Stripe ACH Fees: The $5 Cap and When ACH Beats Credit Card
Stripe's ACH Direct Debit charges 0.8% per transaction with no fixed fee, capped at $5.00. Every payment above $625 costs exactly $5 in processing fees — saving you up to 97% compared to credit card rates on large transactions.
What Is Stripe ACH Direct Debit?
ACH Direct Debit allows US merchants to pull funds directly from a customer's US bank account. Stripe charges 0.8% per ACH transaction with no fixed fee, capped at a maximum of $5.00. This means any payment above $625 costs exactly $5.00 in processing fees — making ACH dramatically cheaper than credit cards for large transactions.
When This Applies
- ✓ SaaS companies collecting annual subscription payments ($500–$5,000+)
- ✓ B2B service providers sending large invoices ($1,000+) where card fees would be substantial
- ✓ E-commerce platforms with repeat customers willing to link their bank accounts
When This Does NOT Apply
- ✗ One-time purchases from new customers — ACH requires bank account verification via Financial Connections (instant or 1–3 days microdeposit fallback)
- ✗ International payments — ACH only works with US bank accounts (US routing numbers required)
- ✗ Merchants needing instant settlement — ACH takes 2–5 business days to clear
ACH Fee Calculator
Enter a payment amount to calculate Stripe ACH fees. Switch rate types to compare ACH with domestic and international card rates.
Transaction Type
Current Stripe US Rates
Official| Type | Rate | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Card | 2.90% | $0.30 |
| International Card | 4.40% | $0.30 |
| International + Currency Conversion | 5.40% | $0.30 |
| ACH Direct Debit | 0.80%(max $5.00) | — |
Last verified: 2026-04-11 · Source
This URL serves region-specific pricing. Select "United States" from the country picker at the bottom of the page to view US rates.
Use reverse calculation to determine what to charge so you receive the exact amount you need after fees.
Stripe Fee Structure
Domestic Card
2.9% + $ 0.30
International Card
4.4% + $ 0.30
International + Currency Conversion
5.4% + $ 0.30
ACH Direct Debit
0.8% (max $ 5.00 )
Stripe's ACH Direct Debit rate: 0.8% of the transaction amount with no fixed fee, capped at $5.00 per transaction. The cap triggers at $625.00.
Rates last verified on 2026-04-11. Source: Stripe official pricing . This URL serves region-specific pricing. Select "United States" from the country picker at the bottom of the page to view US rates.
ACH vs Credit Card: Fee Comparison at Every Amount
The $5.00 cap makes ACH increasingly cheaper as transaction amounts grow. At $625, the cap triggers — every payment above that costs exactly $5.00 regardless of amount.
| Amount | ACH Fee (0.8%, cap $5) | Credit Card Fee (2.9% + $0.30) | You Save |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50 | $0.40 | $1.75 | $1.35 |
| $100 | $0.80 | $3.20 | $2.40 |
| $300 | $2.40 | $9.00 | $6.60 |
| $500 | $4.00 | $14.80 | $10.80 |
| $625 | $5.00 cap | $18.43 | $13.43 |
| $1,000 | $5.00 cap | $29.30 | $24.30 |
| $5,000 | $5.00 cap | $145.30 | $140.30 |
ACH: 0.8% with $5.00 cap. Credit card: Stripe domestic card rate 2.9% + $0.30. All amounts in USD.
How Fees Are Triggered
- 1 The customer must have a US bank account with a valid routing number. Non-US bank accounts cannot use ACH Direct Debit.
- 2 The merchant must enable ACH Direct Debit in their Stripe Dashboard — it is not turned on by default.
- 3 First-time ACH payments require bank account verification through Stripe Financial Connections, which supports instant verification by default with a microdeposit fallback (1–3 business days).
- 4 ACH fee is 0.8% of the transaction amount with no fixed fee component. Unlike card fees (2.9% + $0.30), there is no per-transaction flat charge.
- 5 The fee is capped at $5.00 per transaction. The cap kicks in at exactly $625.00 ($625 × 0.008 = $5.00). Above $625, every transaction costs $5.00 regardless of amount.
Common Misconceptions
Myth: ACH always charges 0.8% of the transaction
Reality: ACH charges 0.8% only up to the $5.00 cap. A $5,000 transaction costs $5.00 (effective rate: 0.10%), not $40.00. The cap means the effective rate drops as the amount increases — at $10,000, the effective rate is just 0.05%.
Myth: ACH fees are roughly the same as credit card fees, so it's not worth the setup complexity
Reality: On a $1,000 payment, ACH costs $5.00 while a credit card costs $29.30 (2.9% + $0.30) — ACH saves $24.30 (83% less). For 100 annual subscription renewals at $1,000 each, that's $2,430 saved per year.
Example Fee Calculations
| Amount | Domestic Card | International Card | International + Currency Conversion | ACH Direct Debit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fee | You Receive | Fee | You Receive | Fee | You Receive | Fee | You Receive | |
| $50.00 | $1.75 | $48.25 | $2.50 | $47.50 | $3.00 | $47.00 | $0.40 | $49.60 |
| $100.00 | $3.20 | $96.80 | $4.70 | $95.30 | $5.70 | $94.30 | $0.80 | $99.20 |
| $300.00 | $9.00 | $291.00 | $13.50 | $286.50 | $16.50 | $283.50 | $2.40 | $297.60 |
| $500.00 | $14.80 | $485.20 | $22.30 | $477.70 | $27.30 | $472.70 | $4.00 | $496.00 |
| $625.00 | $18.43 | $606.57 | $27.80 | $597.20 | $34.05 | $590.95 | $5.00 | $620.00 |
| $1,000.00 | $29.30 | $970.70 | $44.30 | $955.70 | $54.30 | $945.70 | $5.00 | $995.00 |
| $5,000.00 | $145.30 | $4,854.70 | $220.30 | $4,779.70 | $270.30 | $4,729.70 | $5.00 | $4,995.00 |
All amounts in USD. Fees calculated using current Stripe rates.
How Stripe Pricing Works
Stripe ACH Direct Debit uses a simple percentage-only fee model: 0.8% of the transaction amount, with no per-transaction fixed fee. This contrasts with credit card processing, where the $0.30 fixed fee disproportionately impacts small transactions. For ACH, a $50 payment costs exactly $0.40 — straightforward and predictable.
The defining feature of Stripe's ACH pricing is the $5.00 cap. Once the transaction reaches $625.00 ($5.00 ÷ 0.008), the fee stops growing. A $625 payment and a $50,000 payment both cost exactly $5.00 in processing fees. This makes ACH the clear choice for high-value B2B transactions: on a $5,000 invoice, ACH saves $140.30 compared to credit card processing ($5.00 vs $145.30).
ACH settlement is slower than card payments — typically 2–5 business days compared to Stripe's standard next-day card settlement. ACH also has a higher dispute window and requires customers to authorize bank account access upfront. These trade-offs make ACH best suited for recurring payments with established customers, not first-time impulse purchases.
For SaaS companies, the optimal strategy is often to offer both: credit cards for the initial signup (low friction, instant confirmation) and ACH as an option for annual renewals or upgrades (significant fee savings on larger amounts). Some businesses incentivize the switch by passing a portion of the fee savings to the customer as a small discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what dollar amount does Stripe's ACH fee hit the $5 cap?
The cap triggers at exactly $625.00. The math: $5.00 ÷ 0.008 = $625.00. Below $625, you pay 0.8% of the transaction. At $625 and above, you pay $5.00 flat. A $1,000 payment costs $5.00, not $8.00.
Is there ever a scenario where credit cards are cheaper than ACH?
No. ACH (0.8%, no fixed fee) is cheaper than domestic credit cards (2.9% + $0.30) at every transaction amount. At $10, ACH costs $0.08 vs card's $0.59. At $100, ACH costs $0.80 vs card's $3.20. The gap only widens as amounts increase, because ACH has no fixed fee and caps at $5.00.
How long does ACH settlement take compared to credit cards?
ACH settlement typically takes 2–5 business days, compared to Stripe's standard next-day settlement for card payments. Some Stripe accounts may have faster ACH settlement times depending on their account history and risk profile.
Does Stripe ACH have a fee cap like credit cards have interchange fees?
Yes — Stripe caps ACH fees at $5.00 per transaction. Credit card processing through Stripe has no cap; the 2.9% + $0.30 applies to any amount. On a $10,000 transaction, ACH costs $5.00 while a credit card costs $290.30.
Data Sources & Transparency
- Stripe US — ACH Direct Debit rates sourced from stripe.com/pricing (last verified 2026-04-11)
- ACH Direct Debit: 0.8% capped at $5.00 per transaction, no fixed per-transaction fee. Domestic card comparison rate: 2.9% + $0.30.
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