For readers:
Subscription plans, such as monthly and annual, are set by writers. Substack won't charge you any additional fees and we accept most major credit cards such as Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.
Readers in Europe may see the option to pay using direct debit and non-credit card methods such as iDEAL, Bancontact, and Sofort.
For writers:
Publishing is free on Substack– no matter how many subscribers you have!
If you enable paid subscriptions on your publications, the following fees will apply:
From Substack:
10% of each transaction
From Stripe:
Credit cards
A credit card fee (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction fee) and a Billing fee for recurring subscriptions (0.5% for recurring payments).
On your Stripe account, click on the Payments tab and select any "Succeeded" line item. Scroll to the payment details and here, you'll see Substack's cut and Stripe's credit card fee (the Billing fee is not included in the processing fee).
To see Stripe's Billing fee, either click on "All transactions" on the Payments tab and you'll see a line item labeled "Stripe fee". Alternatively, head to the Balances tab and select "Payouts". Click on a payout and scroll to Summary. Here, you'll see the amount Stripe has deducted for it's Billing fee under "Stripe fee".
In the screenshot above, a reader has subscribed to an $8.00/month plan. The 10% Substack cut and Stripe's credit card fee leaves a net amount of $6.55. Since this is a recurring subscription, Stripe has taken an additional 0.5% fee of $0.04 and the writer will get a payout of $6.51.
Non-credit card methods
Currently in beta for publications with payments enabled, new subscribers can pay for their subscription using alternative methods such as direct debit or paying directly via a bank's payment portal. Stripe's Billing fee will also apply for non-credit card methods.
Stripe fees for these payment methods will apply. The fees are dependent on the country where you registered your Stripe account in.
The following fees below are an example for a US Stripe account:
- iDEAL: 80¢
- Bancontact: 1.4% + 30¢
- Sofort: 1.4% + 30¢
- SEPA Direct: 0.8% + 30¢ capped at $6.00. Stripe charges $10.00 for failed or disputed SEPA Direct Debit payments.
