Stripe charges 1.5% + 20p for a standard UK card, 2.8% + 20p for a premium UK card, 2.5% + 20p for a card from the European Economic Area and 3.15% + 20p for other international cards, with no setup or monthly fee. Card refunds cost nothing to issue, but the original fee is kept. Once your account is established, UK payouts land 3 business days after the payment. This site takes its own package payments through Stripe Checkout.
Last reviewed 14 October 2026 against Stripe’s UK pricing page and Stripe’s payout documentation.
How much does Stripe charge per transaction in the UK?
1.5% + 20p is the rate on a standard UK consumer card, which is what most of your customers will pay with. Premium UK cards, EEA cards and the rest of the world cost more, and a 2% surcharge is added on top of the card rate whenever Stripe has to convert the currency. On a £100 sale paid with a standard UK card, Stripe keeps £1.70 and you receive £98.30.
| What happens | Stripe UK standard fee | On a £100 payment |
|---|---|---|
| Standard UK card | 1.5% + 20p | £1.70 |
| Premium UK card | 2.8% + 20p | £3.00 |
| EEA card | 2.5% + 20p | £2.70 |
| Other international card | 3.15% + 20p | £3.35 |
| Currency conversion needed | +2% | +£2.00 |
| Bacs Direct Debit | 1%, minimum 20p, capped at £4 | £1.00 |
| Chargeback received | £20 per dispute | £20.00 |
| Chargeback you counter by hand | £20, returned if you win | £20.00 |
| Instant Payout | 1% of the payout, minimum 40p | £1.00 |
Does Stripe charge a monthly fee in the UK?
No. On standard pricing Stripe has no setup fee, no monthly fee and no closure fee, so a quiet month costs nothing. The exceptions are optional products: Stripe Billing for subscriptions, for example, is charged at 0.7% of billing volume on its pay-as-you-go plan.
How long does Stripe take to pay out to a UK bank account?
3 business days after the payment, once your account is past its first payout. Stripe’s documentation lists the United Kingdom at 7 calendar days for the initial payout and 3 business days after that, and says the first payout is typically scheduled within 7 to 14 days of your first live payment depending on your industry and risk level. If you cannot wait, Instant Payouts reach an eligible debit card or bank account within minutes for 1% of the amount.
Which Stripe integration should a small business use?
Two options cover nearly every small business site: Checkout, where Stripe hosts the payment page, and Elements, where the card fields sit inside your own page. The others are platform plugins that wrap one of the two.
- Stripe Checkout: the customer clicks a buy button, pays on a page Stripe hosts, and comes back to your site. It is the quickest to build and the one we use for our own Starter, Business and Premium package payments.
- Stripe Elements: the payment form is embedded so the customer never leaves your page. More build time, more control over the look.
- WooCommerce: if your shop already runs on WordPress and WooCommerce, a Stripe gateway plugin connects the two without custom code. Our ecommerce website cost guide covers what a full shop build involves.
Do Stripe refunds cost anything?
Yes, indirectly. Stripe charges nothing to issue a card refund on standard pricing, but the processing fee and any currency conversion fee from the original payment are not returned, so refunding that £100 standard UK card sale leaves you £1.70 down.
Is Stripe safe and PCI compliant?
Yes. Stripe has been certified as a PCI Service Provider Level 1, which its security documentation describes as the most stringent level of certification in the payments industry. With Checkout or Elements the card number goes straight to Stripe and never touches your server, which keeps your own compliance work to the minimum.
What do I need to open a Stripe account in the UK?
4 things: a Stripe account, a UK bank account (sort code and account number) for payouts, your business details so Stripe can verify you, and a website served over HTTPS. Opening the account is free.
How much does it cost to add Stripe to a website?
£1,495 on our Business package, which includes Stripe payments as standard along with up to 15 pages and 90 days of support. Stripe’s own fees then come out of each payment as shown above, and our website running costs guide sets those alongside hosting, domain and maintenance.
Want Stripe taking payments on your site? Tell us what you sell and we will quote the build.
Get web & SEO tips that actually move the needle
Short, occasional emails for business owners: what's changing in Google, how to win more enquiries, and the fixes worth your time. No spam, no jargon.