Stripe vs PayPal vs Square
by Anonymous
Stripe, PayPal, and Square dominate payment processing with distinct strengths. Stripe leads in developer tools and online commerce infrastructure. PayPal offers the widest consumer recognition and buyer protection. Square excels in point-of-sale for physical retail. Many businesses use multiple processors, but choosing a primary platform affects integration complexity and reporting efficiency.
Stripe
2.9% + $0.30
online transaction fee
2.7% + $0.05
in-person transaction fee
Excellent, industry-leading API
developer tools
Terminal reader ($59+)
pos hardware
47+ countries
international coverage
2 days (instant 1%)
payout speed
PayPal
2.99% + $0.49
online transaction fee
2.29% + $0.09
in-person transaction fee
Good, Braintree SDK
developer tools
Zettle readers ($29+)
pos hardware
200+ countries
international coverage
Instant to PayPal
payout speed
Square
2.9% + $0.30
online transaction fee
2.6% + $0.10
in-person transaction fee
Good, growing
developer tools
Free reader, terminals $149+
pos hardware
6 countries
international coverage
Next day (instant 1.75%)
payout speed
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