Financial Modeling & Margin Protection

Payment Fee & Net Take-Home Simulator

Advertised rates (e.g. 2.9% or 5%) hide fixed per-transaction charges, international card surcharges (+1.5%), and currency conversion drag (+1.0%–2.0%). Model your exact ticket size and volume to see which platform puts the most cash into your bank account.

Store Simulation Parameters

Adjust your product pricing, order volume, and international buyer share to model true net payouts.

Projected Monthly Gross$5,800

Average Order Value (AOV)$29

Monthly Orders200 txns

International Card Ratio30%

Cross-Border FX Conversion?

#1 Maximum Take-Home CashGateway

Mollie

EU-first gateway with transparent local payment pricing

Estimated Monthly Net$5,628

Effective Take Rate2.96%

Best Value Full MoR (VAT Handled)Zero Sales Tax Liability

Freemius

WordPress and plugin-focused commerce stack

Estimated Monthly Net$5,527

Effective Take Rate4.70%

Ranked Take-Home Leaderboard (15 Platforms)

Calculated dynamically based on $29 AOV across 200 transactions with 30% cross-border card distribution.

Sorted by highest net cash in pocket

Rank & Platform	Net Take-Home	Effective Rate	Fee Structure Breakdown	Tax / MoR Remittance	Action
1 MollieGateway ★ Highest Net Take-Home	$5,628-$172 fees	2.96%	Base: 1.8% + $0.25 Intl Surcharge: +$17	Self-Report Tax (DIY)	Details
2 WhopHybrid ★ Lowest Cost Gateway	$5,617-$183 fees	3.15%	Base: 3% + $0 Intl Surcharge: +$9	Self-Report Tax (DIY)	Details
3 AirwallexGateway	$5,560-$240 fees	4.13%	Base: 2.8% + $0.3 Intl Surcharge: +$17	Self-Report Tax (DIY)	Details
4 BraintreeGateway	$5,557-$243 fees	4.19%	Base: 2.89% + $0.29 Intl Surcharge: +$17	Self-Report Tax (DIY)	Details
5 StripeGateway	$5,546-$254 fees	4.38%	Base: 2.9% + $0.3 Intl Surcharge: +$26	Self-Report Tax (DIY)	Details
6 FreemiusMoR ★ Best Value Full MoR (VAT Handled)	$5,527-$273 fees	4.70%	Base: 4.7% + $0	Full MoR (Tax Remitted)	Details
7 PayPalGateway	$5,502-$298 fees	5.13%	Base: 2.99% + $0.49 Intl Surcharge: +$26	Self-Report Tax (DIY)	Details
8 CreemMoR	$5,494-$306 fees	5.28%	Base: 3.9% + $0.4	Full MoR (Tax Remitted)	Details
9 Dodo PaymentsMoR	$5,488-$312 fees	5.38%	Base: 4% + $0.4	Full MoR (Tax Remitted)	Details
10 FastSpringMoR	$5,423-$377 fees	6.50%	Base: 6.5% + $0	Full MoR (Tax Remitted)	Details
11 Lemon SqueezyMoR	$5,410-$390 fees	6.72%	Base: 5% + $0.5	Full MoR (Tax Remitted)	Details
12 PaddleMoR	$5,410-$390 fees	6.72%	Base: 5% + $0.5	Full MoR (Tax Remitted)	Details
13 PolarMoR	$5,410-$390 fees	6.72%	Base: 5% + $0.5	Full MoR (Tax Remitted)	Details
14 PayPro GlobalMoR	$5,400-$400 fees	6.90%	Base: 6.9% + $0	Full MoR (Tax Remitted)	Details
15 GumroadMoR	$5,120-$680 fees	11.72%	Base: 10% + $0.5	Full MoR (Tax Remitted)	Details

The Financial Reality of Payment Gateways vs. Merchant of Record (MoR)

The Fixed Fee Trap on Micro-Transactions ($5–$15)

On a $10 sale, Stripe's $0.30 fixed fee represents 3.0% of your total price alone! Combined with the 2.9% base fee and 1.5% international surcharge, your true effective rate on a $10 ticket exceeds 7.4%. For micro-pricing, flat-percentage platforms like Whop (flat 3%) or Polar can save hundreds of dollars a month.

The Hidden Cost of Self-Filing Global VAT/GST

While pure gateways like Stripe look 1%–2% cheaper on paper, you remain legally responsible for registering, collecting, and remitting sales taxes across the US (45 states), EU (27 countries), and UK. Using an MoR (Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, Dodo) offloads this compliance burden entirely.