SaaS payment fees, with calculator and CSV

SaaS Fee Calculator

Compare Stripe, PayPal, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, and Polar fees from one set of inputs. Estimate take-home revenue, see the fee breakdown, download a free CSV template, and decide when a merchant of record such as Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, Polar, or Creem is worth it.

Start with global SaaS Try a $9 SaaS plan Open blank calculator Download CSV template Compare Paddle vs Stripe
Global SaaS preset $20k revenue · 420 orders · 60% international cards $9 plan preset $5k revenue · 850 orders · fixed-fee stress test
Pick the closest question Go straight to the page that matches your search. Choose the provider, tax, or merchant-of-record question closest to your checkout decision.
Common decisions

Short answers for SaaS payment questions

Paddle vs Stripe

Stripe usually starts with lower raw processing fees. Paddle can win when tax handling, invoices, disputes, and buyer support are expensive enough to justify a merchant-of-record fee.

Compare Paddle vs Stripe

Paddle fees

Paddle's percentage-plus-fixed-fee model can feel simple, but the answer changes fast for low-ticket plans, international buyers, refunds, and annual subscriptions.

Open the Paddle fee calculator

Tax calculator SaaS

A SaaS tax estimate should separate tax collected from product revenue, then compare direct tax software with a seller-of-record model before judging provider cost.

Estimate SaaS tax workflow cost

Sales tax software

Sales tax software helps with calculation and records, but a SaaS team still needs a clear owner for registrations, filing, remittance, refunds, and invoices.

Compare SaaS sales tax software paths

Merchant of record provider

A merchant of record is worth comparing when global tax registration, compliant invoices, refunds, disputes, and payout operations are slowing down the business.

Choose a merchant-of-record path
One-click scenarios

Start with a realistic SaaS checkout case

Use a preset first, then change the numbers after the calculator opens.

$9 low-ticket SaaS 850 monthly orders Shows how fixed fees can dominate small subscription plans. Global SaaS 60% international cards Good for Stripe vs Paddle or merchant-of-record comparisons. Annual plans Higher AOV, fewer orders Useful when yearly billing changes fixed-fee economics. Indie SaaS $3k monthly revenue A simple starting point for early paid products.
Already know the question?

Jump to the strongest page for your search

Most visitors land on the homepage first. These routes put the most common SaaS checkout, tax, and merchant-of-record questions one click away.

Paddle fees Model 5% + $0.50 checkout economics Best when you are checking Paddle pay-as-you-go pricing or low-ticket SaaS impact. Paddle vs Stripe Compare MoR checkout with direct processing Use this when the real decision is Stripe control versus Paddle tax and payment operations. Break-even Calculate when Paddle offsets Stripe ops work Use this when the question is whether MoR savings justify a higher transaction fee. Stripe Tax vs MoR Choose tax automation or seller of record Use this before choosing Stripe Tax, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, Polar, or another merchant-of-record path. MoR provider Pick the right seller-of-record model Compare tax ownership, invoices, refunds, disputes, payouts, buyer support, and migration risk. Processor vs MoR Separate raw fees from tax and support Useful when Stripe looks cheaper but Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, or Polar may remove operations work. Low-ticket SaaS See how fixed fees change small plans Run this when $5 to $15 subscriptions make per-order fees dominate the answer.

Your numbers

Start with monthly revenue and order volume. Fine-tune the assumptions after.

Average order value: $50

Estimated outcome

Calculating the best option...

Best estimated take-home - -
Email result Want this calculation saved?

Save the numbers with one line of context, then use the self-serve kit if you want reusable worksheets.

Email my result

Next step Review the winner's pricing
Read local guide Open pricing
Provider Model Fees Net revenue
Free scenario saver

Want to save this checkout scenario?

Save the result and one sentence about what you are deciding. If you want a repeatable process, use the self-serve Checkout Fee Decision Kit.

  • Free saved calculator scenario
  • Free CSV template for comparing checkout fee assumptions
  • Optional digital templates for checkout decisions
  • Useful before wiring Stripe, PayPal, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, Polar, or Creem

Download the free CSV template

View the Checkout Fee Decision Kit

Your email is only used for this request. The optional kit is a separate self-serve digital product.

How this calculator thinks

Stripe is modeled as a payment processor, PayPal is modeled as a wallet-led checkout option, and Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, Polar, and Creem are modeled as merchant-of-record options with bundled fees.

This is a planning tool, not tax or legal advice. Always confirm current provider pricing before making a final decision.

When a merchant of record wins

A merchant of record can make sense when you sell globally, have many small transactions, or want tax handling, invoicing, and payment operations bundled instead of building that workflow yourself.

Pricing assumptions

The current version uses public standard pricing assumptions: Stripe at 2.9% + $0.30 for US online card payments, PayPal at 3.49% + $0.49 for a US PayPal/Venmo online-checkout scenario, Paddle at 5% + $0.50, Lemon Squeezy at 5% + $0.50, and Polar Starter at 5% + $0.50. International card and dispute assumptions are exposed separately because they can change the answer.

What the winner means

The top provider is the highest estimated take-home revenue for the current inputs. It is not a universal recommendation. A founder may still choose a higher-fee merchant of record to avoid tax, compliance, and payment operations work.

Start with average order value

SaaS payment fees are very sensitive to order size. A fixed $0.30 or $0.50 fee is barely visible on a $200 annual plan, but it can change the answer on a $5 monthly plan. If your pricing has several tiers, run the calculator once for each common order size.

Model the boring costs too

Refunds, chargebacks, and international cards do not look exciting, but they often explain why founders disagree about Stripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, and Polar. A realistic model should include the messy edge cases before you commit to a billing setup.

Example: low-ticket SaaS

For a $9 monthly subscription, fixed per-order fees can take a large share of revenue. In that case, compare monthly billing against annual billing, because collecting $108 once per year can produce a very different fee profile than collecting $9 twelve times.

Example: global SaaS

If a meaningful share of customers pay with international cards, the cheapest domestic card rate may not be the real blended rate. Merchant-of-record providers can look expensive at first, but bundled tax, disputes, support, and compliance may be worth modeling.

SaaS tax and Stripe Tax decisions

Use this cluster when the real decision is not only card fees, but who owns calculation, filing, remittance, invoices, and buyer support. It connects the SaaS tax calculator, VAT planning, Stripe Tax, sales tax software, and merchant-of-record comparisons.

SaaS Tax Calculator SaaS VAT Tax Calculator Sales Tax Software for SaaS Stripe Tax Calculator Stripe Tax Pricing Stripe Tax vs Merchant of Record Stripe Tax vs Paddle Stripe Tax vs Lemon Squeezy MoR Payment Processor vs Merchant of Record

Popular SaaS payment searches

These shortcuts route common SaaS payment, tax, and merchant-of-record searches to the most specific calculator or guide.

Search intent Best page Use when
SaaS tax SaaS Tax Calculator You need a planning view of SaaS sales tax, VAT, Stripe Tax, and merchant-of-record tradeoffs.
SaaS VAT tax calculator SaaS VAT Tax Calculator You are selling internationally and need to separate VAT workflow from raw payment fees.
Sales tax software Sales Tax Software for SaaS You are comparing sales tax software, Stripe Tax, and MoR providers for a SaaS checkout.
Stripe Tax Stripe Tax Calculator You want to model Stripe Tax fees and responsibilities before using Stripe checkout globally.
Stripe Tax alternatives Stripe Tax Alternatives You are deciding whether Stripe Tax, a merchant of record, or tax software should own the SaaS tax workflow.
PayPal fees PayPal Fee Calculator You want to model PayPal checkout, fixed fees, international uplift, and dispute risk for a SaaS checkout.
Stripe PayPal Wise fees Stripe PayPal Wise Fee Comparison You are comparing checkout, bank transfer, FX, payout, and merchant-of-record roles for cross-border SaaS sales.
Stripe vs Paddle vs PayPal Stripe vs Paddle vs PayPal You are deciding between direct Stripe processing, Paddle's merchant-of-record model, and PayPal checkout preference.
Paddle fees Paddle Fees Calculator You want to estimate Paddle's checkout fee impact on SaaS revenue and low-ticket plans.
Paddle vs Stripe Paddle vs Stripe Guide You are choosing direct Stripe processing or Paddle's merchant-of-record model.
Stripe vs Paddle break-even Stripe vs Paddle Break-Even Calculator You want to know when Paddle's merchant-of-record value offsets Stripe-side tax and finance operations.
Merchant of record provider Merchant of Record Provider You are deciding whether bundled tax, invoices, disputes, payouts, and buyer support justify a higher transaction fee.
Embed the calculator Embed SaaS Fee Calculator You want to add a free SaaS fee widget to a blog post, resource page, or provider comparison.

Official pricing sources

Stripe pricing PayPal business pricing Paddle pricing Lemon Squeezy pricing Polar pricing Creem pricing

Last checked: June 28, 2026. Provider pricing can change, and custom plans may differ.

Compare specific providers

Paddle Fees Calculator Stripe Fee Calculator PayPal Fee Calculator Lemon Squeezy Fees Calculator Polar.sh Fee Calculator Creem Fee Calculator SaaS Payment Fee Calculator Stripe vs Paddle vs Lemon Squeezy vs Polar Paddle vs Stripe vs Lemon Squeezy Stripe PayPal Wise Fee Comparison Stripe vs Paddle vs PayPal Paddle vs Stripe Guide Paddle vs Stripe Calculator Stripe vs Paddle Break-Even Calculator Paddle vs Stripe for SaaS Paddle vs Lemon Squeezy Stripe vs Lemon Squeezy International Card Fee Calculator Stripe International Card Fee Calculator Low-Ticket SaaS Payment Fee Calculator Micro SaaS Payment Fees Best Payment Provider for Low-Ticket SaaS Annual vs Monthly Billing Fee Calculator SaaS Tax Calculator SaaS VAT Tax Calculator Stripe Tax Calculator Stripe Tax Pricing Stripe Tax Alternatives Stripe Tax vs Merchant of Record Stripe Tax vs Paddle Stripe Tax vs Lemon Squeezy MoR Sales Tax Software for SaaS Merchant of Record Fee Calculator Merchant of Record for SaaS Comparison Merchant of Record Fee Comparison Merchant of Record Pricing Merchant of Record Provider Payment Processor vs Merchant of Record Merchant of Record for SaaS SaaS Subscription Payment Fees SaaS Checkout Fee Calculator Global SaaS Payment Fees Global Payment Processor for SaaS SaaS Fee Calculator Methodology SaaS Payment Fee Formulas Provider Pricing Sources Launch Kit Embed SaaS Fee Calculator All SaaS Payment Resources Stripe vs Polar Paddle vs Polar Lemon Squeezy vs Polar Creem vs Stripe Creem vs Paddle

FAQ

Is Paddle cheaper than Stripe?

Not always. Stripe often has lower direct card fees, while Paddle includes merchant-of-record services. The better choice depends on order size, customer geography, and tax/compliance workload.

Why compare net revenue instead of just fees?

Because founders care about what lands in the business after transaction fees, fixed fees, refunds, and chargeback assumptions.

Are these fees guaranteed?

No. Provider pricing changes and custom plans vary. Use this calculator for directional planning, then verify pricing with each provider.

Why does the calculator include international cards?

Many SaaS products sell globally. Cross-border and international card fees can erase the difference between providers, especially when order value is low.

Should I include sales tax or VAT in revenue?

For a first-pass comparison, use product revenue before provider fees. If you collect taxes separately, keep tax outside the revenue input so the calculator focuses on provider economics.

Why does merchant-of-record pricing sometimes look worth it?

Because the fee includes more than card processing. The bundled work can include tax registration, tax remittance, invoices, fraud handling, disputes, and buyer support.