Most e-commerce businesses typically choose between Stripe and PayPal – two of the most popular online payment solutions available to e-commerce sites. To make the right decision, a business owner must look into the two online payment platforms, and take a deeper dive into their added features (such as Stripe accounting, for example), and how they work.
There are numerous similarities between Stripe and PayPal. Both companies focus primarily on online payments as opposed to in-person transactions, but e-commerce owners still have to pick the one that matches their specific business needs and goals.
In general, PayPal is usually more suitable for small or new businesses that are just getting off the ground. Stripe, on the other hand, tends to be better for larger firms as it provides more payment options and is vastly more customizable. Stripe payment processing time is also very competitive.
Despite these broad statements, there are a number of reasons why you should choose Stripe over PayPal to process online payments for your e-commerce business.
Comparing Stripe and PayPal
Stripe and PayPal offer merchants similar features. For starters, it’s easy to set up an account with both services, and neither company requires users to sign a contract. You can cancel a plan at any time and for any reason.
The main distinction between the two platforms is that PayPal is better suited for startups. At the same time, Stripe is more appropriate for established companies that require some flexibility and the ability to customize different online payment processes to promote a better customer experience.
Even though both Stripe and PayPal provide users with the tools to manage online payments, that’s not all they do. Both companies offer additional interconnected tools ranging from mobile payments to financial services, which is why both of them have become household names.
Nonetheless, Stripe and PayPal aren’t the only all-in-one payment processing platforms on the market – it’s the breadth and depth of their services that make them stand out from the crowd.
Why You Should Use Stripe Over PayPal
Both Stripe and PayPal were launched to help e-commerce owners send invoices, receive money, and process payments. While this is what they have in common, there are also specific reasons why it would be better for a business to use Stripe over PayPal.
- Stripe is a more robust online payment service provider than PayPal.
- Stripe charges lower fees than its counterpart.
- Unlike PayPal, Stripe is more customizable and allows e-commerce businesses to accept different payment options.
Additional Stripe Services
In addition to its online payment processing services, Stripe also provides users with:
- A billing tool to create recurring subscriptions and invoices at a fee of 0.5% on recurring charges.
- An invoicing tool that can accommodate up to twenty-five customers each month at no cost; there’s a fee of 0.4% for each invoice over that amount.
- Gift cards, so businesses can offer clients promotions and rewards.
- Tax calculation tools at a cost of 0.05% per e-commerce transaction.
- Identity protection services that give businesses the ability to verify customers’ identities for a fee of $1.50 for each verification.
- A service to deter fraud and prevent chargebacks that could harm your business.
- An inventory management system that enables users to track items they carry in stock that will alert them when it’s time to order more.
In Summary
After learning about the two popular services, it’s reasonable to say that Stripe is a real all-in-one online payment processor. While Stripe offers a terminal for in-person transactions, its primary function is to support e-commerce websites with a robust set of tools for integrating different payment features into an online store. As a result, Stripe is a better option than PayPal for owners looking to grow their businesses.
