Fee comparison · checked October 2, 2026
Wave payment fees, next to a capped bank transfer
Wave's invoicing is free on the Starter plan, and it earns that back on payments: 2.9% + 60¢ per card payment, twice Stripe's fixed fee, and 1% per bank payment with a $1 minimum and no cap, on Starter and Pro alike. Ten $2,000 bank-paid invoices a month cost $200 on Wave and $65 through your own Stripe account.
Wave Payments
- Card on an invoice
- 2.9% + 60¢ (Starter)
- Bank transfer (ACH)
- 1% ($1 minimum, no cap)
Business · your own Stripe
- Card on an invoice
- 2.9% + 30¢
- Bank transfer (ACH)
- 0.8%, capped at $5, plus $1.50 to verify the bank
Stripe's published prices, billed to you by Stripe. We add 0% to either.
What one invoice costs to collect
The lower fee in each pair is bold, including the rows where it isn't ours. Bank transfers come first: they are where the two differ.
| Invoice | Bank · Wave Payments | Bank · Stripe | Card · Wave Payments | Card · Stripe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500 | $5.00 | $5.50 | $15.10 | $14.80 |
| $1,500 | $15.00 | $6.50 | $44.10 | $43.80 |
| $5,000 | $50.00 | $6.50 | $145.60 | $145.30 |
- American Express is 3.4% + 60¢.
- Wave Pro is $19/month ($190/year) and drops the 60¢ on your first 10 card payments each month. Bank payments stay at 1% on Pro.
Questions people ask before switching
Wave is free. Why would I pay for a plan?
If you send a few small invoices a month, Wave's free plan is hard to beat, and we'd say so. The gap opens on bank transfers for larger invoices: at 1% with no cap, every $1,000 a customer pays by bank costs $10, while Stripe stops at $5 plus the $1.50 verification.
Does Wave Pro lower the bank-payment fee?
No. Pro removes the 60¢ fixed fee on your first 10 card payments each month; bank payments are 1% with a $1 minimum on both Starter and Pro.
Where is Wave cheaper than Stripe?
On small bank transfers. 1% of a $300 invoice is $3.00; through Stripe it is $2.40 plus $1.50, or $3.90. The two cross at about $650.
Send one real invoice and see.
Every account can send 3 invoices a month free. Invoicing — pay links and up to 500 invoices a month — is $14.88/month. Business adds QuickBooks and bill scanning for $49.88/month, with a free trial that needs no card.
Sources
Published US rates, read from each company's own pages on October 2, 2026. Rates change, and the rate on your own account may differ. Stripe's bank verification is charged when your customer links their bank. Bank transfer through Business is available to US businesses on Stripe accounts connected from October 2026. ScanThisText is not affiliated with Wave Financial.
Other comparisons: QuickBooks Payments · FreshBooks Payments · Square Invoices