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Pay fees, with examples
One price for every payment through Pay, card fees included. Here it is, worked out on real amounts.
Last updated October 28, 2026.
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The price
Pay charges one price on each payment you take through it: invoices, deposits, payment links, bookings and Market sales.
| How the client pays | Pay fee on each payment |
|---|---|
| US card, Apple Pay or Google Pay | 5%, with a $1.50 minimum |
| Card issued outside the US | 5%, with a $1.50 minimum, plus Stripe's 1.5% international card fee at cost |
| Payment in another currency (converted) | Add Stripe's 1% currency conversion fee at cost |
| US bank transfer (ACH), payment up to $5,000 | 5%, with a $1.50 minimum, capped at $50 |
| US bank transfer (ACH), payment over $5,000 | 1% of the payment |
US card processing fees are included. Stripe's international card fee (1.5%) and currency conversion fee (1%) are passed through at cost, only on the payments that have them, so Scale never marks them up. Stripe takes its fee from the payment and Scale takes the rest as its platform fee, so the total you pay is the price above, not the price plus Stripe's fee.
The fee is figured on the full amount the client pays, including any tip they add. Founder pricing does not apply to Pay fees.
Worked examples
| Payment | How it is figured | Pay fee | You get |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 invoice, US card | 5% of $100 | $5.00 | $95.00 |
| $500 deposit, Apple Pay | 5% of $500 | $25.00 | $475.00 |
| $20 booking, US card | 5% is $1.00, so the $1.50 minimum applies | $1.50 | $18.50 |
| $1,000 invoice, card from outside the US | 5% plus Stripe's 1.5% international fee, 6.5% of $1,000 | $65.00 | $935.00 |
| The same $1,000, currency converted | 6.5% plus Stripe's 1% conversion fee, 7.5% of $1,000 | $75.00 | $925.00 |
| $600 invoice, US bank transfer | 5% of $600, under the $50 cap | $30.00 | $570.00 |
| $2,000 invoice, US bank transfer | 5% is $100, capped at $50 | $50.00 | $1,950.00 |
| $5,000 invoice, US bank transfer | 5% is $250, capped at $50 | $50.00 | $4,950.00 |
| $8,000 invoice, US bank transfer | Over $5,000, so 1% of $8,000 | $80.00 | $7,920.00 |
| $200 job plus a $30 tip, US card | 5% of $230 | $11.50 | $218.50 |
The $1.50 minimum is more than 5% on any payment under $30. If you take a lot of small payments, it is worth knowing.
The $50 cap on bank transfers starts to matter at $1,000: from $1,000 up to $5,000, a bank transfer costs $50. That makes bank transfers the low cost choice for large invoices, like a remodel, a closing cost reimbursement or a catering deposit.
Refunds and disputes
- Refunds. When you refund a payment, the Pay fee is not returned. Example: you refund a $100 card payment in full. The client gets $100 back, and the $5 fee is not returned.
- Disputes. If a client disputes a payment with their bank, Stripe charges its dispute fee to your Stripe account under Stripe's terms, and the Pay fee is not returned. If disputes or refunds leave your Stripe balance below zero, Pay shows it in Money with the steps to cover it, and Market listings pause until it is covered. See the Pay terms.
Payouts
Payments go to your own Stripe account and are paid out to your bank on Stripe's schedule. Scale is not a bank and never holds your money.
Instant payouts are not offered yet. If we offer them, each instant payout costs 1.5% of the amount paid out, shown before you confirm. Example: an instant payout of $1,000 would cost $15.
Ways clients can pay
Every pay page offers cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover), Apple Pay and Google Pay, Stripe's Link wallet, and US bank transfer. Pay later services are left off on purpose, because they cost more than the one price covers.
At launch Checkout is not live in the preview today, so nothing is charged.
Where the price is written down
The Terms of service, section 5, set out Pay pricing. We tell you at least 30 days before a Pay price goes up.
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