Margin Intelligence
What processors, gateways, and payment-method mixes actually cost per order, beyond the headline rate a single processor advertises.
Agentis analysis of Stripe's and PayPal's own published 2026 pricing pages shows PayPal Checkout costs 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction versus Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30. Merchants absorb that difference silently when checkout offers both without weighting the true blended cost by payment-method mix.
Agentis analysis of Stripe's own refund documentation shows a fully refunded charge can't be disputed at all, while Stripe's processing fee is never returned either way. Refunding a $60 order costs the $2.04 processing fee you already paid. Losing that same order to a chargeback costs $75, the order value plus a $15 dispute fee.