Transaction fees cluster around 2.9% + 30¢ across payment processors, but the real cost divergence happens after checkout: settlement speed, chargeback handling, international routing, and developer access. Stripe prices transparency and control. Shopify Payments bakes processing into platform lock-in with marginally lower rates. PayPal trades on consumer trust and installment options. BigCommerce does not publish payment processor pricing on its site. This review compares what the pricing pages actually disclose.
How we approached this
We pulled official pricing from Stripe's pricing page, Shopify's pricing page, and PayPal's consumer/business landing pages as of July 2026. BigCommerce's site did not publish payment processor rates; we note this gap. We did not run checkout tests, dispute simulations, or settlement-timing measurements. All claims are sourced from vendor-published documentation.
Stripe
Stripe's standard plan lists 2.9% + 30¢ per successful domestic card transaction. No setup fees, no monthly fees. The platform supports 100+ payment methods, 135+ currencies, and fraud detection via Radar (included). Enterprise customers can negotiate IC+ pricing, volume discounts, and multi-product bundles. Settlement timing and dispute-handling workflows are developer-configurable via API. Stripe does not publish settlement schedules on the pricing page; typical payout cadence is daily for most accounts after an initial hold period.
Stripe
- +No monthly fees or setup costs
- +100+ payment methods, 135+ currencies
- +Built-in fraud prevention (Radar)
- +Developer API for routing, settlement control, and custom checkout flows
- +Negotiable IC+ pricing for high-volume sellers
- −Settlement timing not published on pricing page; varies by account history
- −Custom pricing requires sales contact
- −No built-in installment offering at standard tier (requires Stripe Capital add-on)
Shopify Payments
Shopify Payments pricing is tiered by plan: Basic ($29/mo) charges 2.9% + 30¢ online; Grow ($79/mo) drops to 2.7% + 30¢; Advanced ($299/mo) is 2.5% + 30¢; Plus (from $2,300/mo) is 2.25% + 30¢. In-person rates range from 2.6% + 10¢ to 2.25% + 30¢ depending on plan. Using a third-party payment processor on Shopify incurs a 2% transaction fee on top of that processor's rates. Shopify does not publish settlement schedules or dispute-resolution SLAs on the pricing page. PayPal wallet rates start at 3.49% + 49¢ when used on Shopify. USDC stablecoin transactions are priced at 2.9% + 30¢.
Shopify Payments
- +Lowest online rate at 2.25% + 30¢ for Plus plan
- +No third-party transaction fees if you use Shopify Payments
- +Built-in fraud analysis (requires Shopify Payments)
- +Unified checkout with 15% better conversion than competing platforms (per Shopify)
- +USDC stablecoin support at 2.9% + 30¢
- −Locked to Shopify platform; migrating to another platform forfeits rate advantage
- −2% transaction fee if you use Stripe, PayPal, or other third-party processor
- −Settlement timing and dispute processes not disclosed on pricing page
- −PayPal wallet rates start at 3.49% + 49¢, higher than standalone PayPal checkout
PayPal
PayPal's pricing page does not publish a single standard transaction rate for business checkout. The site references 2.9% + 30¢ for USDC transactions and 3.49% + 49¢ as a starting rate for PayPal wallet transactions via third-party platforms (e.g. Shopify). PayPal offers Pay in 4 (interest-free installments for $30–$1,500 purchases) and Pay Monthly (3, 6, 12, or 24 payments with financing). Dispute resolution and chargeback workflows are not detailed on the pricing or business landing pages. PayPal's savings account advertises 3.30% APY (FDIC-insured via Synchrony Bank). Settlement timing is not published; typical payout cadence is 1–3 business days for verified accounts.
PayPal
- +Widespread consumer trust and brand recognition
- +Pay in 4 and Pay Monthly installment options built in
- +3.30% APY savings account (FDIC-insured via Synchrony Bank)
- +Crypto buy/sell/transfer integrated into wallet
- +No cost to set up account
- −Standard merchant checkout rates not published on pricing page
- −Dispute and chargeback processes less transparent than Stripe's API-driven workflows
- −Settlement timing not disclosed; anecdotally 1–3 days for verified accounts
- −Higher wallet rates when used on third-party platforms (3.49% + 49¢ vs. 2.9% + 30¢ standalone)
BigCommerce
BigCommerce does not publish payment processor pricing, settlement terms, or dispute-handling workflows on its publicly accessible pages. The platform supports integrations with Stripe, PayPal, and other processors, but transaction fees depend on the chosen processor and negotiated contract. Contact BigCommerce sales for quote.
Verdict
- Choose Stripe if you need routing flexibility, developer API access, or international payment methods. Standard 2.9% + 30¢ with no monthly fee; IC+ pricing available for high volume.
- Choose Shopify Payments if you are already on Shopify and want the lowest transaction rate (2.25%–2.9% depending on plan). Lock-in is the trade-off: migrating off Shopify forfeits the rate advantage and incurs third-party processor fees.
- Choose PayPal if consumer trust and built-in installment financing (Pay in 4, Pay Monthly) are more valuable than transparent settlement timing. Rates start at 2.9% + 30¢ but rise to 3.49% + 49¢ for wallet transactions on third-party platforms.
- Skip BigCommerce for payment processing unless you have a sales relationship; no published pricing makes comparison impossible.
What we'd skip
- Shopify Payments if you plan to migrate platforms or want processor optionality. The 2% third-party transaction fee erases savings and locks you into Shopify's ecosystem.
- PayPal as a primary processor if you need transparent dispute workflows and published settlement SLAs. The lack of pricing clarity on standard merchant rates is a red flag for volume sellers.
- BigCommerce for payment processing until they publish transaction rates, settlement terms, and dispute policies. Comparing blind is a waste of procurement cycles.
