Stripe, PayPal, Mollie, Klarna fees 2026: e-commerce comparison

Quick answer. On a French e-commerce site of EUR1M revenue, PSP fees average EUR18,000 to EUR28,000 per year (1.8 to 2.8% of revenue). Stripe (1.5% + EUR0.25 FR cards / 1.4% + EUR0.25 other EEA cards) and Mollie (1.80 to 2.90% + EUR0.25 blended) remain the most competitive on EEA cards; PayPal and Klarna should be used as targeted conversion levers. Hayot Expertise recommends auditing PSP fees at least once a year and structuring accounting with dedicated 512x gateway accounts.

Three developments justify revisiting the topic fresh in 2026. First, public rate cards have moved: Stripe aligned its French domestic cards at 1.5% + EUR0.25 (source stripe.com/fr/pricing, schedule in force in spring 2026), Mollie publishes a blended EEA card grid between 1.80% and 2.90% + EUR0.25, and Klarna clarified its pricing between 3.29% and 5.99% + USD0.30 depending on volume. Second, the PSD2 directive and its strong customer authentication (SCA) have matured: Transaction Risk Analysis (TRA) and low-value (< EUR30) exemptions are now exploited by all serious PSPs, with direct impact on acceptance rate. Finally, the PSD3 directive expected in 2026-2027 will further strengthen anti-fraud and liability sharing.

Recently, the founder of a Paris beauty DNVB (EUR2.4M Shopify revenue) reached out after seeing his PSP bill exceed 2.3% of revenue. The Hayot Expertise audit revealed three classic mistakes: Stripe rate not renegotiated despite EUR200,000 of monthly volume, 512x accounts aggregated into a single 512 bank account, and no Klarna routing on baskets > EUR80. Savings over six months: EUR12,800 in direct fees and EUR18,000 of additional revenue through conversion. This article breaks down the method.

The headline rate tells only part of the story. On Stripe for example, the base commission (1.5% + EUR0.25 FR cards, 1.4% + EUR0.25 non-FR EEA cards) systematically adds:

• premium card surcharges (American Express, business, corporate): +0.5 to +1.5% depending on profile;
• non-EEA card surcharges: +1 to +1.85% (3.25% + EUR0.25 in total);
• dispute fees (chargebacks): EUR15 per dispute, even when the merchant wins;
• currency conversion: +1 to +2% spread on foreign currency sales;
• payouts to a non-French bank: +1%.

On a EUR50 average basket with a typical mix (60% standard EEA cards, 25% premium cards, 10% non-EEA cards, 5% chargebacks or disputes), the real Stripe cost reaches around 2.1% on average, not 1.4%. The same mechanics apply to PayPal (cross-border fees 1.2 to 3.4% on top of the 2.9% domestic), Mollie (premium and non-EEA card surcharges) and Klarna (country-by-country, product-by-product grid).

The table below summarises public rate cards in spring 2026. Figures are verified on the official pages listed at the end of the article.

The Stripe vs Mollie gap on pure FR scope is small in 2026; Mollie takes the lead as soon as the EU-outside-France share exceeds 15 to 20% of revenue, thanks to local methods (iDEAL, Bancontact, SOFORT, EPS). On BNPL, Klarna is rarely replaceable by Alma or Scalapay when targeting CSP+ baskets > EUR80.

PSP cost depends on average basket, payment mix and monthly volume. Three typical profiles handled at Hayot Expertise.

Profile 1 — Fashion DNVB, EUR50 basket, EUR50,000 revenue/month#

• 100% Stripe: 50,000 × 2.1% + 1,000 × EUR0.25 = EUR1,300/month (2.6% of revenue).
• 70% Stripe + 30% PayPal: 35,000 × 2.1% + 700 × 0.25 + 15,000 × 3.2% + 300 × 0.35 = EUR1,415/month (2.83% of revenue).
• 70% Stripe + 20% PayPal + 10% Klarna: EUR1,480/month in direct cost, but +15% conversion = +EUR6,750 of additional revenue per month, very positive ROI.

Profile 2 — Gaming marketplace, EUR15 basket, EUR30,000 revenue/month#

• 100% Stripe: 30,000 × 2.3% + 2,000 × EUR0.25 = EUR1,190/month (3.97% of revenue).
• On small baskets, the EUR0.25 fixed fee weighs heavily. Stripe Volume Tier (reduction of fixed fee to EUR0.15 above EUR250,000/month) becomes critical.

Profile 3 — International dropshipping, EUR25 basket, EUR80,000 revenue/month#

• 70% Stripe + 30% PayPal + Wise for CN suppliers: about EUR2,100/month in collection fees.
• Possible savings with Mollie for multi-country EU sales: -8 to -12%.
• Dropshipping chargeback overhead: EUR30 to EUR80 more per month than e-commerce average, to be factored in.

Without a dedicated 512x account per PSP, bank reconciliation is mechanically wrong: the received transfer aggregates gross revenue, commissions, refunds, chargebacks and dispute fees. Hayot Expertise systematically structures:

Coupled with 627 sub-accounts (banking and similar services), this breakdown makes monthly bank reconciliation nearly instant in Pennylane and net margin per channel reliable. Commissions tracked this way are 100% deductible under article 39 of the French General Tax Code (CGI); VAT does not generally apply (article 261 C 1 CGI, exempt financial operations).

Five levers deliver measurable results in our engagements.

1. Negotiate the Stripe Volume Tier. From EUR150,000 of monthly Stripe volume, request a custom Volume Tier from Stripe sales. Typical reduction: 1.5% down to 1.2% on domestic cards. Savings on EUR1.8M/year: about EUR5,400.
2. Activate Adaptive Acceptance and dynamic 3DS. Stripe Adaptive Acceptance and Mollie dynamic 3D Secure exploit TRA and low-value exemptions to push acceptance rate. Observed conversion lift: 1.5 to 3%. On EUR1M revenue, +EUR15,000 to +EUR30,000 in revenue.
3. Switch supplier payments to Wise or Revolut Business. Classic SWIFT wire fees: EUR25 to EUR50 + 3 to 5% spread. Wise: EUR1 to EUR2 + 0.4% spread. Savings on EUR100,000/year of CN supplier payments: EUR3,000 to EUR5,000.
4. Audit the switch to Adyen or a direct acquirer. Adyen becomes competitive above EUR5M GMV: negotiated Interchange++ rates around 0.8% + EUR0.10 on EEA cards, native multi-country management, advanced fraud. Hayot Expertise audits ROI before switch (4 to 8 weeks of migration).
5. Add Mollie alongside Stripe for multi-country EU. On an e-commerce generating more than 20% of revenue outside France, add Mollie to activate iDEAL (up to 70% of transactions in the Netherlands), Bancontact (up to 80% in Belgium), SOFORT and EPS. Observed EU conversion lift: 8 to 15%.

Annual PSP fees audit checklist#

• Download real fees over the last 12 months from Stripe / PayPal / Mollie / Klarna Dashboards.
• Compute the weighted average rate per PSP (commissions + fixed fees + disputes + FX).
• Compare to the public 2026 grid and identify overcharges (premium, non-EEA, currencies).
• Verify 512x and 627 accounting structure in Pennylane or Sage.
• Request Volume Tier quotes from PSPs above EUR150k/month.
• Audit SCA journey and acceptance rate (TRA exemptions used?).
• A/B test Klarna on baskets > EUR80 if not yet activated.

Auto-entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises: no VAT to recover on PSP commissions (franchise en base regime, article 293 B CGI), but no deduction from micro result possible. Optimisation mainly goes through conversion and average basket.

SAS / SASU at corporate tax: common law regime, commissions 100% deductible in 627. Pay attention to per-PSP traceability to calculate net margin per channel (useful for shareholder agreements and investor reporting).

Marketplaces (Connect, Mangopay, Lemonway): the PSP commission is invoiced to the platform but passed on to sellers. Properly distinguish in accounting the seller portion (471x suspense account) from the platform portion (627). DAC7 also requires declaring seller revenues above 30 transactions or EUR2,000 per year.

Multi-currency: if more than 20% of revenue is in USD or GBP, opening a Wise Business or Qonto Business multi-currency account avoids Stripe conversions (1% spread) and allows paying suppliers in their currency.

Three recurring traps in Hayot Expertise audits.

• Confuse domestic and blended rate. A store selling 30% of revenue to foreign tourists or via international Google Ads actually pays 2.2 to 2.5% at Stripe, not 1.5%.
• Ignore payout fees to a non-FR bank. Founders using a Belgian, Luxembourg or British bank pay +1% of undocumented Stripe fees.
• Stack PSPs without smart routing. Activating Stripe + PayPal + Klarna + Alma without basket- or device-based routing logic multiplies commissions without conversion gain. Hayot Expertise recommends at most three active PSPs with explicit routing rules.

At Hayot Expertise, we see around fifty e-commerce businesses between EUR500,000 and EUR20M revenue every year. Our conviction: PSP fees are the second worst-managed variable cost after advertising acquisition, and the gap between a poorly negotiated stack and an optimised one easily represents 0.5 to 1 point of net margin per year. On a EUR5M revenue store, that is EUR25,000 to EUR50,000 of extra net result, without changing a line of code or a supplier.

Three recommendations a generic aggregator would not give. First, do not put Klarna or Alma on every basket: BNPL is profitable above EUR60 to EUR80 average basket; below that, it destroys margin without measurable lift. Second, always open a 512x account per PSP from the first euro: restructuring later costs 3 to 5 days of expert-comptable work. Finally, renegotiate Stripe and PayPal rates every 12 months, even when volume has not changed: PSP internal grids evolve and sales reps often accept a defensive reduction to keep the account.

Hayot Expertise advice. Before signing with a new PSP, demand the written blended EEA card grid, the non-EEA card rate, the dispute cost, the payout delay and cost. Also request an Excel simulation on your last 12 months of transactions. A PSP that refuses to quantify loses the mandate.

• In 2026, Stripe shows 1.5% + EUR0.25 on FR domestic cards and 1.4% + EUR0.25 on non-FR EEA cards; PayPal 2.9% + EUR0.35 domestic; Mollie 1.80 to 2.90% + EUR0.25 blended; Klarna 3.29 to 5.99% + USD0.30.
• The real cost of a PSP is on average 30 to 50% higher than the headline rate once premium cards, non-EEA, disputes and FX are factored in.
• The 512x method (one gateway account per PSP + 627 sub-accounts per fee type) is essential above 200 monthly transactions.
• Five proven savings levers: Stripe Volume Tier, Adaptive Acceptance, Wise for suppliers, Adyen audit above EUR5M GMV, Mollie added for multi-country EU.
• PSP commissions are 100% deductible at corporate tax and VAT-exempt (articles 39 and 261 C 1 CGI).
• PSD2 and SCA properly leveraged (TRA and low-value exemptions) gain 1 to 3 conversion points without degrading fraud.

Official sources#

• Stripe — France pricing 2026
• PayPal — Business France fees
• Mollie — Pricing and fees
• Klarna — Merchant pricing annex FR/IE/IT/PT/ES/GB
• EBA — Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) under PSD2
• Légifrance — Article 39 CGI (deductible expenses)
• Légifrance — Article 261 C CGI (VAT exemptions for financial operations)
• Banque de France — Scriptural payment instruments mapping

Hayot Expertise in Paris audits your PSP stack, structures your 512x accounts in Pennylane, tracks your flows in Qonto and negotiates your volumes. See our e-commerce page, our Dropshipping page and our Marketplaces page. Also read: Stripe vs Adyen vs Mollie in 2026, Shopify / Stripe / Pennylane reconciliation, Prestashop vs Shopify on VAT OSS, the 10 most costly e-commerce accounting mistakes and e-commerce site accounting fees.

Your PSP fees exceed 2% of revenue? Cabinet Hayot Expertise Paris 8 audits possible optimisations as part of our PME finance digital transformation engagement. Free 90-day scoping.