoice fee still applies on top when the transfer pays a Stripe invoice.
- ✓QuickBooks deposits card payments taken before 3 p.m. PT the next business day, and a new account's first batch within 5 business days. Stripe pays out two business days after the charge, and its first payout typically takes 7 to 14 days.
- ✓Stripe costs less when a payment goes wrong or you need cash fast: $15 per dispute (another $15 if you contest it, refunded if you win) against QuickBooks' $25, and 1.5% for an instant payout against 1.75%.
- ✓QuickBooks is built into the books: every payment posts to QuickBooks Online automatically. Stripe has no QuickBooks connector of its own and relies on third-party sync apps. In return it offers the stronger checkout, API, international reach and BBB standing.
QuickBooks Payments (Intuit)
QuickBooks Payments suits service businesses, contractors and trades that already keep their books in QuickBooks Online, get paid by invoice or in person, and want next-day deposits and payments that reconcile themselves.
Stripe
Stripe suits businesses that sell through a website or app, bill subscriptions, take large bank payments or sell abroad, and can live with a two-day payout schedule and a separate accounting sync.
The Verdict
It Depends on Your Needs
Why?
Payment Review grades Stripe A and QuickBooks Payments B, and Stripe is the stronger payments platform: it has a real checkout and API, handles subscriptions and many currencies, charges less for large bank payments, chargebacks and instant payouts, offers 24/7 support and holds an A+ BBB rating against Intuit's D-. But for the business QuickBooks Payments is built for, QuickBooks is the better buy. If you already run QuickBooks Online and get paid by invoice or in person, it is cheaper per payment (2.99% against 3.3% + 30¢ on a card-paid invoice, and 2.5% against 2.7% + 5¢ in person), it deposits the next business day rather than after two, and every payment lands in your books with nothing to sync. Choose Stripe if you sell online, bill subscriptions, take large ACH payments or sell abroad. Choose QuickBooks Payments if your sales are QuickBooks invoices and face-to-face payments.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Card rates (US standard pricing, October 2026)
| Feature | QuickBooks Payments (Intuit) | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice paid by card or wallet | 2.99% Winner | 3.3% + 30¢ (2.9% + 30¢ plus 0.4% Invoicing fee) |
| Intuit's invoice rate applies when a QuickBooks Online customer pays through the emailed invoice link by card, Apple Pay, PayPal or Venmo, and its rates FAQ says the same rate applies to American Express and corporate cards. Stripe's Invoicing Starter plan adds 0.4% per paid invoice on top of its 2.9% + 30¢ card rate (0.5% on Invoicing Plus). Stripe dropped Invoicing Starter's 25 free invoices a month on 1 November 2023 and publishes no cap on the fee. A $200 invoice costs $5.98 on QuickBooks and $6.90 on Stripe. A Stripe user who sends a Payment Link instead of an invoice pays only the 2.9% + 30¢ card rate, but gives up the invoice itself. Intuit says new merchants processing more than $2,500 a month may qualify for up to 25% off if they ask when they apply. That is a quoted discount, not a published rate. | ||
| Online checkout or payment through an app (not an invoice) | 3.5% (QuickBooks Payments API) | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| QuickBooks Online does not integrate with a shopping cart itself. Intuit's pricing schedule charges every card payment taken through a third-party app on the QuickBooks Payments API at 3.5%, the keyed rate. Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ on domestic cards through Checkout, Payment Links or its API. The two cross at $50. Below that QuickBooks is cheaper, and above it Stripe is: a $100 sale costs $3.50 against $3.20. | ||
| Manually keyed card | 3.5% | 3.4% + 30¢ |
| Stripe adds 0.5% to its online rate for manually entered cards. The two cross at $300: QuickBooks is cheaper on smaller keyed payments and Stripe on larger ones. A $100 keyed payment costs $3.50 against $3.70, and a $1,000 one $35.00 against $34.30. | ||
| In person (card reader or Tap to Pay) | 2.5% Winner | 2.7% + 5¢ (Terminal); +10¢ for Tap to Pay |
| QuickBooks charges 2.5% through its card reader or Tap to Pay on iPhone, with no per-transaction cents. Stripe Terminal charges 2.7% + 5¢ on domestic cards, plus 10¢ per authorisation for Tap to Pay and 5¢ for optional point-to-point encryption. A $20 sale costs 50¢ on QuickBooks against 59¢ on a Stripe reader or 69¢ with Stripe Tap to Pay. Stripe's readers start at $59 for the Reader M2. | ||
| International card surcharge | +1% Winner | +1.5%, plus 1% if currency conversion is needed |
| Intuit's pricing schedule adds 1% for an internationally issued card or an international PayPal account. Stripe adds 1.5% for international cards and a further 1% when it converts currency. Stripe can show prices in 135+ currencies. Intuit's rates and fees are in US dollars, and its help centre says QuickBooks Payments is not compatible with QuickBooks Online's Multicurrency, so payment-enabled invoices are in US dollars. | ||
Invoice paid by card or wallet
QuickBooks Payments (Intuit)
2.99%
Winner
Stripe
3.3% + 30¢ (2.9% + 30¢ plus 0.4% Invoicing fee)
Intuit's invoice rate applies when a QuickBooks Online customer pays through the emailed invoice link by card, Apple Pay, PayPal or Venmo, and its rates FAQ says the same rate applies to American Express and corporate cards. Stripe's Invoicing Starter plan adds 0.4% per paid invoice on top of its 2.9% + 30¢ card rate (0.5% on Invoicing Plus). Stripe dropped Invoicing Starter's 25 free invoices a month on 1 November 2023 and publishes no cap on the fee. A $200 invoice costs $5.98 on QuickBooks and $6.90 on Stripe. A Stripe user who sends a Payment Link instead of an invoice pays only the 2.9% + 30¢ card rate, but gives up the invoice itself. Intuit says new merchants processing more than $2,500 a month may qualify for up to 25% off if they ask when they apply. That is a quoted discount, not a published rate.
Online checkout or payment through an app (not an invoice)
QuickBooks Payments (Intuit)
3.5% (QuickBooks Payments API)
Stripe
2.9% + 30¢
QuickBooks Online does not integrate with a shopping cart itself. Intuit's pricing schedule charges every card payment taken through a third-party app on the QuickBooks Payments API at 3.5%, the keyed rate. Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ on domestic cards through Checkout, Payment Links or its API. The two cross at $50. Below that QuickBooks is cheaper, and above it Stripe is: a $100 sale costs $3.50 against $3.20.
Manually keyed card
QuickBooks Payments (Intuit)
3.5%
Stripe
3.4% + 30¢
Stripe adds 0.5% to its online rate for manually entered cards. The two cross at $300: QuickBooks is cheaper on smaller keyed payments and Stripe on larger ones. A $100 keyed payment costs $3.50 against $3.70, and a $1,000 one $35.00 against $34.30.
In person (card reader or Tap to Pay)
QuickBooks Payments (Intuit)
2.5%
Winner
Stripe
2.7% + 5¢ (Terminal); +10¢ for Tap to Pay
QuickBooks charges 2.5% through its card reader or Tap to Pay on iPhone, with no per-transaction cents. Stripe Terminal charges 2.7% + 5¢ on domestic cards, plus 10¢ per authorisation for Tap to Pay and 5¢ for optional point-to-point encryption. A $20 sale costs 50¢ on QuickBooks against 59¢ on a Stripe reader or 69¢ with Stripe Tap to Pay. Stripe's readers start at $59 for the Reader M2.
International card surcharge
QuickBooks Payments (Intuit)
+1%
Winner
Stripe
+1.5%, plus 1% if currency conversion is needed
Intuit's pricing schedule adds 1% for an internationally issued card or an international PayPal account. Stripe adds 1.5% for international cards and a further 1% when it converts currency. Stripe can show prices in 135+ currencies. Intuit's rates and fees are in US dollars, and its help centre says QuickBooks Payments is not compatible with QuickBooks Online's Multicurrency, so payment-enabled invoices are in US dollars.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Contractors, consultants and agencies invoicing from QuickBooks Online
Recommended
QuickBooks Payments (Intuit)
2.99% on a card-paid invoice beats Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢ plus 0.4% at every invoice size, deposits arrive the next business day, and the payment posts against the invoice in QuickBooks with no sync app.
Online store, SaaS or app selling through its own checkout
Recommended
Stripe
Stripe's checkout, Payment Links and API charge 2.9% + 30¢. QuickBooks Online has no shopping-cart integration, and third-party apps on its Payments API pay the 3.5% keyed rate.
Subscription business with tiered or usage-based pricing
Recommended
Stripe
Stripe Billing costs an extra 0.7% of Billing volume, but it handles usage-based pricing, trials, a customer portal and failed-payment retries. QuickBooks' recurring payments carry no extra fee but are built for simple repeat charges, and Intuit's help articles disagree on whether Simple Start includes them.
B2B firm collecting large invoices by bank transfer
Recommended
Stripe
Stripe's ACH is 0.8% capped at $5 against the uncapped 1% in Intuit's published pricing. Even with Stripe's 0.4% invoice fee on top, Stripe is cheaper on bank-paid invoices above about $833 at that rate: $25 against $50 on a $5,000 invoice. Ask Intuit whether your account has a cap, since one Intuit reply cites a $10 maximum, which would reverse this.
Mobile trades and small in-person sellers
Recommended
QuickBooks Payments (Intuit)
QuickBooks charges 2.5% with no per-transaction cents through its reader or Tap to Pay on iPhone, against Stripe's 2.7% + 5¢ plus 10¢ for Tap to Pay, and pays out the next business day.
Business selling to customers abroad
Recommended
Stripe
Stripe can show prices in 135+ currencies and accept 100+ payment methods. Its 1.5% international surcharge, plus 1% for conversion, costs more than QuickBooks' 1%, but QuickBooks Payments does not work with QuickBooks Online's Multicurrency, so you invoice in US dollars.
QuickBooks Payments (Intuit): Best for 2 use cases
Stripe: Best for 4 use cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
It depends on how you get paid. QuickBooks is cheaper on card-paid invoices (2.99% against Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢ plus its 0.4% invoice fee) and in person (2.5% against 2.7% + 5¢). It is also cheaper on keyed payments under $300. Stripe is cheaper on online checkout payments above $50, where QuickBooks' API rate is 3.5%, and on ACH, where it charges 0.8% capped at $5 against QuickBooks' 1%. Rates are US standard pricing as of October 2026.
Not to take a card. Intuit says the GoPayment app can take keyed and in-person payments on its own. Invoice payments and automatic reconciliation come with QuickBooks Online, which lists from $0 for the Free plan (two invoices a month) and $38 a month for Simple Start, as of October 2026. Stripe needs no subscription, but it is not accounting software.
Not by itself. Stripe's documentation lists QuickBooks Online sync through apps built by third-party developers on the Stripe App Marketplace, and those apps are priced separately by their developers. QuickBooks Payments needs no sync, because each payment and its fee are recorded in QuickBooks Online as part of a daily deposit.
QuickBooks. It deposits card payments processed before 3 p.m. PT the next business day, and a new account's first batch within 5 business days. Stripe's standard US settlement is two business days, and its first payout typically takes 7 to 14 days. Both sell instant payouts: 1.75% on QuickBooks and 1.5% (50¢ minimum) on Stripe.
QuickBooks charges $25 plus the chargeback amount. Stripe charges $15 for each dispute, plus another $15 if you contest it manually, which it refunds if you win. A contested dispute that you lose therefore costs $30 on Stripe. QuickBooks also sells Payments Dispute Protection from 0.99%, which covers card disputes up to $10,000 each and $25,000 a year.
Yes. QuickBooks charges 2.5% through its card reader or Tap to Pay on iPhone. Stripe Terminal charges 2.7% + 5¢, plus 10¢ per authorisation for Tap to Pay, and its readers start at $59. Stripe's in-person product is built for businesses that integrate it into their own app or point of sale.
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