Stripe vs Square Payments

PayPal

Venmo

PayPal provides an end-to-end suite of tools that can integrate with a business's existing systems and service providers. Its network of shoppers and businesses provides AI-driven data insights to help businesses reach new customers and drive results.

Venmo is a digital wallet and payment gateway that allows customers to send money and make purchases via mobile device, and share activity via the purchase feed

Square Payments

Square Payments is an online payment processing solution which integrates with Square hardware & POS software to allow businesses to accept payments

President

The software works, and the documentation and customer support have been excellent. When we haven't been able to figure something out on our own, customer support has been responsive, knowledgeable and patient with troubleshooting.

Vice President

Almost never have we run into a bug, and more often than not, a message from Stripe is straight forward, with solid support, and works without any intervention after setup.

Stripe is a financial infrastructure platform that enables businesses to accept payments online and in person. It offers a suite of APIs for payment processing, subscription management, fraud prevention, and financial services integration Stripe provides both developer-focused tools with extensive documentation and no-code solutions for businesses without technical staff.

Accounting Integration

ACH Payment Processing

Activity Dashboard

Billing & Invoicing

Compliance Management

Credit Card Management

Credit Card Processing

Cryptocurrency Processing

Dashboard

Data Security

Debit/Credit Card Processing

Electronic Payments

Financial Reporting

Fraud Detection

In-Person Payments

Invoice Management

Mobile Access

Mobile Payments

Multi-Currency

Multiple Payment Options

Online Payments

Partial Payments

Payment Fraud Prevention

Payment Links

Payment Processing

PCI Compliance

Point of Sale (POS)

Receipt Management

Recurring/Subscription Billing

Reminders

Reporting/Analytics

Reporting & Statistics

Sales Reports

Self Service Portal

Third-Party Integrations

Transaction History

Transaction Management

Transaction Monitoring

Reviews for Stripe come from a wide variety of industries, including Marketing and Advertising (11% of reviewers), Computer Software (8%), and Information Technology and Services (6%). The most frequent use case for Stripe cited by reviewers is payment processing (94% of reviewers).

Users and use cases

Some users say Stripe offers competitive, transparent pricing and they appreciate the lack of hidden fees. Reviewers appreciate the value from robust features, but some users report that fees can add up, especially for small nonprofits or high-volume businesses.

Value for money

The Stripe integrations most frequently cited by reviewers are: WooCommerce (an eCommerce product rated 4.8 out of 5 for its integration with Stripe), WordPress (a website builder product, 4.9), and Shopify (an eCommerce product, 4.8).

Integrations

Stripe is a payment processing tool with key features that include payment processing, online payments, debit/credit card handling, data security, payment fraud prevention, mobile payments, and more.

Stripe

Web-based

iPad

Android

iPhone

authorize.net

Square Point of Sale

PayPal Enterprise Payments

PayPal Point of Sale

PayPal Commerce Platform

Adyen

Wave

GoCardless

Payoneer

Razorpay

Cash App

Worldpay for Enterprise

Mollie

Klarna

Standard

Custom

Limited global accessibility

Student

the fact that it is not readily available in most countries can have many repercussions for international business owners.

Creative Writer

I start by saying that what I have against Stripe is the fact that many countries are unable to use Stripe and this is very annoying, sometimes those abroad can set up the account for me and this is terrible, I would love to improve on this one aspect.

71% of reviewers feel negative about Stripe’s country availability. Users report frustration that Stripe is not supported in many countries, especially in developing regions, Eastern Europe, and parts of Latin America and Africa. They say this limitation creates barriers for international businesses and forces some to use workarounds or alternative providers. Reviewers often mention that the lack of support in certain countries disrupts collaboration and restricts business growth, making it a significant drawback for those with a global customer base.

Challenging chargeback process

61% of reviewers feel negative about Stripe’s handling of chargebacks. Users indicate that chargeback disputes are difficult to win, even with supporting documentation, and that Stripe often sides with customers. They mention high fees associated with chargebacks and note that merchants are liable for costs, sometimes losing both the product and the revenue. Reviewers also highlight slow or unhelpful customer support during disputes and express concern about the impact of frequent chargebacks on account standing.

Costly and slow refund process

39% of reviewers feel negative about Stripe’s refund process. Users say that refunds are not straightforward, often requiring manual steps or causing delays for customers. They report that Stripe does not return processing fees when issuing refunds, resulting in financial losses for merchants. Reviewers also mention difficulties in tracking and managing refunds, lack of seller protection, and slow customer support responses. Some find that frequent or large refunds can trigger account holds or additional scrutiny.

Inconsistent fraud management

Sales Manager

Their only solution was: give us more money in the form of a service called "fraud radar" but you had to manually review each payment with meaningless tools that didn't work and they didn't guarantee anything.

Founder

When you deploy Stripe Radar, for which you extra pay BTW, sometimes authentic payments are flagged as potentially fraudulent and are not completed. When this happens it's very frustrating to the customer and to us as well.

70% of reviewers feel negative about Stripe’s fraud prevention. Users say the fraud detection system can be overly strict or ineffective, sometimes flagging legitimate transactions or failing to block obvious fraud. They report that account holds, payout freezes, and sudden suspensions can occur without clear communication or explanation. Reviewers also mention difficulties in resolving disputes, lack of transparency in risk assessments, and the need to pay extra for advanced fraud tools, which they find frustrating and disruptive to business operations.

High and complex fee structure

Aspiring Enginner and Entrepreneur

One downside of using Stripe which i think is its fee structure, which might be considered slightly higher compared to some other payment processing platforms, especially for smaller businesses (not with the multi billion dollar company )with lower transaction volumes.

Owner

Having to pay a subscription fee, fees for readers, transaction fees, credit card fees, etc, it became extremely expensive to use, especially compared to other similar software.

44% of reviewers feel negative about Stripe’s fees. Users report that transaction and processing fees are higher than some competitors, especially for small businesses or high-volume merchants. They mention additional charges for certain features, international payments, and refunds, which can add up over time. Reviewers also find the fee structure confusing and say that hidden or unclear costs make it challenging to predict expenses. Many express a desire for lower rates or more transparent pricing.

Flexible donation management

Security supervisor 

It works with you easily and widely, as it is present in almost all of Europe and accepts donations, meaning that it participates in the development of societies

90% of reviewers feel positive about Stripe’s donation capabilities. Users report that Stripe makes it easy for nonprofits and organizations to accept both one-time and recurring donations, often mentioning discounted rates for nonprofits. They appreciate the integration with fundraising platforms and donor management tools, as well as features that allow donors to cover fees. Reviewers highlight the convenience of automated tax documentation and the ability to track and export donor data. Many say Stripe’s donation features help streamline fundraising and improve donor experience.

Robust security and compliance

Director

The application boasts a high level of security, ensuring the protection of sensitive customer information.

91% of reviewers feel positive about Stripe’s security and access control. Users indicate that Stripe provides a strong sense of safety for both businesses and customers, highlighting features like PCI compliance, encryption, and two-factor authentication. Reviewers value the platform’s proactive approach to data privacy and regulatory requirements, and many say these security measures help build customer trust. They also appreciate the ability to customize security settings, such as 3D verification, and find that Stripe’s secure environment reduces their own workload related to payment safety and fraud prevention.

Developer-friendly API resources

Research Director

Using Stripe is every developer's dream; amazing API with great documentation, easy testing and a solid customer support / community ecosystem.

90% of reviewers feel positive about Stripe’s API and documentation. Reviewers praise the comprehensive, well-structured documentation and the ease of integrating Stripe’s APIs with various programming languages and platforms. They say the platform offers extensive examples, templates, and testing environments, making it accessible for both experienced developers and those new to payment integrations. Users appreciate the flexibility to customize payment workflows and the availability of live developer support, which helps resolve technical questions efficiently.

Complaince Manager

Fee Complexity: While the base rate is clear, the "add-on" fees (1% for international cards, 1% for currency conversion, fees for billing/radar) can result in an effective rate closer to 4-5% for some transactions.

Professional housing consultant

The eye catching feature for me was the ability to use a nfc capable smartphone to take payments with tap to pay instead of having to use a stripe terminal.

I can take a card reader out of the box and start accepting payments in minutes without a complex merchant bank approval process.

Customer Service Lead

Sometimes bugs in the mobile dashboard are the cause of slow instant refunds, and customer service is sometimes sluggish when dealing with emergency guest requests.

I created a wordpress website to sell trophies and I use Stripe to allow my customers to make secure payments.

Counselor

Stripe provides a way for me, as a therapist in solo private practice, to take credit card payments in a secure environment.

Owner Operator

There's enough for me to worry about when working with clients, so having Stripe as a tool in my belt is a fantastic way to de-fantasize pricing and free my brain up for real creative work.

Director of Sales and Marketing

I liked that Strupe has an app that allows you to manage your account from a mobile phone with jist as many options as the desktop version meaning logging in from a computer online.

Manager

What I like most about stripe is that it handles subscriptions and recurring billing, as well as managing invoicing.

Artist Painter

I worked with them for hours to set up a test transaction on one of the checkout pages that I set up before I clicked the setting to receive notifications. But if I had made a sale and didn’t receive a notification I would have had one very angry customer AND THAT CUSTOMER WOULD HAVE BLAME ME FOR NEGLECTING THEM AND I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN A HORRIBLE REVIEW FOR BEING NEGLECTFUL AND SEVERELY UNPROFESSIONAL..

I also left to ensure the proper timeframe for receiving my funds, since customer service never had a direct answer from our first deposit when they would come.

We had to turn off the Auto-Imports because it duplicated all of the entries in the ledger and that was an absolute nightmare to manually remove.

Creative Designer

I like the ease of being able to accept different forms of payment like visa, Apple Pay, google pay, etc, all with stripe.

Snr AR Assistant

Tools like webhooks, APIs, or detailed reporting customisation may require developer input or additional training.

Adv Ops Coordinator

Some of the more advanced features and plug-ins can feel a bit technical, especially if you’re not familiar with payment processing systems or their integrations.

Software Engineer

APIs and Stripe checkout make it quick and simple to get up and running, without having to worry about implementing your own security etc - with just a few lines of code.

Stripe provides a reliable and flexible platform for processing credit card and card payments.

Sales Representative

I would say Stripe ticks all these boxes easily enough as the process is quite straightforward, credit cards work well here and the price matches perfectly the services.

American accent coach

Because I don't need to log into the platform very often, it can be confusing to find my way around again each time as some functionalities aren't located where I would expect them to be based on UI layout.

I also documented the client’s refusal to communicate and move the project forward, which created the delays. Despite publicly posting my work, the client continued to claim that I had done nothing.

Developer

Overall Stripe has been my go to API for handling payments for all my custom web development projects.

OWNER

No customer support, no contact info, not helpful, reserves with our money, I can go on, but it won't allow me to type everything.

Bookkeeper

I haven't found a simple way to get invoices created in Stripe into Xero without manually creating every one.

Assistant Manager

Stripe assesses merchant risk dynamically, sometimes sudden account suspensions or holds on funds with little notice

Online reservation of rooms through international credit card can be done on our front-desk with ease.

In my case, Stripe held my balance of $3,425.80 for over 1 year after account closure, despite no chargebacks or disputes.

Pricing, they don't connect to other merchant banks so you are locked into their pricing if you build your app around their platform

SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST

Stripe has made it easy for my patients to fast and securely pay invoices for their therapy sessions.

Managing Trustee

I’m wishing the time from the donation submitted and the time of actual deposit were shorter than several days, considering the fees charged.

Principal Accountant

I wish Stripe would show a little bit more detail for each transaction in the reports, but really not much to complain about as that might be an issue on our end.

The software supports my business needs and my customers are satisfied with the payment structure.

Stripe accepts almost all currencies, and supports heaps of integrations.

The setup process is simple, and once it’s operational, transaction receipts and daily deposits work smoothly!

The reporting also can be clunky at time and the fees can be a bit high, but not much different that other providers.

Accounting Manager

It is an efficient system, good reports, visibility of donors and events provides us the necessary feedback to evaluate the effectiveness of our fundraising programs.

Landlord

It allows me to accept credit (cc) card payments with ease!

It enables me to do business online knowing that I can accept payments from customers worldwide, it doesn't matter the location I'm doing business at.

Program Director

We have used them for the last 3 big events that my company hosted and we didn't have to worry about receiving the correct payment and the payments were deposited in the business account within 3 days!

Stripe makes payment processing easier and faster and I like the transaction status reporting in real-time that is helping me understand whether the transaction if has been successful or still not

They have an arduous review process if any charges get flagged or issues come up.

Having everything in one ecosystem reduces friction and avoids the need to constantly switch tools as your business matures.

It took me a little while to figure out the invoice-billing process, which may be more on the EMR than Stripe.

Senior Sales Executive at WhiteWater, Inc.

To set up and manage online payments without adding operational complexity, I work with Stripe.

I liked being able to integrate payment processing with a streamlined setup into business structure.

The setup process was quick and easy with only a few questions about your business and how stripe can tailor its services to your business type.

After all of this frustration during this back and forth with Stripe I looked at my online bank accounts and noticed that the account that I use solely for inflow of money was -$5157 in arears.

The dashboard is easy to navigate, making it simple to track payments, review reports, and manage payouts.

I mistakenly made a dispute on my credit card because I didn’t recognize the transaction, but I was on the phone with my credit card company and I finally did recognized the transaction as a test I made using the Stripe checkout

Some drawbacks require coding knowledge and the number of features can be overwhelming to keep up with.

Reviewers indicate Stripe’s payment processing is smooth, reliable, and supports a wide range of payment methods, including credit/debit cards, wallets like Google Pay and Apple Pay, and even buy now pay later options. Users report Stripe integrates easily with websites and other products, offers transparent fees, and provides a helpful dashboard. They find Stripe’s payment processing fast and secure, though some mention high processing fees and occasional delays or holds on large transactions. Of the 211 Stripe users who gave detailed accounts of their use of Payment Processing, 100% rated this feature as important or highly important.

Bank Account Management

Fees

Fraud Prevention

Pricing

Reporting

Chargebacks

User Interface

Refunds

Large Enterprises

Freelancers

Small Business

Mid-size Business

The resolution process was clumsy and communicating with customer service was nearly impossible.  

Sales Associate

It relies entirely on service and wi-fi, so large events with little service can be hard to make work well, especially with high customer volume.

Accept every way your customers want to pay with Square Payments.

Stripe vs Square Payments Comparison (2026)

Stripe

Square Payments

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives