Stripe vs Paystack
Stripe or Paystack for your paid community?
Both work with Ubunya: members who pay are let in automatically, and lose access when their membership ends. Here's how they differ on fees, payment methods, tax and payouts.
The short answer
Choose Stripe if
- Communities with a business in a Stripe country that want full control and are ready to handle their own sales tax.
Choose Paystack if
- Registered businesses in Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana or South Africa that want cards and mobile money in one place.
- Your members pay with M-Pesa.
Side by side
| Stripe | Paystack | |
|---|---|---|
| Handles sales tax and VAT (merchant of record) | No, you do | No, you do |
| Card fee | 2.9% + 30¢ (US cards). Plus 1.5% for international cards and 1% if currency conversion is needed. Billing adds 0.7% on subscriptions. Optional Managed Payments (merchant of record) adds 3.5%. | 2.9% local cards, 3.8% international cards, 1.5% M-Pesa (Kenya). Kenya rates shown; other countries have their own rates. Transfers out cost KES 20–350 depending on amount and destination. |
| Members can pay with | cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Link, Klarna, ACH Direct Debit, UPI, Pix, bank payments, stablecoins | cards, M-Pesa, Airtel Money, mobile money, Apple Pay, bank transfer, USSD, Pesalink, EFT |
| Recurring billing | Subscriptions through Stripe Billing, mainly by card, wallet or bank debit. | Subscriptions by card (and direct debit in Nigeria); M-Pesa and mobile money can't auto-renew. |
| Who can sign up as a seller | About 44 countries self-serve; Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and Côte d'Ivoire are served through Paystack instead | Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Rwanda |
| Payouts | Bank account in the seller's country | Local bank account or M-Pesa (Kenya), usually after 2 working days |
| Free test mode | Yes | Yes |
| Connecting it to Ubunya | Paste a secret or restricted key. We add the webhook for you. | Paste your secret key, then paste our webhook URL into Paystack. Paystack's signature is checked with your key. |
| Prices on your community | Your Stripe monthly, yearly and one-time prices. | Your Paystack plans. Each yearly plan can also be paid once with M-Pesa or mobile money. |
| Renewals in Ubunya | Cards renew automatically every month or year. | Cards renew automatically. Mobile money pays one year at a time. |
| Members' billing page | Stripe's customer portal: card, invoices, cancel. | Paystack's subscription page: change card, cancel. |
From Stripe's and Paystack's own websites, checked November 2026. Prices change; check theirs before you sign up. Compare all 11 providers.
Questions
Which handles tax, Stripe or Paystack?+
Neither is a merchant of record: you're the seller, so sales tax and VAT are yours to handle.
Can members pay with M-Pesa on Stripe or Paystack?+
Stripe: not that we could find on its website. Paystack: yes.
Can I use Stripe or Paystack with Ubunya?+
Yes, both. Connect your own account under Manage → Payments. Stripe: Paste a secret or restricted key. We add the webhook for you. Paystack: Paste your secret key, then paste our webhook URL into Paystack. Paystack's signature is checked with your key.
What happens when a member stops paying?+
Their access stays until the end of what they paid for, plus the grace days you set (three by default). Then the community closes to them. Staff never lose access.
More comparisons
Charge for your community with the account you already have
Connect it under Manage → Payments. Paying members are let in automatically.