Stripe Fees in the UK (2026): Every Rate UK Sellers Pay

By the Profitvana Editorial Team · Updated May 2026

Stripe is cheaper in the UK than in the US — meaningfully so on UK cards — but the rate ladder is sharper. Pay the wrong attention and an EU customer can quietly cost you twice as much as a UK one. Here is the full 2026 picture for UK Stripe sellers.

UK domestic cards: 1.5% + 20p

Stripe's headline UK rate is 1.5% + £0.20 per successful card payment when the buyer's card is issued in the UK. That is roughly half of the US rate of 2.9% + $0.30, because UK and EU interchange is capped by regulation.

On a £100 sale, Stripe takes £1.70 (£1.50 + £0.20). On £1,000, it takes £15.20. This rate covers Visa, Mastercard, and Apple/Google Pay funded by UK cards.

EEA / EU cards: 2.5% + 20p (since 2021)

Since Brexit took effect on 1 January 2021, Stripe UK treats EU-issued cards as international rather than domestic. A buyer paying with a German, French, or Irish card costs you 2.5% + £0.20 — a full percentage point more than a UK customer.

If a meaningful share of your traffic is EU-based, build that 1 percentage-point gap into your pricing. Many UK sellers do not realise they are absorbing it on every continental order.

International (non-EEA) cards: 3.25% + 20p

US, Canadian, Australian, or other non-EEA cards cost 3.25% + £0.20 — more than double the UK rate. On a £200 international sale, that is £6.70 in fees vs £3.20 from a UK card.

International orders also commonly require 3-D Secure / SCA verification, which is included in the rate. There is no additional fee for it.

Currency conversion: an extra 2%

If you charge a buyer in USD or EUR (not GBP), Stripe converts to GBP for payout at its mid-market rate plus a 2% currency conversion fee. That is double the US Stripe's 1% conversion fee.

For UK sellers serving global audiences, sticking with GBP-priced products and letting Stripe present localised prices is usually cheaper than charging in foreign currencies and converting back.

Bacs Direct Debit: the cheapest option for B2B

For UK-to-UK B2B invoices and subscriptions, Stripe supports Bacs Direct Debit at 1% + £0.20, capped at £4 per transaction. That cap makes Bacs dramatically cheaper than cards on invoices above ~£300.

On a £2,000 invoice, Bacs costs £4 vs £30.20 by card. Worth quietly offering as a payment option for larger clients.

The VAT trap nobody explains

Stripe's fees are a service and attract VAT at the standard UK rate (20%). So a £15 Stripe fee actually costs your business £18 once VAT is applied. If you are VAT-registered, you reclaim the £3 on your quarterly return — but if you are not, it is a real extra 20% on top of every fee.

Many small UK sellers below the VAT threshold are surprised by this on their first big month. Factor it in when comparing Stripe to PayPal (whose fees are also subject to VAT for UK merchants).

Sources

Stripe UK pricing (official)