Stripe
Developer-focused card acquirer and gateway with published rates: 1.5% + 20p on standard UK cards. Merchant accounts in 44 countries and 135+ presentment currencies; gambling and adult are refused.
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Stripe was started in 2010 by the Irish brothers Patrick and John Collison and now runs from twin headquarters in South San Francisco and Dublin. Merchants meet it as a developer-first gateway and acquirer, but the same account also covers subscriptions, invoicing, marketplace payouts through Connect, in-person readers via Terminal, and card issuing.
Businesses can open an account in 44 countries; India and Indonesia remain invite-only, and the five African markets shown on Stripe's availability map are served by Paystack, which Stripe bought in 2020. Card acceptance covers Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover and Diners, JCB, UnionPay, Cartes Bancaires and Australian eftpos. Past cards, the documentation lists iDEAL, Bancontact, BLIK, Przelewy24, TWINT, Swish, MobilePay, Multibanco, MB WAY, PayNow, PromptPay, FPX, GrabPay, Alipay, WeChat Pay, Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay, Boleto, OXXO, Konbini, Pix and UPI, alongside Bacs, SEPA and ACH direct debits. Charges can be presented in more than 135 currencies.
Pricing is published country by country, which is rare at this scale. A standard UK consumer card costs 1.5% + 20p, premium UK cards 2.8% + 20p, EEA cards 2.5% + 20p and everything else 3.15% + 20p, with 2% added when Stripe converts the currency. Euro-area accounts pay 1.5% + €0.25 on EEA cards and 3.15% + €0.25 on international ones. Standard accounts carry no setup or monthly fee.
The trade-off is who Stripe will not take. Gambling, adult services, crypto mining and token sales are banned outright, while crypto exchanges, firearms dealers and CBD sellers need approval before going live. Payouts settle three business days behind in the UK and EU and two in the US and Australia, with the first payment held back a week or two.
Licences & regulation
Authorisations Stripe holds, as published by the provider or regulator. Check the register entry before relying on it.
Financial Conduct Authority
Central Bank of Ireland
US state banking regulators (NMLS)
Monetary Authority of SingaporeOnboarding requirements
Licence requirements for merchants
Features
Sources
- Stripe UK pricing · stripe.com
- Stripe Ireland pricing · stripe.com
- Stripe global availability · stripe.com
- Stripe payment method support · docs.stripe.com
- Stripe supported card brands · docs.stripe.com
- Stripe supported currencies · docs.stripe.com
- Stripe payouts documentation · docs.stripe.com
- Stripe Payments UK authorised payment services · stripe.com
- Stripe Technology Europe Limited regulatory disclosure · stripe.com
- Stripe Payments Company licenses · stripe.com
- MAS Financial Institutions Directory entry · eservices.mas.gov.sg
- Stripe prohibited and restricted businesses · stripe.com
- Stripe apps and plugins · docs.stripe.com
- Stripe, Inc. (Wikipedia) · en.wikipedia.org
Select a method to see every listing that accepts it.
Europe 31
AustriaAT
BelgiumBE
BulgariaBG
CroatiaHR
Czech RepublicCZ
DenmarkDK
EstoniaEE
FinlandFI
FranceFR
GermanyDE
GibraltarGI
GreeceGR
HungaryHUIrelandIE
ItalyIT
LatviaLV
LiechtensteinLI
LithuaniaLT
LuxembourgLU
MaltaMT
NetherlandsNL
NorwayNO
PolandPL
PortugalPT
RomaniaRO
SlovakiaSK
SloveniaSI
SpainES
SwedenSE
SwitzerlandCHUnited KingdomGBAmericas 4
Asia 9
Oceania 2
- Merchant discount rate
- 1.50% – 3.15%
- Per-transaction fee
- GBP 0.2
- Setup fee
- None
- Monthly fee
- None
Settlement
T+2 in the US and Australia, T+3 in the UK and EU; first payout after 7-14 days
Pricing notes
UK standard pricing: 1.5% + 20p on standard UK consumer cards, 2.8% + 20p on premium UK cards, 2.5% + 20p on EEA cards, 3.15% + 20p on all other cards, plus 2% when currency conversion is applied. In-person (Terminal) is 1.4% + 10p for EEA cards and 2.9% + 10p otherwise. Bacs Direct Debit 1% (20p minimum, £4 cap); Klarna from 4.99% + 35p. Payouts 50p domestic, 1% for instant payouts (40p minimum). Euro-area standard pricing: 1.5% + €0.25 EEA cards, 2.8% + €0.25 premium EEA cards, 2.5% + €0.25 UK cards, 3.15% + €0.25 international, SEPA Direct Debit €0.35, disputes €20. No setup or monthly fee on standard accounts; larger merchants can negotiate custom rates including interchange++.
Alternatives to Stripe
Listings that share categories and countries.
Compare Stripe
Head-to-head: coverage, payment methods and pricing.
Frequently asked questions
What payment methods does Stripe support?
Stripe supports 50 payment methods, including Mastercard, Visa, Bank Transfer, American Express, PIX, BLIK, iDEAL, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Diners / Discover and 40 more.
Which countries does Stripe operate in?
Stripe serves merchants in 46 countries, including Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria, Spain, Mexico, Poland and 36 more.
Which currencies does Stripe support?
Stripe supports 33 currencies, including EUR, USD, BRL, MXN, GBP, SEK, COP, PLN, DKK, CAD and 23 more.
How much does Stripe cost?
Stripe publishes its pricing. UK standard pricing: 1.5% + 20p on standard UK consumer cards, 2.8% + 20p on premium UK cards, 2.5% + 20p on EEA cards, 3.15% + 20p on all other cards, plus 2% when currency conversion is applied. Rates vary by payment method and country, so check Stripe’s website for current pricing.
Is Stripe regulated?
Stripe holds authorisations from Financial Conduct Authority, Central Bank of Ireland, US state banking regulators (NMLS) and Monetary Authority of Singapore. Always check the regulator’s public register before relying on it.
What are the alternatives to Stripe?
Alternatives to Stripe that share its categories and countries include Nuvei, Adyen, Rapyd, PayPal, Paysafe, Airwallex, Worldpay and GoCardless.