Ways to Pay / A practical guide
What does getting paid
actually cost?
Compare payment fees, what you keep, and when the money may reach you. From a $500 invoice to a $100,000 project.
Sources reviewed · Reference estimates, not live quotes.
01 / Your invoice
Same amount. Different costs.
Comparing $2,000.00 USD · merchant receiving fees only.
Summary uses Stripe US pricing and ACH pricing. Optional verification, software, payout, and other add-on fees are excluded.
This is a comparison guide, not a connected payment service. These provider products are reference examples, not a list of native Invoice Journey integrations. Your account’s fees, enabled methods, and limits take precedence. No payment is initiated here.
Scroll the table horizontally for timing and conditions. Time units are stated in each cell; business days exclude weekends and bank holidays.
| Method & pricing basis | Fee (USD) | Net (USD) | Available balance / settlement | Bank arrival / withdrawal | Limits & conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Card Stripe · domestic online card 2.9% + $0.30 Official sources | $58.30 | $1,941.70 | Typically 2 business days to available Stripe balance. | Then your payout schedule and bank processing time. | Issuer and account limits apply. First payouts, reviews, and reserves may delay access. Stripe Invoicing and other add-on fees are excluded. |
| ACH direct debit Stripe · US bank debit 0.8% · $5 cap Official sources | $5.00 | $1,995.00 | Typically 4 business days to available Stripe balance. | Then your payout schedule and bank processing time. | Account limits and authorization apply. Bank verification, faster settlement, returns, and add-on fees are excluded. |
| PayPal / Venmo checkout PayPal invoice · wallet payment 3.49% + $0.49 Official sources | $70.29 | $1,929.71 | PayPal balance availability depends on the payment and any holds. | Standard withdrawal: 1–3 business days after funds are available. | PayPal describes up to $60,000 per transaction; some accounts are capped at $10,000. Other funding-method limits may be lower. |
| Card / Apple Pay PayPal invoice · card payment 2.99% + $0.49 Official sources | $60.29 | $1,939.71 | PayPal balance availability depends on the payment and any holds. | Standard withdrawal: 1–3 business days after funds are available. | Confirm the card and invoice transaction limits with PayPal. This is its invoicing rate, not a universal Apple Pay rate. |
| Pay by Bank (ACH) PayPal invoice · eligible bank payment 1% · $10 cap Official sources | $10.00 | $1,990.00 | Settlement time not verified here; confirm with PayPal. | Standard withdrawal: 1–3 business days after funds are available. | Confirm eligibility and amount limits. Bank clearing is additional to withdrawal time; the cap is not an acceptance guarantee. |
| Venmo business profile Direct Venmo payment · not PayPal checkout 1.9% + $0.10 Official sources | $38.10 | $1,961.90 | Check the received payment status in Venmo. | Standard withdrawal: 1–3 business days, within transfer limits. | A verified personal payer may send up to $60,000/week. Verified business bank withdrawals are capped at $49,999.99/week; large balances can take multiple weeks to withdraw. |
| Cash App Business Business account · use your disclosed rate Account-specific · not calculated Official sources | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | Check available Cash App balance; reviews may apply. | Standard withdrawal: usually 1–3 business days once available. | The official business terms defer to your disclosed account fees. No universal business rate was verified for this guide. |
| Zelle Eligible business bank account Bank-specific · not assumed free Official sources | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | Direct to the enrolled bank account; no separate wallet. | Confirm business timing with your bank; consumer “minutes” claims are not a business guarantee. | Your bank sets business eligibility, fees, and sending/receiving limits. Confirm both parties can use it for this amount. |
| Bank-to-bank ACH Bank transfer · not processor direct debit Bank-specific · request a quote Official sources | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | No separate processor balance. | Often 1–3 business days; same-day options depend on bank and cutoff. | Sending and receiving banks set fees, limits, and timing. Do not apply Stripe’s ACH rate to your bank transfer. |
| Domestic wire US bank → US bank Bank-specific · sender + recipient fees may apply Official sources | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | No separate processor balance. | Often hours to the next business day, subject to cutoff and review. | Ask both banks for their fees and verify recipient details independently. No fixed dollar fee is assumed. |
| Check Physical or deposited check Bank / handling costs vary Official sources | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | Receiving a check is not the same as receiving cleared funds. | Delivery + deposit processing + any hold; ask your bank for the full amount’s release date. | Large deposits and new accounts may face longer holds. An available balance does not prove a check cannot be returned. |
| Cash Physical cash · not a bank deposit No processor · handling / deposit costs vary | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | Physical possession at handover, after counting and verification. | Bank deposit timing and fees vary; not modeled. | Security, counting, deposit, and applicable reporting obligations still matter, especially for large amounts. |
| Crypto / stablecoin transfer Direct wallet transfer · not a processor quote Network + conversion / off-ramp costs vary Official sources | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | Network-dependent confirmations; no universal time estimate. | Conversion to USD and withdrawal are separate, provider-dependent steps. | Token, network, custody, and conversion terms matter. No USD net amount or guaranteed confirmation time is assumed. |
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02 / The full picture
From $500 to $100,000.
All values in USD, per single payment. “Varies” is not $0. “Limit check” means no usable single-payment quote is shown for that amount. Other numeric estimates still require account approval.
| Payment method | $500 | $1,000 | $2,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 | $20,000 | $50,000 | $75,000 | $100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Card Stripe · domestic online card | $14.80 | $29.30 | $58.30 | $145.30 | $290.30 | $580.30 | $1,450.30 | $2,175.30 | $2,900.30 |
| ACH direct debit Stripe · US bank debit | $4.00 | $5.00 | $5.00 | $5.00 | $5.00 | $5.00 | $5.00 | $5.00 | $5.00 |
| PayPal / Venmo checkout PayPal invoice · wallet payment | $17.94 | $35.39 | $70.29 | $174.99 | $349.49 | $698.49 | $1,745.49 | Limit checkNot quoted | Limit checkNot quoted |
| Card / Apple Pay PayPal invoice · card payment | $15.44 | $30.39 | $60.29 | $149.99 | $299.49 | $598.49 | $1,495.49 | $2,242.99 | $2,990.49 |
| Pay by Bank (ACH) PayPal invoice · eligible bank payment | $5.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 |
| Venmo business profile Direct Venmo payment · not PayPal checkout | $9.60 | $19.10 | $38.10 | $95.10 | $190.10 | $380.10 | $950.10 | Limit checkNot quoted | Limit checkNot quoted |
| Cash App Business Business account · use your disclosed rate | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated |
| Zelle Eligible business bank account | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated |
| Bank-to-bank ACH Bank transfer · not processor direct debit | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated |
| Domestic wire US bank → US bank | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated |
| Check Physical or deposited check | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated |
| Cash Physical cash · not a bank deposit | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated |
| Crypto / stablecoin transfer Direct wallet transfer · not a processor quote | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated | VariesNot calculated |
03 / Read the timing correctly
Paid is not always available.
- 01
Payment confirmation
The customer has submitted a payment. Authorization or a receipt is not the same as cleared funds.
- 02
Available balance
The provider completes its settlement process. Holds, reviews, and returns can change availability.
- 03
Money in your bank
Payout schedules and bank processing add time. Instant withdrawals may cost extra and have separate limits.
What is—and is not—in these estimates?
We calculate one successful domestic commercial payment in USD, using the receiving fee for the exact provider product named in each row. Percentage fees are rounded to cents, then fixed fees and stated caps are applied. Provider rounding may differ by a cent.
Estimates exclude Invoice Journey subscription fees, provider invoicing software or other add-ons, verification, expedited payouts, currency conversion, international cards, refunds, disputes, failed payments, tax, handling, and any sender-side costs. A capped processing fee is not a cap on every possible cost.
PayPal invoicing is not PayPal Friends and Family. Direct Venmo business payments are not PayPal’s Venmo checkout. ACH bank transfers are not the same product as processor ACH direct debits. Consumer free-transfer claims are not applied to business accounts.
Cash App, bank, cash, check, and direct crypto costs are left uncalculated where no universal rate is verified. For checks and physical cash, bank arrival depends on deposit arrangements. Payment proof alone does not verify settlement.
This guide is informational, not a guaranteed quote or individualized financial advice. Recheck the provider’s official terms before accepting a payment.
Transparent by design
Check the source. Then choose.
Official references reviewed on . Rates are not refreshed automatically.
- Stripe · US processing prices
- Stripe · ACH pricing and settlement
- Stripe · settlement and payout timing
- PayPal · US invoicing prices
- PayPal · account and transaction limits
- PayPal · standard bank transfers
- Venmo · business profile fees
- Venmo · fees and bank transfer times
- Venmo · business transfer limits
- Venmo · personal sender limits
- Cash App · business account terms
- Cash App · standard withdrawals
- Zelle · small-business fees and eligibility
- Chase · domestic wire fees and timing
- Chase · ACH and wire transfers for business
- CFPB · check deposit holds
- Coinbase · network fees and confirmations