6 Min. Read

Stripe Vs Shopify Payments: Which Is Best?

May 19, 2022

When running a small business, being able to understand payment processes is important.

There are many options when it comes to payment providers and a lot of things to consider. You want your payment process to be as easy and seamless as possible. You also want it to be accessible for your customers.

No customer wants to have to jump through hoops to complete a purchase. So choosing an online payment processor that gives your customer a seamless experience is key. An easy experience for your customer means they will be much more likely to leave with a positive outlook on your business. It may even convince them to return to your store.

If you’re using Shopify as your e-commerce solution, then they offer a built-in payment processor called Shopify Payments. However, you also have the option to choose a third-party provider.

One of the most popular choices is Stripe.

But how does Stripe compare to Shopify payments? We’ll take a closer look at their similarities and differences, and their features. We’ll provide the information so you can decide which service may be right for you and your business.

Here’s What We’ll Cover:

Stripe Vs Shopify: The Key Similarities

Stripe Vs Shopify: The Key Differences

Shopify’s Features

Stripe’s Features

Stripe Vs Shopify Payments: The Price

Key Takeaways

Stripe Vs Shopify: The Key Similarities

Fees: Both Stripe and Shopify Payments charge a 2.9% + $0.30 commission per transaction for online payments.
Merchant Account: Neither Stripe nor Shopify requires you to have a dedicated merchant account.
Service: Both of the services offer 24/7 customer service and support.
Payment Types: Both services accept all major credit and debit cards, as well as local and integral payments.
On The Go: Both of the services can be used on the go with an integrated mobile app.

Stripe Vs Shopify: The Key Differences

Different Platforms: Stripe is purely an online payment platform that helps process payments. Whereas Shopify is an e-commerce platform that is geared towards new businesses. Their service has an integrated process payment tool.
Global Spread: Stripe has a larger world spread as it is available in 36 different countries. Shopify is only available in 15 countries.
Currencies: Stripe accepts 135 different international currencies. Shopify accepts only 85 different currencies.
Accessibility: Stripe can be used by everyone. To access Shopify Payments you must first subscribe to Shopify.

Shopify’s Features

As an e-commerce solution, Shopify provides everything that you would need to start selling from your online business.

Shopify allows you to:

Create and customize your online shop.
List and manage all of your products.
Process and ship your orders.
Market your business.
Accept various customer payments.
Modify your digital cart and your checkout page.
Add buy buttons to your existing website.
Sell on other online marketplaces such as Amazon, Facebook and Instagram.
Accept payments in-person via the Shopify PoS app.
Automatic integration with PayPal.
The ability to customize your tax settings.
Access to analytics and reports.
The ability to enable Address Verification Services and Card Verification Value fraud filters.

Shopify can be fully integrated with over 100 third-party payment providers. But they also offer their own payment processor – Shopify Payments. This is immediately available to be used as soon as you sign up for Shopify’s services.

Shopify Payments provides a centralized service for all of the tools that you will need as a small business owner. You can process online or offline payments to make your customer’s experience smooth and easy. Plus, this can all be done from the convenience of your Shopify account.

Stripe’s Features

Stripe is a quick and easy service to sign up and create an account with. It is purely a payment service provider so it goes into a lot of detail and gives you access to a number of specialized features.

You can combine all of your customer funds into a single merchant account. From there you can distribute them to various business bank accounts.

This saves you the hassle of applying for a dedicated merchant account.

Stripes other features include:

Accepting and processing ACH direct debit, credit or wire transfers.
Accepting payments from all major debit and credit card providers.
Accepting payments from online wallets such as Google Pay and Apple Pay.
Accepting local and international payments from over 36 countries and 135 currencies.
Being able to send and manage your online invoicing through Stripe Billing.
Processing physical checks sent directly from your customers.
Getting access to a custom user interface toolkit to build your own payment forms.
Accessing an embeddable checkout for desktop, mobile devices or tablets.
Access to Stripe Terminal which accepts in-person payments.
Data security and encryption.
Fraud protection.
PCI-compliance.

On top of all of that, Stripe can be integrated with over 450 platforms and extensions. Stripe also offers more advanced features at an additional cost.

Stripe offers a fully customizable and flexible payment solution for e-commerce businesses. The service caters to businesses of all sizes. It is of use to you whether you’re just starting out or are a well-established business.

Stripe Vs Shopify Payments: The Price

Whether you’re a new business or have been running for years, price is an important factor that comes with any business decision. Here’s how Shopify and Stripe compare when it comes to pricing:

Shopify

Shopify’s pricing comes in two parts: The subscription fee and the credit card processing fees.

Subscription Fees

Basic Shopify: $29 per month – Best for new e-commerce businesses.
Shopify: $79 per month – Best for growing businesses.
Advanced Shopify: $299 per month – Best for scaling businesses who want access to advanced reporting.

Processing Fees

Basic Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 per online payment. 2.7% per in-person transaction.
Shopify: 2.6% + $0.30 per transaction for online payments. 2.4% for in-person transactions.
Advanced Shopify: 2.4% + $0.30 per transaction for both online payments and for in-person transactions.

Stripe

Stripe doesn’t charge a subscription fee. They charge $15 for chargebacks and charge you transaction fees.

Online Debit and Credit Card Payments: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
In-person Debit and Credit Card Payments: 2.7% + $0.05 per transaction.
International Card Payments: 3.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Plus 1% if the currency needs to be converted.
Local Payment Methods: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
ACH Direct Debit Payments: 0.8% per transaction. This has a maximum fee of $5.
ACH Credit: $1 per payment.
Online Invoicing: 0.5% per recurring transaction after your first $1 million.

Key Takeaways

This is a difficult race to call. Both of the services have huge benefits and are similar in a number of ways.

The best way to choose is by deciding what your business needs. If you already have a full online setup and are just looking for a payment processor, then Stripe may be the choice for you.

However, if you are just starting out and need a solid base to start from, then Shopify Payments with all that it comes with may be the smart choice.

Are you looking for more business advice on everything from starting a new business to new business practices?

Then check out the FreshBooks resource hub.