When using Stripe Connect+ with ThriveCart, you may notice a line item labeled “ThriveCart Application Fees” on your transactions. This article explains what these fees are, how they are not in fact additional fees imposed by ThriveCart (as the title may lead you to believe), and why they may look different than what you’re used to seeing (TL;DR: it’s a good thing!)
📌 TL;DR
- ThriveCart does not charge any additional fees beyond Stripe’s own fees.
- Stripe charges multiple sets of fees on transactions, which is hard to track and creates complex accounting challenges. Some of these are at the time of purchase, some are the next business day, for example a subscription fee surcharge.
- The “ThriveCart Application Fee” includes Stripe’s standard payment processing fee, and — if applicable — Stripe’s Billing (subscription) fee of 0.7%.
- These fees are bundled into a single line item on the transaction instead of appearing in separate places, as they did in older Stripe accounts.
💡 Why this is better for your accounting:
By consolidating both the standard payment fee and the subscription fee into one clear “Application Fee” per transaction, it becomes much easier to reconcile payments and fees without having to cross-reference multiple reports (e.g. transaction breakdowns and payout reports).
This means:
- You can instantly see the true cost per transaction in one place
- No surprises or additional deductions showing up later in your payouts
- Cleaner reports and simpler bookkeeping at the transaction level
- The total fees you’re paying remain the same — just presented differently.
Understanding Stripe’s Standard Fees
To view the official Stripe fee structure for your region, visit:
👉 https://stripe.com/pricing
NOTE: Each country or region has its own fees and rates with Stripe – please ensure you are redirected to your appropriate country’s Stripe Pricing page following the above link.
Stripe typically charges:
- A standard payment processing fee (e.g. 2.9% + 30¢ for domestic cards in the US)
- An additional Billing fee of 0.7% for subscription revenue (only applicable if you’re using Stripe Billing – such as recurring payments for subscriptions and rebills)
Regular Charges vs Subscription Charges
Not every transaction will include a subscription. Here’s how the ThriveCart Application Fee behaves in both cases:
💳 Regular Charges (One-Time Purchases)
- For these transactions, the Application Fee replaces the typical Stripe processing fee.
- You’ll only see the fee (which matches that of Stripe’s standard fees for your region) — no additional Billing/subscription fee is applied.
- It’s simply a rename from what used to be labeled as “Stripe processing fee” to “ThriveCart Application Fee”.
🔁 Subscription Charges (Recurring Billing)
- For subscription-based charges, the Application Fee includes both:
- The standard Stripe processing fee, and
- The 0.7% Stripe Billing fee for subscriptions.
- The standard Stripe processing fee, and
- These two components are combined into one single Application Fee on the transaction.
- This may make the fee look higher than expected — but it’s the same total amount you would’ve paid in a previous setup, just shown in a consolidated way.
How Fees Were Shown in previous Stripe Accounts
In older (non-Connect+) Stripe accounts, fees appeared in two separate places:
- On the Transaction:
- You’d see the standard Stripe payment fee (e.g. 2.9% + 30¢ for domestic US cards).
- You’d see the standard Stripe payment fee (e.g. 2.9% + 30¢ for domestic US cards).
- On the Payout/Balance Report:
- The 0.7% subscription fee would be deducted from payouts separately and listed as a distinct line item (e.g., under “Stripe Fees”).
- The 0.7% subscription fee would be deducted from payouts separately and listed as a distinct line item (e.g., under “Stripe Fees”).
How Fees Are Displayed in Stripe Connect+ Accounts (ThriveCart)
With Stripe Connect+ accounts, ThriveCart now bundles both the standard payment fee and, if applicable, the subscription fee into one Application Fee, shown on each transaction.
✅ Important: THIS IS NOT AN EXTRA OR HIDDEN FEE. ThriveCart is simply collecting the same Stripe fees — just in a single, upfront line item for clarity and accounting ease.
Example Breakdown
| Transaction Type | Previous Stripe Account | Stripe Connect+ (via ThriveCart) |
| Regular Charge | Stripe Processing Fee on transaction | ThriveCart Application Fee |
| Subscription Charge | Stripe Processing Fee + separate 0.7% fee on payout | Single ThriveCart Application Fee (combined) |
Let’s break it down:
Example: A customer is charged $100 for a subscription using a domestic credit card in the US.
- Stripe’s standard base fee: 2.9% + $0.30 = $3.20
- Stripe’s subscription (Billing) fee: 0.7% = $0.70
- Total fee: $3.90
How it appears in Stripe (previous method):
- $3.20 is deducted at the time of the transaction
- The $0.70 subscription fee is billed the following day as a separate account debit from your balance / payout
How it appears in ThriveCart (Stripe Connect+):
- The full $3.90 is charged at the time of the transaction
- This appears as a single ThriveCart Application Fee, combining both the payment and subscription fees upfront
✅ The total amount is the same either way — ThriveCart is simply presenting it more transparently, all in one place, which makes reconciliation and tracking easier for vendors.
How to Track Fees in Your Stripe Dashboard
To view or export your Stripe fees (including Billing fees), follow these steps:
- Log in to your Stripe Dashboard.
- Navigate to Reports → Balance report
- Choose to either:
- Download the full report, or
- Use the “Additional Stripe fees” filter
- Filter the Description for the word Billing to find subscription-related charges.
Helpful links:
Why ThriveCart Bundles the Fees
Stripe allows platforms to collect their Billing fees in multiple ways:
- Some platforms tally up total subscription usage and deduct fees from balances at a later time.
- ThriveCart instead opts to collect all fees at the time of the transaction, using Stripe’s Application Fee feature.
This method:
- Provides a clearer, upfront picture of total fees per transaction
- Reduces the need to track deductions later
- Aligns with Stripe’s recommended practices for Connect-based platforms
💬 Common Questions
Q: Is ThriveCart charging more than Stripe?
A: NO — ThriveCart matches Stripe’s fees exactly. The total fee remains unchanged; it’s just presented as a single line item instead of multiple difficult to track, multi-day transactions.
Q: Why does the Application Fee look higher than before?
A: For subscription charges, the 0.7% Billing fee is now bundled into the Application Fee. It’s not an additional fee — it’s just no longer shown separately on payouts.
Q: What if it’s not a subscription?
A: Then the Application Fee simply reflects the standard Stripe processing fee, just under a new name. No extra Billing fee is included.
Q: Will this affect my payouts?
A: NO. In fact, your payouts may now look cleaner, because the 0.7% subscription fee (if applicable) is already taken care of in the Application Fee — no surprises later.
Need More Help?
If you still have questions or need help interpreting what you see in your Stripe account, feel free to contact our support team at support@thrivecart.com or reference the Stripe Balance Report for a detailed breakdown of all fees.