Business and creator economy

Stripe vs PayPal vs Paystack for Creators: Fees and Limits

Stripe, PayPal or Paystack? What each one charges, what each can and cannot take on Vonza, and which to switch on for courses, memberships and products.

Uyi AbrahamFounder and CEO, Vonza

Published 5 min read

Card reading 'Stripe vs PayPal vs Paystack' with chips for fees, cards and wallets, one-time payments, payment plans and Naira
In this article

Short answer: Stripe is the one to connect first if you sell outside Africa, because it takes cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Klarna, and it is the provider that can charge a card again for subscriptions and payment plans. PayPal is a good second option for buyers who would rather not type a card, but on Vonza it takes one-time payments only. Paystack is the provider for sellers whose account sells in Nigerian Naira.

The rest of this post sets out what each provider charges, what each one can and cannot do on Vonza, and which to switch on for the way you sell.

What each provider charges

These are the providers' own published rates, read on their pricing pages on 7 November 2026. Stripe and PayPal rates are for US accounts; both publish different rates for other countries, so check the page for yours.

Stripe (US)PayPal (US)Paystack (Nigeria)
Local card payment2.9% + 30¢2.99% + fixed fee1.5% + NGN 100, capped at NGN 2,000
Wallet or own buttonApple Pay and Google Pay ride on the card ratePayPal Checkout 3.49% + fixed feen/a
International card+1.5%+1.50%3.9% + NGN 100 (Mastercard, Visa, Verve)
Currency conversion+1%see PayPal's conversion tablen/a
Pay laterKlarna 5.99% + 30¢Pay Later 4.99% + fixed feen/a
Monthly feenone ("No setup fees, monthly fees, or hidden fees")none for receiving paymentsnone for receiving payments

PayPal's fixed fee depends on the currency you receive: 0.49 USD, 0.39 GBP, 0.39 EUR, 0.59 CAD or 0.59 AUD, for example. Paystack waives its NGN 100 part on payments under NGN 2,500.

Two things the table does not show. First, Vonza's own charge is separate from these, depends on your plan and is listed on the Vonza pricing page. Second, on Vonza a Naira payment is collected through Vonza's Paystack account and then paid out to you, so check the Africa pricing page for what you pay per sale there.

Stripe on Vonza

You connect your own Stripe account from your payment settings. Vonza sets it up as a Stripe Connect account, so a one-time checkout payment is charged on your Stripe account and you see it in your Stripe dashboard.

What Stripe gives you on Vonza:

  • Cards for every price type: one-time, recurring, instalments, flexible, pay what you want and free.
  • Apple Pay and Google Pay, when they are switched on in your Stripe account and the buyer's device supports them.
  • Klarna for one-time payments, where Stripe offers Klarna for your country and the buyer's.
  • Payouts from Stripe to your bank on the schedule you pick in Vonza: daily, weekly or monthly.

The limits:

  • Your Stripe account's country has to match the currency your Vonza account sells in, and an account sells in one currency, set in Settings › General.
  • Klarna is a one-off payment. It cannot carry a subscription or a Vonza instalment plan.
  • Stripe sets its own rules on new accounts and payout timing, and Vonza can pause payouts on an account, so plan your cash flow around your payout schedule rather than expecting the money the same day.

PayPal on Vonza

Connect PayPal from your payment settings, where it is offered, and buyers see PayPal buttons on your checkout. The money lands in your PayPal account.

The limits matter more here than with the other two:

  • One-time payments only. Subscriptions, instalments and other payment plans refuse PayPal, and the buyer is asked to pay by card instead. If most of what you sell is a monthly membership, PayPal will not carry it.
  • Affiliate commission on Vonza is credited on Stripe sales. PayPal sales do not pay your affiliates a commission today.
  • PayPal is not offered to accounts that sell in Naira.

PayPal still earns its place as a second button next to the card form for one-time sales, such as a course, a template pack or an event ticket, because some buyers trust it more than typing a card.

Paystack on Vonza

If your account sells in Nigerian Naira, Paystack is your provider. Buyers pay by card in Paystack's own popup, and the payment works for:

  • one-time prices,
  • subscriptions and instalment plans, because Paystack keeps an authorisation of the card for the later payments,
  • the one-click offer after payment, which charges the same card again without the buyer typing it.

Payouts are made in Naira to the bank account you link in your payment settings, daily, weekly or monthly, once your identity check is approved. There is a full walk-through in selling online in Nigeria with Paystack.

The limits: on Vonza, Paystack takes cards only (no bank transfer or USSD), and it is for Naira accounts. Ghana, Kenya and South Africa are not open to sellers today.

The limits side by side

On VonzaStripePayPalPaystack
Who can use itaccounts in a Stripe countryaccounts outside Naira, where offeredaccounts that sell in Naira
One-time paymentsyesyesyes
Subscriptions and instalmentsyes, by cardnoyes, by card
Apple Pay, Google Payyes, if on in your Stripe accountnono
Pay laterKlarna, one-time onlynono
One-click offer after paymentyes, on the card just usednoyes, on the card just used
Affiliate commissionyesnono

Which should you switch on?

  • You sell courses or digital products in dollars, pounds or euros: connect Stripe and leave Card, Apple Pay and Google Pay on. Add PayPal for one-time products if your buyers ask for it.
  • You sell memberships or payment plans: Stripe (or Paystack in Nigeria) is a must, because only a card can be charged again. PayPal will show only on your one-time prices.
  • You sell higher-priced programmes: offer a Vonza payment plan for buyers who want to spread the cost with you, and Klarna for buyers who would rather spread it with Klarna.
  • You sell in Nigeria: use Paystack and price in Naira; see the Vonza Africa page for plans in Naira.

Every Vonza checkout has a switch for each method, so you can try PayPal or Klarna on one product without changing the rest. For how payments work across courses, communities and funnels, see accepting payments on Vonza.

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to common questions here

Yes. Connect both, and each checkout has its own switch for Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna and PayPal. Buyers see only the methods you switched on and your accounts support. PayPal is offered for one-time payments only.

No. Instalments and subscriptions need a payment method that can be charged again later, which on Vonza means a card through Stripe or Paystack. A buyer who picks a payment plan is asked to pay by card.

Today Paystack on Vonza is for accounts that sell in Nigerian Naira, and payouts are made in Naira. Accounts in other currencies use Stripe, and PayPal where it is offered.

The provider fees in this post are what Stripe, PayPal and Paystack publish for their own merchants. What Vonza charges depends on your plan and is listed on the Vonza pricing page.

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