Stripe vs Trustly
Side-by-side comparison — pricing, features, ratings, use cases. Find which Payment Gateways fits you best.
🔍 Independently researched ·
📊 Data-driven
· ★ GitHub stars from public repos
75/100
—
Online businesses, SaaS startups, and platforms that want a flexible, developer-friendly payment infrastructure with bui
★ Best
💰 Pricing
Pricing not publicly available
Fee notes:
- US domestic card transactions: 2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction
- International/non-US issued cards: 3.9% + $0.30 (2.9% + 1% cross-border fee)
- Currency conversion: 1% above wholesale exchange rate
- Chargeback/dispute fee: $15.00 per dispute (refunded if the dispute is won)
- Standard bank payout (US): 2 business days, no fee
⚠ Watch for:
- International card fee: 1% additional on all non-domestic cards
- Currency conversion fee: 1% when charging in a currency not already in your Stripe balance
- Dispute fee: $15 charged per chargeback, though refunded if you win
- Instant payout fees can accumulate with high-frequency payouts
🔧 Features
✓ Api First✓ Multi Currency✓ Global Reach✓ Subscription Billing✓ Fraud Protection
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Stripe's API is widely considered the gold standard in payments. It's clean, well-documented, and allows for nearly unlimited customization. You can build custom checkout flows, manage complex subscription states, and handle webhooks seamlessly. For developers, this means less time wrestling with payment logic and more time building your product. The extensive documentation and SDKs for all major languages make integration straightforward, and the ability to test everything with the Stripe CLI before going live is invaluable.
- Stripe Billing is a powerful subscription management tool. It handles the entire subscription lifecycle: creating plans, managing trials, prorating upgrades/downgrades, and generating invoices. It also supports usage-based billing, which is perfect for SaaS companies that charge per API call or per seat. The ability to integrate with a customer portal lets your users manage their own subscriptions, reducing support tickets. This level of automation is a huge time-saver and reduces billing errors.
- Stripe Connect is essential for marketplaces and platforms like Shopify, Lyft, and DoorDash. It allows you to onboard users (sellers, drivers, etc.) with a simple embedded flow, handle their payments, and automatically split funds to pay your platform's commission. Connect manages the complex money movement, including regulatory KYC requirements and payout scheduling. This turns a massive compliance headache into a manageable feature set, letting you focus on your core business.
- Stripe's global reach is impressive. With support for 135+ currencies and 50+ payment methods, you can accept payments from customers worldwide in their preferred local method—whether that's iDEAL in the Netherlands, Alipay in China, or Boleto in Brazil. Stripe automatically localizes the checkout experience, which increases conversion. The Global Payments ecosystem also handles currency conversion and tax calculation (Stripe Tax), reducing the complexity of scaling internationally.
- Radar, Stripe's fraud prevention tool, uses machine learning to analyze every transaction in real-time. It comes with a default set of rules that can be customized to your business's risk tolerance. Radar blocks or flags fraudulent transactions, and you can manually review them via the dashboard. For high-volume businesses, Radar for Fraud Teams offers even more advanced tools, like custom rules and a data-rich API. This proactive fraud protection is critical for minimizing chargebacks and keeping payment costs down.
⚠ Watch out for
- Stripe's flat-rate pricing is not the cheapest for high-volume merchants. If you process over $100,000 per month, you might be better off with a processor that offers interchange-plus pricing, where you pay the exact interchange fee plus a small markup. With Stripe, you pay a percentage that bundles in additional costs, which can add up. For example, a business doing $1M in sales might save thousands per year by switching to a provider like Adyen or a traditional processor. Stripe does offer volume discounts, but they require a sales conversation and are often still not as low as interchange-plus.
- Stripe's risk team can be aggressive with account holds and fund reserves. New businesses, or those in 'high-risk' categories (e.g., subscription services, digital goods), may find that a portion of their funds is held in a reserve for a period to cover potential chargebacks. In some cases, Stripe may freeze the entire account pending review, which can be a shock if you're not prepared. While this is standard practice in the industry, Stripe's automated systems can trigger false positives, causing delays in accessing your funds—a critical cash flow issue for small businesses.
- The platform's technical depth is a double-edged sword. For non-developers, Stripe's dashboard can be overwhelming. The settings are numerous, and configuring features like webhooks, API keys, or custom business logic requires technical knowledge. Even simple things like setting up recurring payments might require reading docs and understanding concepts like events and webhooks. If you're a small business owner who just wants a 'Pay Now' button, you might find the learning curve steep, and you'll spend time on tasks you could have avoided with a simpler provider like Square or PayPal.
- Stripe's fees for international cards and certain payment methods are higher. For example, a standard card charge is 2.9% + 30¢, but a card issued outside the US might incur an additional 1% fee. Some alternative payment methods, like bank debits, have flat fees that can be high for small transactions. If you have a global customer base, these fees can eat into your margins. While Stripe's localization efforts improve conversion, they come at a cost that you need to factor into your pricing strategy.
- Stripe's customer support is primarily via email and chat; phone support is available only for high-volume customers or on paid plans. While the help center is extensive and the response times are generally good, for complex issues like account holds, you might wait days for a resolution. This can be stressful when your funds are at stake. If you prefer to talk to a human immediately, Stripe's support model may not meet your expectations, especially compared to providers like PayPal that offer 24/7 phone support.
🎯 Best for
Online businesses, SaaS startups, and platforms that want a flexible, developer-friendly payment infrastructure with built-in subscription and fraud tools.
🚫 Who should skip
Businesses in high-risk industries, those needing robust phone support, or very small merchants wanting simple flat-rate in-person payment without setup.
📚 Learning curve
Moderate — basic checkout can be set up in minutes, but leveraging the full API and advanced features requires developer experience.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Stripe is the payment gateway of choice for developers, SaaS, and online businesses that outgrow simple payment links. Its flexibility, global reach, and ecosystem (Billing, Connect, Radar) are unmatched. If you're a non-developer looking for a simple, fixed-fee pay button, simpler alternatives like
38/100
Free tier
Merchants in Europe and North America, particularly in iGaming, fintech, and high-ticket e-commerce, who want lower card
💰 Pricing
🆓 Free tier available
No setup or monthly fee; per-transaction fees apply.
Fee notes:
- Trustly does not publicly publish fixed transaction fee rates; fees are customized based on country, volume, and average transaction size.
- No monthly or setup fees are charged.
- Payouts are priced separately from payment acceptance.
- Chargeback fees are not published on the public website — contact Trustly sales for specific terms.
⚠ Watch for:
- Refund and reversal fees may apply
- A flat fee per transaction may be added on top of the percentage rate
- Cross-border conversion fees may apply if settling in a different currency than the customer's payment
🔧 Features
✓ Free Tier✓ Open Banking✓ Bank To Bank✓ No Card Needed✓ Eu Na Coverage
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Reduced transaction costs: Trustly eliminates card interchange and scheme fees, which can be substantial on high-value transactions. This cost structure can lead to significant savings for merchants processing large payments, such as iGaming operators or high-end retailers. By moving money directly between bank accounts, Trustly avoids the fee stack that comes with card networks.
- Instant payment confirmation and fast settlement: Transactions are confirmed in real-time, and funds settle quickly—often within 30 seconds to a few minutes. This speed is crucial for merchants that need to authorize transactions immediately or offer same-day withdrawals, enhancing customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
- Enhanced security and fraud reduction: Trustly uses bank-level authentication and adheres to SCA regulations, reducing the risk of chargebacks and fraud. Since payments are initiated from the customer's bank account with their own credentials, the chances of unauthorized transactions are minimized. This is particularly valuable for high-risk industries like iGaming, where chargeback fraud is common.
- Wide bank coverage: With over 8,300 connected banks across Europe and North America, Trustly covers a broad geographic area. This extensive network ensures that a majority of customers in supported regions can use Trustly, making it a viable alternative to cards for many transactions.
- No app downloads or card details: Customers pay directly from their online bank account, eliminating the need to enter card details or download a separate app. This streamlined checkout process can reduce friction and increase conversion, especially for customers who prefer not to share card information online.
⚠ Watch out for
- Opaque pricing model: Trustly does not publish its pricing, and merchants must contact sales for a customized quote. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for small businesses to compare costs with other gateways and plan their budgets. The absence of self-serve pricing may also deter potential users who prefer painless onboarding.
- Inconsistent coverage by country and bank: While Trustly connects to many banks, coverage varies significantly by country. In some regions, smaller or regional banks may not be integrated, causing checkout options to disappear for customers banking with those institutions. This can lead to lost sales and a fragmented user experience.
- Excludes unbanked and card-first customers: Trustly requires customers to have online banking access. This excludes unbanked individuals and those who rely primarily on credit or debit cards. In markets where card usage is dominant, this limitation could reduce the total addressable audience, making Trustly less suitable for mass-market e-commerce.
- No immediate integration with all platforms: Although Trustly offers plugins for major e-commerce platforms like Magento and WooCommerce, some custom or enterprise systems may require additional development effort. This could be a hurdle for merchants with bespoke infrastructure, potentially leading to longer setup times and extra costs.
- Limited to certain high-value use cases: Trustly is best suited for high-value transactions, but for small-ticket items, the advantages (like low fees) are less pronounced. Additionally, the target audience is often specific—such as iGaming players or fintech users—meaning the payment method may not be ideal for general e-commerce stores with diverse consumer bases.
🎯 Best for
Merchants in Europe and North America, particularly in iGaming, fintech, and high-ticket e-commerce, who want lower card costs, instant bank payments, and fast payouts.
🚫 Who should skip
Businesses targeting customers who strongly prefer cards, digital wallets, or BNPL, or those operating in countries with limited Trustly bank coverage.
📚 Learning curve
Moderate — the customer flow is simple, but merchant integration, authentication testing, and compliance review require technical effort.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Trustly is a solid choice for businesses processing high-value transactions in iGaming, fintech, and e-commerce, offering reduced costs and speed. However, its opaque pricing and bank coverage limitations make it less suitable for small businesses or those with a broad consumer base. If you need fas
📊 Use Case Suitability
Higher score = better fit. Scores from editorial review.
Use CaseStripeTrustly
Subscription Billing98—
Stripe Billing automates recurring payments, trial management, dunning, and tax
Global E-commerce92—
Native support for 135+ currencies and 50+ local payment methods makes it easy t
Marketplaces & Platforms94—
Stripe Connect handles complex money movement between buyers, sellers, and the p
Small Online Store or Digital Products85—
Pre-built checkout and integrations with major e-commerce platforms make it acce
iGaming Deposits and Payouts—95
Trustly has strong gaming industry adoption, instant deposits, and fast withdraw
Fintech Account Funding—90
Trading apps, wallets, and digital banks use Trustly to let users push money fro
E-commerce Checkout for High-Value Orders—85
Bank-to-bank payments remove card limits and reduce fraud risk for expensive pur
Marketplace and Platform Payouts—80
Trustly's payout products allow marketplaces and platforms to send funds directl
🧭 Which One Should You Pick?
Choose Stripe if...
- You are: Online businesses, SaaS startups, and platforms that want a flexible, developer-friendly payment infrastructure with bui
- 👍 Transparent pay-as-you-go pricing with no monthly fees.
- 👍 Extremely flexible API and extensive documentation, making it the developer's first choice for custo
- 👍 Global reach with support for 135+ currencies, 50+ payment methods, and localized payment experience
- ⚠ Trade-off: Transaction fees are higher than interchange-plus pricing offered by some compet
Choose Trustly if...
- You are: Merchants in Europe and North America, particularly in iGaming, fintech, and high-ticket e-commerce, who want lower card
- 👍 No card interchange or scheme fees, which reduces payment costs on high-value transactions.
- 👍 Instant payment confirmation and fast settlement improve merchant cash flow and enable same-day with
- 👍 Bank-level authentication and strong customer authentication reduce fraud and chargeback risk.
- 💰 Free tier available
- ⚠ Trade-off: Pricing is opaque; merchants must request a quote and there is no self-serve pri
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What are Stripe's fees?
Stripe charges a simple per-transaction fee of 2.9% + 30 cents for US card payments, though rates vary by country and payment method. There are no setup or monthly fees, making it accessible for small businesses.
How long does it take to get paid?
The first payout can take 7–14 days, then subsequent payouts are typically on a 2-day rolling schedule in the US. You can also request faster payouts for a small fee.
Does Stripe require a long-term contract?
No, it's completely contract-free and you pay per transaction. You can stop using it anytime without cancellation fees.
Can I accept international payments with Stripe?
Yes, Stripe supports 135+ currencies and 50+ payment methods, including local cards, wallets, and bank transfers. Its global infrastructure handles conversions and local regulations.
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