Comparison
TandemPay vs Stripe
Compare non-custodial stablecoin settlement with traditional card processing and bank payouts.
Pricing & Effective Cost
TandemPay
Custom rate
- • No rolling reserves
- • No monthly fees
- • Non-custodial settlement
- • Stablecoin payouts
Stripe
2.9% + 30¢
Plus possible reserves (5-20% held), monthly fees for advanced features, and payout delays (2-7 days typical).
Illustrative comparison: Pricing based on publicly available information. Actual costs vary by merchant, volume, and agreement. Use our calculator to estimate effective cost including reserves and delays.
Key Differences
| Feature | TandemPay | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Settlement Currency | Stablecoins (USDC, USDT) | Fiat (bank transfers) |
| Custody Model | Non-custodial (your wallets) | Custodial (Stripe holds funds) |
| Rolling Reserves | None | Common for high-risk (5-20%, 90-180 days) |
| Payout Speed | Minutes (after card clearing) | 2-7 business days typical |
| Account Holds | Impossible (smart contract enforced) | Possible at Stripe's discretion |
| Transparency | On-chain verification | Dashboard only |
| Monthly Minimums | None | None (standard plan) |
| Chargeback Handling | Merchant responsibility | Stripe handles, deducts from balance |
| Integration Ecosystem | API + webhooks (growing) | Extensive plugins, SDKs, integrations |
| Customer Payment UX | Cards (familiar checkout) | Cards, wallets, bank debits |
Choose TandemPay If You:
- →Value self-custody and immediate control of funds
- →Prefer crypto settlement over bank transfers
- →Want to eliminate custodial counterparty risk
- →Need transparent on-chain verification
- →Building crypto-native businesses or services
- →Want to avoid rolling reserve holdbacks
Choose Stripe If You:
- →Need fiat currency payouts to traditional banks
- →Require extensive third-party integrations and plugins
- →Prefer processor-managed chargeback liability
- →Not comfortable managing crypto wallets
- →Need local payment methods beyond cards
- →Established business with legacy banking infrastructure
Ready to Try TandemPay?
Experience non-custodial crypto settlement with the simplicity of card payment processing.