Stripe vs Adyen
Last updated: September 1, 2026
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.
Adyen
A-
Adyen is a global, enterprise-grade payments platform that unifies acquiring, processing, routing and risk management into a single stack for merchants with international and omnichannel needs.
VS
Overview
Stripe for almost everyone; Adyen once you have the volume to negotiate and the channels to unify. Both publish their pricing, but they price differently: Stripe charges a flat 2.9% + $0.30 online and 2.7% + $0.05 in person, while Adyen passes interchange and scheme fees through at cost and adds $0.13 a transaction. Adyen's model is cheaper at scale, but it comes with a minimum monthly invoice, two months' notice to leave, terminal prices on request and an F at the BBB. Stripe has no minimum, no notice period, published hardware prices and an A+.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Pricing transparency — Stripe: flat 2.9% + $0.30 published in full (vs Interchange++ + $0.13 that Adyen calls indicative)
- ✓Contract — Stripe: close the account any time from the Dashboard (vs two months' written notice)
- ✓Minimums — Stripe: none (vs a minimum monthly invoice whose amount Adyen does not publish)
- ✓ACH Direct Debit — Adyen: flat $0.13 + $0.27 (vs 0.8% capped at $5)
- ✓BBB standing — Stripe: A+, accredited since 2013 (vs F, not accredited)
Stripe
Better for startups, SaaS, marketplaces and any online business that wants published pricing, no minimums and a developer-first integration it can stand up this week.
Adyen
Better for mid-market and enterprise retailers with real volume, in-store and online channels to unify, and a finance team that wants interchange and scheme fees itemised rather than bundled.
The Verdict
It Depends on Your Needs
Why?
Stripe, unless you are large enough for Adyen to want you. The tables split cleanly. Stripe wins everything a small or mid-sized online business feels day to day: pricing you can read off a page, no minimum invoice, no notice period, hardware with a price tag, no separate Amex rate on the price list, and an A+ at the BBB. Adyen wins on the economics of volume: Interchange++ is cheaper than 2.9% on most card mixes, its ACH fee is a flat $0.40, and local acquiring in seven regions removes cross-border fees Stripe would charge you 1.5% for. The deciding question is whether you have the volume to make Adyen's model pay and the patience for an enterprise contract. Adyen's pricing page calls its fees indicative, the minimum invoice is disclosed only to sales, terminals are quoted on request and leaving takes two months' notice. That is normal for an enterprise acquirer and a poor fit for a business that wants to sign up this afternoon. Our grades reflect the same split: Stripe holds an A and Adyen an A-, with Adyen scoring higher on industry reputation and lower on support and contract terms.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Pricing and rates
Feature
Stripe
Adyen
Pricing model
Flat rate, published
Interchange++ plus fixed $0.13
Adyen passes the card network's interchange and scheme fees through at cost and adds its own $0.13 per transaction; the total varies by card type. Adyen's pricing page describes its fees as indicative and quotes contracts individually.
Online card rate (US domestic)
2.9% + $0.30
Interchange++ + $0.13
Which is cheaper depends on card mix and ticket size. Interchange on a US consumer credit card typically runs below Stripe's flat 2.9%, so Adyen's total is usually lower on volume; on small tickets Stripe's $0.30 and Adyen's $0.13 plus per-item scheme fees narrow the gap.
In-person card rate
2.7% + $0.05
Not published separately
Adyen's public pricing page lists no card-present rate; terminal pricing is quoted with the contract.
American Express
2.9% + $0.30; no separate Amex rate listed
3.3% + $0.10 + $0.13 (North America)
Stripe's US pricing page lists one domestic card rate and no Amex surcharge, but does not name Amex explicitly. Adyen prices Amex separately: 3.3% + $0.10 in North America, 3.95% globally, plus its $0.13 processing fee.
International cards
+1.5%, plus 1% if converted
Cross-border scheme fees passed through at cost
Adyen adds no fixed surcharge; the network's cross-border and international interchange fees flow through under Interchange++. Adyen also holds local acquiring licences in Europe, North America, Brazil, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, which can avoid cross-border fees entirely.
ACH Direct Debit
0.8%, capped at $5
$0.13 + $0.27 per transaction
Winner
Adyen's published ACH fee is a flat $0.40 regardless of amount; Stripe's 0.8% reaches its $5 cap at $625.
Monthly, setup and PCI fees
$0
Winner
$0, but a minimum monthly invoice applies
Adyen's pricing FAQ: no monthly, set-up, integration or closure fees, but "a minimum invoice depending on industry or business model". The amount is not published.
Dispute fee
$15 received + $15 to counter
Not published; set in contract
Stripe's $15 dispute-received fee is non-refundable; the $15 countered fee is returned if you win. Adyen's help centre confirms a chargeback processing fee is debited but publishes no amount.
Pricing model
Stripe
Flat rate, published
Adyen
Interchange++ plus fixed $0.13
Adyen passes the card network's interchange and scheme fees through at cost and adds its own $0.13 per transaction; the total varies by card type. Adyen's pricing page describes its fees as indicative and quotes contracts individually.
Online card rate (US domestic)
Stripe
2.9% + $0.30
Adyen
Interchange++ + $0.13
Which is cheaper depends on card mix and ticket size. Interchange on a US consumer credit card typically runs below Stripe's flat 2.9%, so Adyen's total is usually lower on volume; on small tickets Stripe's $0.30 and Adyen's $0.13 plus per-item scheme fees narrow the gap.
In-person card rate
Stripe
2.7% + $0.05
Adyen
Not published separately
Adyen's public pricing page lists no card-present rate; terminal pricing is quoted with the contract.
American Express
Stripe
2.9% + $0.30; no separate Amex rate listed
Adyen
3.3% + $0.10 + $0.13 (North America)
Stripe's US pricing page lists one domestic card rate and no Amex surcharge, but does not name Amex explicitly. Adyen prices Amex separately: 3.3% + $0.10 in North America, 3.95% globally, plus its $0.13 processing fee.
International cards
Stripe
+1.5%, plus 1% if converted
Adyen
Cross-border scheme fees passed through at cost
Adyen adds no fixed surcharge; the network's cross-border and international interchange fees flow through under Interchange++. Adyen also holds local acquiring licences in Europe, North America, Brazil, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, which can avoid cross-border fees entirely.
ACH Direct Debit
Stripe
0.8%, capped at $5
Adyen
$0.13 + $0.27 per transaction
Winner
Adyen's published ACH fee is a flat $0.40 regardless of amount; Stripe's 0.8% reaches its $5 cap at $625.
Monthly, setup and PCI fees
Stripe
$0
Winner
Adyen
$0, but a minimum monthly invoice applies
Adyen's pricing FAQ: no monthly, set-up, integration or closure fees, but "a minimum invoice depending on industry or business model". The amount is not published.
Dispute fee
Stripe
$15 received + $15 to counter
Adyen
Not published; set in contract
Stripe's $15 dispute-received fee is non-refundable; the $15 countered fee is returned if you win. Adyen's help centre confirms a chargeback processing fee is debited but publishes no amount.
Jump to:
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
SaaS and subscription startups
Recommended
Stripe
Stripe Billing, Invoicing, hosted checkout and the developer documentation are built for this, and there is no minimum invoice to justify. Adyen's model only starts paying off at volumes a startup does not have yet.
Enterprise and mid-market retailers with stores and online
Recommended
Adyen
Adyen's unified commerce runs in-store terminals, e-commerce and marketplaces on one contract with one reconciliation, and Interchange++ plus local acquiring is where the savings compound at scale. This is the customer Adyen is built for.
Marketplaces and platforms
Both. Stripe Connect and Adyen for Platforms both handle split payments, sub-merchant onboarding and payouts. Pick Connect if you want to ship quickly with published pricing; pick Adyen if you are already at enterprise volume and negotiating anyway.
Small brick-and-mortar shops
Recommended
Stripe
Stripe Terminal has a $59 reader, a $299 smart reader and a published 2.7% + $0.05 rate. Adyen's terminals and card-present pricing are quoted by sales, and a single-location shop is unlikely to clear its minimum invoice comfortably.
International sellers with cross-border volume
Recommended
Adyen
Adyen acquires locally in Europe, North America, Brazil, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, which removes the cross-border fees Stripe charges 1.5% for. If most of your customers are abroad and the volume is there, the difference is material.
High-risk businesses
Neither. Both restrict prohibited categories and both close accounts on review with balances held. CBD, supplements, firearms, adult and similar categories need a specialist processor rather than either of these.
Stripe: Best for 2 use cases
Adyen: Best for 2 use cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
Usually, once you have volume. Adyen charges interchange and scheme fees at cost plus $0.13 a transaction, and on most US card mixes that lands below Stripe's flat 2.9% + $0.30. But Adyen carries a minimum monthly invoice it does not publish, prices Amex at 3.3% + $0.10 plus $0.13 in North America where Stripe's page lists no separate Amex rate, and quotes each contract individually. For a small business the minimum invoice can erase the per-transaction saving.
Yes. Adyen's pricing page says there are no monthly, set-up, integration or closure fees, but that it has a minimum invoice depending on industry or business model, and directs you to sales for the figure. Stripe has no minimum of any kind.
Technically, but it is not the target customer. Card-present pricing and terminals are quoted rather than listed, the minimum invoice applies from day one, and the standard contract needs two months' notice to leave. Stripe lets you sign up, take a payment and close the account from the Dashboard with no notice.
For a small number of locations, Stripe: the Reader M2 is $59, the S700 and S710 are $299 and the rate is a published 2.7% + $0.05. For a chain that wants stores and online on one platform with one settlement, Adyen's unified commerce is the stronger product, but you will get its terminal prices only from a sales conversation.
Both offer 24/7 support. Stripe gives every account phone, chat and email around the clock and sells paid plans with a technical account manager. Adyen runs a follow-the-sun ticket and phone desk through its Customer Area. Our reviews rate Stripe 4.0 and Adyen 3.5 for support.
The BBB grades on responsiveness. Adyen has not responded to four of the five complaints on its profile and is not accredited, which produces an F regardless of company size. Stripe is accredited and holds an A+. Neither score is a measure of enterprise service quality, and both companies' complaints centre on held funds and closed accounts.