Lowest international / cross-border payment fees
International cards carry a cross-border surcharge on top of the base rate. Stripe and PayPal add about +1.5% for foreign cards plus roughly +1% currency conversion; Braintree adds +1% + 1%. Processors with local acquiring (Adyen, Checkout.com) avoid most cross-border fees at scale by acquiring in the customer's region. See every processor's international surcharge below.
Source: Processor pricing pages. Data as of June 2026.
Note: These are general estimates, not a quote or offer. Your real rate depends on your card mix, volume, region, risk profile and the contract you sign.
International / cross-border surcharge by processor
| Processor | Pricing model | International / cross-border fee |
|---|---|---|
| 2Checkout (Verifone) | Merchant of Record | Included in the MoR rate; cross-border handled for you |
| Adyen | Interchange-plus | Interchange + scheme fees pass through; varies by card and region |
| Amazon Pay | Flat rate | +0.6% cross-border + currency conversion fee |
| Authorize.net | Subscription / membership | Depends on your acquiring bank, not Authorize.net |
| Braintree | Flat rate | +1% international, +1% currency conversion |
| Checkout.com | Interchange-plus | Interchange + scheme fees pass through; cross-border fees vary |
| Clover | Flat rate | Pass-through on international cards; varies by contract |
| GoCardless | Per-method pricing | Higher rate for international bank debits; FX margin applies |
| Helcim | Interchange-plus | Interchange + assessments pass through; a small cross-border margin |
| Lemon Squeezy | Merchant of Record | Included — MoR handles cross-border |
| Mollie | Per-method pricing | Higher per-transaction fee on non-European cards |
| Paddle | Merchant of Record | Included — Paddle is the seller of record worldwide |
| PaymentCloud | Interchange-plus | Pass-through + risk-based margin |
| Payoneer | Flat rate | Currency conversion ~0.5%–2% above mid-market; receiving fees vary |
| PayPal | Flat rate | +1.5% international fee + currency conversion spread |
| Razorpay | Flat rate | International cards ~3% + GST |
| Square | Flat rate | +1.5% for cards issued outside the US |
| Stax | Subscription / membership | Interchange + assessments pass through at cost |
| Stripe | Flat rate | +1.5% for international cards, +1% currency conversion |
| Worldpay | Interchange-plus | Interchange + cross-border assessment pass-through |
Source: Processor pricing pages. Data as of June 2026.
Snapshot June 2026 — processors change pricing; verify on the provider's pricing page before relying on a figure.
Frequently asked questions
Which payment processor has the lowest international card fees?
For global merchants, processors with local acquiring (Adyen, Checkout.com) avoid most cross-border surcharges because they acquire the transaction in the customer's region. Flat-rate processors add a fixed cross-border surcharge: Stripe and PayPal add about +1.5% on international cards, plus ~1% currency conversion. Braintree adds +1% international and +1% conversion. Snapshot June 2026 — processors change pricing; verify on the provider's pricing page before relying on a figure.
What is the difference between a cross-border fee and a currency conversion fee?
A cross-border (international) fee applies when the customer's card was issued in a different country than your account, regardless of currency. A currency conversion fee applies when you settle the funds in a currency different from the transaction currency. Many global sales incur both, which is why international transactions can cost 2%-3% more than domestic.
How can I reduce international payment fees?
Use a processor with local acquiring in your biggest markets (Adyen, Checkout.com), settle in the currency you sell in to avoid forced conversion, offer local payment methods (iDEAL, SEPA) that bypass card networks, and present prices in the customer's currency. At scale, an interchange-plus processor passes cross-border interchange through at cost rather than a flat surcharge.
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Last updated: 2026-06-29