Authorize.net vs. Stripe: What Should You Use for Your Small Business?
Today using ChargeStripe
Authorize.net and Stripe both help a business accept card payments, but they work differently. Authorize.net is a payment gateway that connects your website or virtual terminal to a merchant account. Stripe is a payment platform that includes processing, so you don’t need a separate merchant account.
This guide compares their US plans, the costs that depend on your merchant account provider, and their online and in-person options. Fees depend on your country, payment method and account, so check each provider’s pricing page before you decide.
Authorize.net vs. Stripe at a glance
| Authorize.net | Stripe | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A payment gateway. The All-in-One plan includes a merchant account. The Payment Gateway Only plan connects to a merchant account you already have. | A payment platform that includes processing and merchant account functionality |
| Monthly fee (US) | $25 per month on all plans | None |
| Setup fee (US) | $0 gateway setup fee | None |
| Payment methods | Major credit and debit cards, eCheck (US businesses only), Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal | Major credit and debit cards, digital wallets, ACH Direct Debit and other payment methods |
| In-person payments | Mobile point of sale, a virtual point of sale with a compatible card reader, and Tap to Pay | Stripe Terminal card readers and Tap to Pay. ChargeStripe lets Stripe users take payments on a phone. |
US pricing compared (USD)
These are standard list prices for US accounts. Authorize.net’s All-in-One rate is subject to eligibility.
| Fee (US account, USD) | Authorize.net All-in-One | Authorize.net Payment Gateway Only | Stripe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | $25 | $25 | None |
| Online card payment | 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction | 10¢ per transaction plus a 10¢ daily batch fee, plus your merchant account provider’s processing fees | 2.9% + 30¢ for domestic cards. Extra fees apply to international cards (+1.5%), currency conversion (+1%) and manually entered cards (+0.5%). |
| Bank payments | eCheck isn’t included in plan prices | Gateway + eCheck plan: $25 per month and 0.75% per eCheck, for US businesses only. A $10 monthly minimum and a $3 returned item fee apply. | ACH Direct Debit: 0.8%, capped at $5.00 |
| Chargebacks | $0 gateway chargeback fee for card payments ($25 for eCheck). Merchant account terms may add fees. | $0 gateway chargeback fee for card payments. Your merchant account provider sets its own fees. | $15.00 per dispute received, plus $15.00 if you respond to a dispute manually |
For example, a business that takes 100 domestic online card payments of $100 in a 30-day month would pay:
- Authorize.net All-in-One: $345 ($320 in transaction fees plus the $25 monthly fee).
- Authorize.net Payment Gateway Only: $38 in gateway fees ($25 monthly fee, $10 in transaction fees and $3 for 30 daily batches), plus the processing fees charged by your merchant account provider.
- Stripe: $320, with no monthly fee.
Sources: Authorize.net pricing and Stripe US pricing. Prices were checked in October 2026.
Which costs depend on your merchant account provider?
Authorize.net says you need a merchant account to accept credit cards, and approval can take one to five business days or more. How that affects your costs depends on the plan.
- All-in-One: the merchant account is included, and the card rate is 2.9% + 30¢. Authorize.net notes that the merchant account may have separate terms, which you can review at signup.
- Payment Gateway Only: Authorize.net charges only its gateway fees. The card processing rate, any merchant account fees and the deposit timing come from your merchant account provider’s terms. Add those to the gateway fees to find your total cost.
With Stripe, you don’t need to open a separate merchant account. Stripe provides that function as part of its processing service (Stripe on merchant accounts).
Accepting online payments
Authorize.net includes a virtual terminal, recurring billing, a customer information manager, digital invoicing and its Advanced Fraud Detection Suite in its plans. It accepts major card brands, eCheck, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal (Authorize.net payment types).
Stripe offers online checkout, payment links, invoices and subscriptions, and many website builders and ecommerce platforms offer Stripe integrations. If you use one, check which payment providers it supports.
Accepting in-person payments
Online and in-person payments can be priced differently, so check both.
- Authorize.net: offers mobile point of sale, a virtual point of sale that pairs a compatible card reader with your computer, and Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android. Its pricing page doesn’t list separate in-person rates, so confirm them with Authorize.net or your merchant account provider.
- Stripe: Stripe Terminal supports card readers and Tap to Pay. In the US, Stripe lists 2.7% + 5¢ for domestic in-person card payments, plus $0.10 per authorization for Tap to Pay.
Where does ChargeStripe fit?
ChargeStripe is a mobile app that works with your Stripe account. You can use it to take payments on a supported phone with Tap to Pay, by scanning or typing card details, or with a compatible Stripe card reader. Card readers are optional and purchased separately.
ChargeStripe charges 1.3% per transaction, in addition to Stripe’s processing fees. There are no monthly fees or minimums. See ChargeStripe pricing.
Which should your business choose?
Authorize.net may suit your business if:
- You already have a merchant account and want a gateway to connect it to your website or virtual terminal.
- You want eCheck payments as a US business.
- Your shopping cart or developer already works with Authorize.net.
Stripe may suit your business if:
- You want to start without a monthly fee or a separate merchant account.
- You need payment links, invoices, subscriptions or integrations with other software.
- You want to take in-person payments through Stripe Terminal or a phone app such as ChargeStripe.
Estimate your monthly cost using your own payment volume and average sale. Include the monthly fee, per-transaction fees and any merchant account fees.
We’ve also compared PayPal vs. Stripe, Square vs. Stripe and Stripe vs. Braintree.
