Stripe vs PayU (2026): Which Is Better for Receiving International Payments in India?

Each row applies the platform's published fee, FX markup and GST on the fee to the XE mid-market rate for 3 Nov 2026.

Stripe is a global online payments platform. In India it is available by invite only, and registered Indian businesses can use it to accept international card payments declared as exports, with funds paid out in INR to an Indian bank account. Its India help pages list cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay for international payments and do not describe receiving bank transfers from foreign clients.

• Regulated by: Not confirmed
• Used by: Sole proprietorships, LLPs and companies in India can accept international card payments after opting in to exports, by invite only. An IEC is required for physical goods and for Amex international payments; optional for services otherwise.
• Best for: Registered Indian businesses selling online to foreign customers who pay by card

PayU is an Indian payment gateway that lets merchants accept online payments through cards, UPI, net banking and wallets. For overseas customers, it accepts international credit and debit cards and PayPal at checkout, converts the amount to INR and settles to the merchant's Indian bank account. It is a checkout tool. It does not give users foreign bank account details for receiving bank transfers.

• Regulated by: Not confirmed. PA-CB status could not be verified on rbi.org.in, and PayU's pages make no PA-CB claim
• Used by: Yes. New merchants sign up online, and existing merchants enable international payments through help.payu.in or care@payu.in. PayU's international card terms (clause 1.2(b)) say international card processing is provided at PayU's discretion, subject to additional due diligence by PayU, the acquiring banks and the nodal bank, and that approval can be withdrawn at any time
• Best for: Indian businesses taking international card payments on a website or checkout

• Stripe: Daily automatic payouts in INR include international card payments processed five business days prior
• PayU: T+2 business days in INR, as PayU states; same-day and priority settlement offered to some business categories, possibly for a fee

• Choose Stripe if: you need registered Indian businesses selling online to foreign customers who pay by card.
• Choose PayU if: you need Indian businesses taking international card payments on a website or checkout.

For example, an exporter billing $5,000 a month: PayU does not publish full pricing; Stripe does.

Other covered platforms ranked by the INR received on a $5,000 invoice.

Fees, FIRA terms and RBI status were checked on each platform's own pages and RBI sources on 30 Sept 2026. INR figures use the XE mid-market rate for 3 Nov 2026. The formula is on the methodology page.

1. Stripe India pricing, International cards with USD/other currency presentment 4.3% + 2% if currency conversion is required; Mastercard and Visa cards issued outside India 3% + 2%; American Express outside India 3.5% + 2%; dispute received INR 1,000.00 (checked 7 Oct 2026)
2. Accept international payments from India (Stripe docs), Stripe is available by invite only in India; the Stripe account must be a registered Indian business (sole proprietorship, limited liability partnership, or company) and can't be an individual; Stripe pays out to you in INR (checked 7 Oct 2026)
3. Additional pricing information for Indian cross-border sellers, Mainly international: 4.3% per successful charge; currency conversion additional 2% if required (checked 7 Oct 2026)
4. How can I open a Stripe account in India (checked 6 Oct 2026)
5. Supported payment methods, currencies and businesses for Stripe accounts in India (checked 6 Oct 2026)
6. FIRC for international transactions in India (checked 6 Oct 2026)
7. Payout schedule for Stripe accounts in India (checked 6 Oct 2026)
8. Payout currency for Stripe accounts in India (checked 6 Oct 2026)
9. GST and TDS on Stripe invoices for India-based accounts (checked 6 Oct 2026)
10. Export transaction limits for Stripe accounts in India (checked 6 Oct 2026)
11. RBI regulations: context and FAQs (checked 6 Oct 2026)
12. Localise prices: exchange rate (Stripe docs), When Stripe provides currency conversion services for transactions, we generally apply the mid-market rate based on pricing data sourced from third-party service providers. Mid-market rate is the average between the buy and the sell price of a currency. In certain circumstances, Stripe might apply the rate at which we source the currency owed to you. (checked 7 Oct 2026)
13. Taxes on Stripe fees for India-based businesses, either a single 18% tax line item (IGST) or a sum of two 9% tax line items (CGST & SGST). GST is not charged on Stripe processing fees for any single Cards transaction with a value up to INR 2,000. (checked 7 Oct 2026)
14. Stripe Docs: Supported currencies (India selected), Stripe users in the selected country can process charges in the following list of currencies, with these exceptions: Domestic charges can only be in INR; You can charge American Express cards issued outside of India only in INR and USD (checked 8 Oct 2026)
15. PayU Pricing, 3% for Diners, American Express, EMI, International transactions; 18% GST applicable on all transactions; No set-up fee; standard settlement T+2; custom pricing slabs for higher volumes or enterprise needs, based on payment mode, industry type, risk profile, transaction volume, value-added features and processing requirements; no setup, onboarding or annual fees (checked 7 Oct 2026)
16. PayU International Payments, 135+ currencies; Visa, Mastercard, American Express and PayPal; INR conversion at transaction-date rate; T+2 business days; specific rates via account manager or care@payu.in; compliance with global standards (checked 7 Oct 2026)
17. PayU terms for international card processing and multicurrency payments, 1.2(e): the exchange rate used by PayU for all Authorised Currencies will be the inter-bank rate as decided by the respective banks or card associations and as shared by PayU with the Merchant by issuing the merchant payment report on every Business Day; non-Business Day transactions use the rate of the immediately preceding Business Day; 1.2(b): the International Card Processing Payment Mechanism and the Multicurrency Payment Feature shall be provided solely at PayU's discretion, subject to additional due diligence and criteria specified by PayU and/or Acquiring Banks and the Nodal Bank, who may withdraw approval at any time; 1.2(g): PayU may charge Customers a Currency Calculator Fee at a rate specified at the time of payment, upon the Customer consenting (checked 7 Oct 2026)