Earnside vs Stripe
Earnside vs Stripe: Which is better for reducing your payment costs?
Stripe is an excellent payment infrastructure platform — but it charges a flat 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction regardless of card type. Earnside works alongside your existing processor to analyze, benchmark, and negotiate your rates down, often saving 15–30% on your effective rate.
Earnside pricing model
Performance-based savings on your existing stack
Stripe pricing model
Flat-rate processing (blended)
Earnside typical rate
Your negotiated rate (typically 10–30% lower than current)
Stripe typical rate
2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (flat)
Earnside monthly fee
$0 — we earn a share of savings only
Stripe monthly fee
No monthly fee, but no savings optimization
Earnside contract
Month-to-month, cancel any time
Stripe contract
No lock-in, but no rate negotiation either
Feature comparison
| Feature | Earnside | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Works with your existing processor | Yes | Stripe only |
| Interchange-plus pricing access | Yes — we negotiate it | Not available on Stripe |
| Statement analysis & audit | Full audit included | Not offered |
| Performance-based fee model | Pay only on savings | Fixed % regardless |
| Developer API & integrations | Via your processor | Best-in-class |
| Global payment acceptance | Via your processor | 195+ countries |
| Dedicated savings expert | Yes | No |
| Contract lock-in | None | None |
About Stripe
Stripe is a developer-first payment platform used by millions of businesses worldwide. It excels at fast integration and global payments, but its flat-rate pricing means high-volume merchants often overpay compared to interchange-plus arrangements.
Our take
Stripe is the right tool for getting started fast. But once you're processing more than $50K/month, flat-rate pricing becomes expensive. Earnside analyzes your full processing spend — including Stripe, Stripe Radar, and any other processors — and finds where you're leaving money on the table.
See how much you could save
Upload your last statement and we'll show you where Stripe or your current processor is overcharging you — at no cost.