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Guide · 5 min read

Stripe International Fees 2026 — The Complete Guide

International card fees catch many businesses off guard. Here's exactly what Stripe charges for cross-border transactions — and how to minimise the cost.

⚠️ International card = +1.5% surcharge
Whenever a customer's card is issued outside your Stripe account's country, Stripe adds 1.5% to your standard rate. On $10,000/month of international sales, that's an extra $150/month.

International Card Rates by Country

Merchant CountryDomestic RateInternational Card RateExtra Cost on $100
🇺🇸 USA2.9% + $0.304.4% + $0.30+$1.50
🇬🇧 UK1.5% + £0.203.25% + £0.20+£1.75
🇦🇺 Australia1.7% + A$0.303.5% + A$0.30+A$1.80
🇨🇦 Canada2.9% + CA$0.303.7% + CA$0.30+CA$0.80
🇩🇪 Germany/EU1.5% + €0.253.25% + €0.25+€1.75

3 Ways to Reduce International Card Fees

  1. Open local Stripe accounts — A UK Stripe account charges UK rates for UK customers. Open accounts in your major markets.
  2. Use bank transfers for large B2B payments — ACH (USA) or SEPA (Europe) bypass card networks entirely, avoiding the international surcharge.
  3. Enable multi-currency settlement — Stripe can settle in the customer's currency, avoiding the 1% currency conversion fee on top of the processing fee.
💡 Calculate international vs domestic fee difference Open Stripe Calculator →
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Stripe adds a 1.5% surcharge for cards issued outside your Stripe account's country. In the USA, this means international cards cost 4.4% + $0.30 vs the standard 2.9% + $0.30.
Open Stripe accounts in your key markets (e.g. a UK Stripe account for UK customers), use SEPA or ACH instead of cards for B2B payments, and encourage customers to use local payment methods.
Yes. Stripe adds 1% for currency conversion when the transaction currency differs from your payout currency. Avoid this by enabling multi-currency settlement in your Stripe dashboard.
UK Stripe accounts pay 1.75% extra for non-EEA cards (3.25% + £0.20 total vs 1.5% + £0.20 for EEA cards).
For bank-to-bank transfers, yes. Wise charges 0.4-2% at the mid-market rate vs Stripe's 1%+ FX markup. Use Stripe for card payments and Wise for international bank transfers.
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