What do you actually keep?
Same sale, six payment providers. Compare the real fee per sale, including international and subscription surcharges, and whether the provider handles sales tax and VAT for you.
| Provider | Fee per sale | Effective | You keep | Per month | Handles tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripekeeps most Cheapest per sale, but you register for and file sales tax / VAT yourself (Stripe Tax adds 0.5%). Rates differ for accounts outside the US. | $1.14 | 3.9% | $27.86 | $2,786 | You do |
| Dodo Payments Merchant of record with payouts to many countries, including India. Lowest headline rate, but surcharges stack on international subscriptions. | $1.56 | 5.4% | $27.44 | $2,744 | Yes |
| Paddle Flat rate covers processing and global tax. Currency conversion happens at Paddle's exchange rate, which can cost extra on non-USD sales. | $1.95 | 6.7% | $27.05 | $2,705 | Yes |
| Lemon Squeezy Merchant of record. Extra fees for non-US buyers, subscriptions and PayPal. | $1.95 | 6.7% | $27.05 | $2,705 | Yes |
| Polar Free Starter plan for new accounts. Paid plans from $20/month lower the rate to 3.8% + 40¢. Accounts created before May 27, 2026 keep 4% + 40¢. | $1.95 | 6.7% | $27.05 | $2,705 | Yes |
| Gumroad 10% + 50¢ plus card processing (2.9% + 30¢). Drops to 5% + 50¢ after $20k in a month. Discover marketplace sales are 30%. | $4.54 | 15.7% | $24.46 | $2,446 | Yes |
Standard published rates for a US-based seller, last checked October 2026. Excludes PayPal, buy-now-pay-later, payouts, refunds, disputes and volume discounts. Provider names link to their pricing pages. Check them before you decide.