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 (0.7% for recurring payments as of July 2024).
On your Stripe account, click on the Transactions tab and select any "Succeeded" line item. Scroll to the Payment breakdown and here, you'll see Substack's cut and Stripe's fees (the Billing fee is not included in the "Stripe processing fee" amount).
To see Stripe's Billing fee, either click on "All Activity" on the Transactions 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. You'll see the amount Stripe has deducted for it's Billing fee under "Stripe fee".
Note: Existing writers who have created a Substack and enabled payments on their publication prior to July 10, 2024 will keep the previous 0.5% billing fee pricing until June 30, 2025. If you've enabled payments on your Substack publication and have connected to Stripe prior to July 10, 2024, you should receive an email from Stripe about the billing fee change.
Non-credit card methods
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.