Stripe's Canadian pricing looks like its US pricing with the currency swapped — and mostly it is. Domestic cards cost 2.9% + CA$0.30 per successful charge, with no setup fees, monthly fees, or monthly minimums. But three things diverge from the US card in ways that matter: the international-card surcharge is smaller than America's, currency conversion still stings, and the Billing and Invoicing add-ons quietly stack a meaningful percentage onto subscription businesses. Rates below are from current published breakdowns, checked October 2026.
The Canadian base rates
| Transaction | Canadian rate |
|---|---|
| Domestic cards (online) | 2.9% + CA$0.30 per successful charge |
| In-person (Stripe Terminal) | 2.7% + $0.05 per successful charge |
| International cards | Surcharge over domestic — see below |
| Currency conversion | +2% when conversion is required (non-US accounts) |
| Disputes | $15 per dispute, non-refundable |
All major card brands and digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) run at the standard card rates. Radar's basic fraud screening is included; the premium tiers run $0.02–$0.07 per screened transaction.
The international-card surprise: smaller than the US, still real
Watch this line: in the US, international cards add 1.5% over domestic. In Canada, current breakdowns put the international surcharge lower — one lists international Visa/Mastercard at 3.2% + CA$0.30, another at +0.8% over domestic. The surcharge exists in every source; the exact figure varies by source date. Confirm the current number on Stripe's Canada pricing page before you model cross-border volume — and note that a cross-border sale needing currency conversion stacks the surcharge plus ~2% conversion.
In-person vs online: the channel split
Stripe Terminal prices in-person transactions at 2.7% + $0.05 — cheaper than online on both the percentage and the fixed fee. For an omnichannel seller doing meaningful counter volume, the Terminal rate versus the online rate is worth modeling separately: on a $50 sale, in-person costs about $1.40 versus $1.75 online. The gap is small per ticket and real at volume.
The add-ons: Billing, Invoicing, and the rest
| Add-on | Price | Who pays it |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe Billing | 0.7% of billing volume | Any subscription business |
| Invoicing (Starter) | 0.4% per paid invoice | Businesses sending Stripe invoices |
| Invoicing (Plus) | 0.5% per paid invoice, capped at $2 | Higher-volume invoicing |
| Refunds | No additional fee — but the original processing fee is not returned | Everyone, on every refund |
The refund line deserves a second look: Stripe charges nothing extra to process a refund, but keeps the original 2.9% + 30¢. On a business with a 5% refund rate, that's a permanent ~0.15% drag on the effective rate that never appears in the rate card.
A subscription business at $30,000/month: the stacked total
The setup: $30,000/month in domestic subscription charges, $50 average invoice (~600 transactions), billed through Stripe Billing.
Base processing: $30,000 × 2.9% = $870, plus 600 × $0.30 = $180. Subtotal: $1,050.
Billing add-on: $30,000 × 0.7% = $210.
Stacked total: ~$1,260/month — an effective rate of 4.2%.
The add-on alone is 20% on top of base processing. Any subscription business comparing Stripe against a merchant account needs the stacked number, not the sticker.
A note on steps: this is a rate-card explainer, not a setup procedure — the tables and stacked example above are the actionable parts.
FAQ
Does Stripe charge monthly fees in Canada?
No setup fees, monthly fees, or monthly minimums on standard pricing. You pay per successful transaction, plus any add-ons you use (Billing, Invoicing, Radar premium tiers).
How much more do international cards cost on Stripe Canada?
More than domestic — current breakdowns range from 3.2% + CA$0.30 to +0.8% over the domestic rate depending on source date. Confirm the live figure on Stripe's Canada pricing page, and remember currency conversion adds about 2% more when required.
Is Stripe cheaper than Square in Canada?
For online domestic cards they're close (Stripe 2.9% + 30¢ vs Square 2.8% + 30¢). In person, Square's 2.5% beats Stripe Terminal's 2.7% + 5¢. For subscriptions, add Stripe Billing's 0.7% before comparing.