Settle vs Stripe
Stripe is a great product.
For the merchants they take.
We're not here to bury Stripe. They run the best card-rails business in the world. They onboard low-risk merchants in minutes. They have banking integrations Settle will never have.
Here is the honest comparison.
| Stripe | Settle | |
|---|---|---|
| Per-transaction fee (US) | 2.9% + $0.30 | 0.5% |
| International card surcharge | +1% | 0% |
| Currency conversion | +1% | 0% — same token in, same out |
| Effective fee on $100 | $3.20 | $0.50 |
| Effective fee on $10,000 | $290.30 | $50.00 |
| Chargebacks | Yes — ~1.5% baseline, 100% liability up to 540 days | None — payments are final |
| Chargeback fee | $15 per dispute | $0 |
| Industry restrictions | 40+ categories on prohibited / restricted list | None — OFAC screening only |
| Underwriting | Yes — can be rejected, can be shut off | None |
| Settlement time | T+2 to T+7 business days | ~2s on Base |
| Reserves on high-risk MCCs | Up to 25% × 90+ days | None |
| Monthly minimums | Yes (Plus/Premium tiers) | None |
| International coverage | 47 countries | Anywhere with internet |
| Onboarding | Application + KYC + business verification | GitHub OAuth + payout-address proof |
| Custody | Stripe holds funds until payout | Non-custodial — direct to your wallet |
| Buyer needs | Visa / Mastercard / ACH | Stablecoin wallet (USDC on Base) |
| Fiat rails | Yes — broad | None |
| Recurring billing | Yes, card-on-file | Per-invoice authorization |
Choose Stripe when
- — Your buyers expect Visa / Mastercard / Apple Pay.
- — You operate a low-risk MCC and want fiat banking integrated.
- — You need ACH, BNPL, or local methods like SEPA / iDEAL.
- — You want recurring billing on cards-on-file.
- — You can afford 2.9% + chargeback exposure for the reach.
Choose Settle when
- — Your AOV is high enough that 2.9% and chargebacks hurt.
- — Your buyers are crypto-native (or willing).
- — You sell internationally and FX spread eats your margin.
- — You want non-custodial — funds in your wallet, not a processor's.
- — Your category is on Stripe's naughty list.
The naughty list
Stripe's naughty list. Our merchant list.
Stripe's acceptable-use policy runs forty categories deep. Settle doesn't underwrite based on industry. If your business is legal where you operate and your payout address clears OFAC, you can accept payments.
| Industry | Stripe | Settle |
|---|---|---|
| Adult content & creators | Restricted | Welcome |
| Cannabis, CBD, hemp | Prohibited | Welcome |
| Firearms, ammunition, FFL dealers | Prohibited | Welcome |
| Online gambling & sports betting | Restricted | Welcome |
| Supplements & nootropics | Restricted | Welcome |
| Peptides & research chemicals | Restricted (specific clamp) | Welcome |
| High-ticket coaching ($5k+ AOV) | Reserve held | Welcome |
| Tobacco, vape, kratom | Prohibited | Welcome |
| MLM, debt collection, escrow | Prohibited | Welcome |
| Crypto-adjacent, FX, pawn, payday | Prohibited | Welcome |
| Merchants outside US/EU/UK | Limited | Welcome |
We don't endorse any specific business. We don't underwrite based on category. The router contract executes if the counterparties pass sanctions screening — same code path for everyone.
The deep end
Per-industry math.
Click an industry to expand the cost comparison and the trade-offs we hear most.
Adult content & creators
0.5% per transaction. No content review. No payout holds. No 540-day chargeback liability.
| Adult-specialty processor | Settle | |
|---|---|---|
| Per-transaction fee | 5–10% | 0.5% |
| Rolling reserve | 10–20% × 6mo | None |
| Chargeback fee | $25–50 | $0 — no chargebacks |
| Content review | Yes — performer ID, content review | None |
| Settlement time | T+3 to T+14 | ~2s on Base |
| Onboarding | 2–6 weeks underwriting | Today, GitHub OAuth |
What about chargebacks?
There aren't any. Stablecoin payments are final once confirmed — and adult is the category where chargeback fraud (friendly fraud, partner-discovery fraud) is highest. Settle removes the entire vector.
Will customers actually pay in crypto?
More of yours than you think. Adult buyers were the earliest cohort to adopt private payment rails. Most already hold USDC in Coinbase or MetaMask for exactly this reason.
What's the trade-off?
No fiat onramp. If a customer wants to pay with a Visa, you need a fiat rail in addition. Settle is the rail you turn to when they don't.
Cannabis, CBD, hemp
0.5% per transaction. No rolling reserves. No T+14 holds. Smart contract on Base — no industry-exit risk.
| Cannabis-specialty processor | Settle | |
|---|---|---|
| Per-transaction fee | 3–5% | 0.5% |
| Monthly fee | $50–500 | $0 |
| Rolling reserve | 5–15% × 6mo | None |
| Settlement time | T+3 to T+14 | ~2s on Base |
| Industry-exit risk | Real — bank can exit category | Smart contract on Base |
| Chargebacks | Yes | None — payments are final |
Is it legal to accept crypto for cannabis where I operate?
That's a question for your compliance counsel, not us. Settle is jurisdiction-agnostic — we don't underwrite based on what you sell. You're responsible for staying within your state and federal lane.
Will my customers actually have USDC?
Increasingly yes — especially mail-order CBD/hemp customers, who are already comfortable with non-traditional rails. If your customer base is walk-in dispensary, a fiat-cash terminal is still the better rail.
What about banking?
Settle isn't a bank and doesn't replace one. We're the rail that gets crypto-USD into your wallet; you still need fiat banking on top.
Firearms, ammunition, FFL dealers
0.5% per transaction. Non-custodial settlement. No banker reviewing your SKU list.
| Firearms-specialty processor | Settle | |
|---|---|---|
| Per-transaction fee | 4–8% | 0.5% |
| Monthly fee | $30–250 | $0 |
| Setup | FFL upload, MCC negotiation, weeks | GitHub OAuth, today |
| Category drop risk | Bank can exit at any time | Smart contract on Base |
| Chargebacks | Yes — high in this category | None — payments are final |
| Settlement time | T+2 to T+7 | ~2s on Base |
Will customers pay in stablecoin for firearms?
The privacy-conscious slice of your customer base already does. Crypto-funded firearms purchases are not new — Settle just gives you a clean, low-fee rail to accept them.
Background check & FFL transfer?
Unchanged. Settle handles payment, not transfer. You still run NICS, you still log the 4473, you still ship to an FFL where required.
What's the trade-off?
No fiat checkout option. Pair Settle with a fiat rail if your buyers expect Visa.
Online gambling & sports betting
0.5% per deposit. Settles in seconds. Eliminates the entire friendly-fraud chargeback vector.
| iGaming processor | Settle | |
|---|---|---|
| Per-deposit fee | 5–15% | 0.5% |
| Chargeback fee | $25–100 + dispute volume | $0 — no chargebacks |
| Friendly fraud loss | 1–4% of GGR | 0% |
| Settlement time | T+5 to T+30 | ~2s on Base |
| License upload, MCC review | Required | Not required by Settle |
| Rolling reserve | 10–25% × 6–12mo | None |
Is online gambling allowed on Settle?
We don't underwrite based on industry. You're responsible for operating only in jurisdictions where your license permits. We do screen every counterparty against OFAC sanctions on every transaction.
Withdrawals?
Settle is the deposit rail. Pay players out via your existing rail (typically a separate wallet sweeper or banking partner).
What's the trade-off?
No fiat deposits via Settle. Players who deposit by card need a separate processor.
Supplements & nootropics
0.5% per transaction. Your processor does not become your FTC compliance officer.
| Nutra-specialty processor | Settle | |
|---|---|---|
| Per-transaction fee | 3–6% | 0.5% |
| Claim-substantiation review | Required by processor | Not by Settle |
| Rolling reserve | 5–15% × 6mo | None |
| Chargeback threshold | Account closed at 1% | No chargebacks |
| Subscription friendly | Card-on-file required | Per-invoice authorization |
| Settlement time | T+3 to T+10 | ~2s on Base |
Subscriptions / recurring?
Settle issues a fresh checkout per invoice. There's no card-on-file because there's no card. The merchant emails the customer a fresh checkout link each cycle, or the customer sets up a wallet auto-renewal.
Returns and refunds?
No refunds via Settle. If your product has a return policy, you settle the refund out of band — store credit, a separate transfer.
What's the trade-off?
Customer needs a stablecoin wallet. Pair Settle with a fiat rail for your retail traffic.
Peptides & research chemicals
0.5% per transaction. Stripe's acceptable-use policy carries a specific clamp on peptides and research chemicals. Settle is a payment rail, not a category gate.
| Peptide-specialty processor | Settle | |
|---|---|---|
| Per-transaction fee | 5–7% | 0.5% |
| Rolling reserve | 10–20% × 6mo | None |
| Chargeback fee | $25–75 | $0 — no chargebacks |
| Settlement time | T+5 to T+14 | ~2s on Base |
| International buyers | Cross-border surcharge + FX | Same fee, anywhere |
| Category review | SKU review, claim review | Not by Settle |
Chargebacks?
There aren't any. Stablecoin payments are final once confirmed — peptides are a friendly-fraud-heavy category, and Settle removes the entire vector.
International buyers?
Same 0.5% flat. No cross-border surcharge. No FX spread. USDC on Base settles the same in São Paulo, Singapore, or Stockholm.
Payout speed?
About 2 seconds on Base. Funds land directly in your wallet — non-custodial, no T+14 hold, no rolling reserve.
Regulatory exposure?
Yours, not ours. Settle doesn't validate research-use disclaimers, label claims, or end-use. We screen counterparties against OFAC; you're responsible for staying within your jurisdiction's lane.
What's the trade-off?
Customer needs a stablecoin wallet. There's no fiat onramp on Settle — pair it with a card rail if your retail traffic expects Visa.
High-ticket coaching ($5k+ AOV)
0.5% per transaction. Final settlement removes the buyer's-remorse chargeback that ends most coaching merchant accounts.
| Stripe / typical card processor | Settle | |
|---|---|---|
| Per-transaction fee | 2.9% + $0.30 | 0.5% |
| Effective fee on $10k sale | $290.30 | $50.00 |
| Chargeback exposure | 100% of sale, up to 540 days | 0% |
| Reserve trigger | >1% chargeback rate = 25% × 90d hold | None |
| Settlement time | T+2 to T+7 | ~2s on Base |
| International buyers | Cross-border surcharge | Same fee, anywhere |
What's the savings on a $10k course?
Stripe takes $290.30. Settle takes $50. That's $240 per sale. At 100 sales, $24,000. Plus you remove the 1.5% baseline chargeback rate.
What if the customer wants a refund?
There aren't any on Settle. Disclose your refund policy in your terms — handle it out of band if you choose to (store credit, a manual reverse transfer).
Trade-off?
Half your buyers won't have a wallet. Run Settle alongside Stripe; the buyers who pay in stablecoin save you 2.4% in fees and 100% of chargeback risk.
International merchants
0.5% flat. Settles in seconds. Anywhere with internet. No country-of-incorporation review.
| Local card rail / SWIFT | Settle | |
|---|---|---|
| Per-transaction fee | 3–7% + 1–3% FX | 0.5%, no FX |
| Cross-border surcharge | 1–2.5% | 0% |
| Settlement time | T+3 to T+30 | ~2s on Base |
| Country review | Some jurisdictions ineligible | Anywhere with internet |
| Settlement currency | Local fiat after FX | USDC on Base |
| Bank requirement | Local business bank account | Self-custody wallet |
What if my customers are in a country with poor crypto liquidity?
USDC on Base has meaningful pockets in most regions where customers hold any stablecoin balance. If your buyer base is primarily card-paying domestic retail, Settle isn't the right fit.
How do I get USD into local currency?
Off-ramp via Coinbase, Binance, or a local crypto-fiat partner. Settle stops at the wallet — what you do with USDC after that is your choice.
Trade-off?
Customers need crypto. The rest of the merchant flow — invoice creation, hosted checkout, webhooks — is identical to the US experience.
You can run both.
Most of our merchants do. Stripe (or another card rail) for the buyers who pay with plastic. Settle for the buyers who would rather pay with USDC.