Amazon Pay vs Stripe

Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

Amazon Pay

Online checkout that lets shoppers pay on other stores with the cards and addresses in their Amazon account.

Paid

Visit Amazon Pay Amazon Pay profile

Stripe

Developer-focused online payments platform for accepting cards, wallets and local payment methods worldwide.

Paid

Visit Stripe Stripe profile

The short answer

Stripe is a full payments platform for accepting cards, wallets and local methods worldwide, with billing, tax and fraud tools. Amazon Pay is a checkout button that lets shoppers pay with their Amazon account details. They aren't straight substitutes: Stripe can run a store's whole payment stack, while Amazon Pay is an extra checkout option that suits stores whose customers already shop on Amazon.

Amazon Pay or Stripe: our take

Stripe is the payment infrastructure many SaaS companies and marketplaces build on. Developers integrate its APIs or use prebuilt Checkout, payment links and UI elements to accept cards, digital wallets, bank debits and 100+ payment methods across 135+ currencies. Around that sit subscription billing, tax calculations in 100+ countries, fraud screening, marketplace payouts through Connect, card issuing and in-person terminals. Standard pricing is pay as you go with no setup or monthly fees, for example 2.9% plus a fixed fee per successful domestic card charge, though rates vary by country and payment method and add-ons such as Billing and Tax carry their own fees.

Amazon Pay does one narrower job: shoppers check out on other stores using the cards and addresses saved in their Amazon account, so they skip typing details, and purchases are covered by Amazon's A-to-z Guarantee. Merchants add it alongside cards and PayPal. It has no setup fees, charges per transaction, supports one-off, recurring and deferred payments, offers buy now, pay later through Affirm, and plugs into Shopify, Stripe, BigCommerce, WooCommerce and PrestaShop. It adds little for shoppers without an Amazon account, some merchants are wary of sharing customer data with a retail competitor, and features differ a lot by country.

Because Amazon Pay integrates with Stripe, the real question for many stores is whether to add it on top, not which one to use. Choose Stripe as the core processor if you need broad payment method coverage, subscriptions, marketplace payouts or strong developer tooling. Add Amazon Pay if a large share of your customers already shop on Amazon and a familiar, quicker checkout could lift conversions. Check country availability for both before you commit.

Choose Amazon Pay if…

Online stores whose customers already shop on Amazon and want a familiar, quick checkout
Shoppers pay with details already saved in their Amazon account
No setup fee; you pay per successful transaction

Choose Stripe if…

SaaS companies and marketplaces that sell internationally and want strong developer tooling
You need iOS and Android, which Amazon Pay doesn't list
Well-documented APIs with a full test mode
Large set of payment methods and currencies from one integration

What is Amazon Pay?

Amazon Pay is Amazon's payment button for other online stores. Shoppers check out with the payment methods and shipping addresses already saved in their Amazon account, so they skip typing card details, and the same Amazon Pay area is where they manage those payment methods. For merchants it works like a checkout option alongside cards and PayPal: it plugs into Shopify, Stripe, BigCommerce, WooCommerce and PrestaShop, supports one-off, recurring and deferred payments, and covers buyers with Amazon's A-to-z Guarantee. There are no setup fees; Amazon charges a per-transaction fee made up of processing and authorisation parts, and extras include fast payouts, buy-now-pay-later through Affirm and Buy with Prime delivery. Availability and features vary by country, and in India Amazon Pay is also a consumer wallet and UPI app. It is best for stores whose customers already shop on Amazon, since it adds little for people without an Amazon account.

What is Stripe?

Stripe is a payments platform used by startups and large internet companies to accept money online and in person. Developers integrate its APIs or use prebuilt pieces such as Checkout, payment links and embeddable UI elements; non-developers can send invoices and payment links from the dashboard. It supports cards, digital wallets, bank debits and many local payment methods across a large number of currencies. Around the core gateway sit products for subscription billing, tax calculation, fraud screening, marketplace payouts (Connect), card issuing and in-person terminals. Standard pricing is pay-as-you-go per successful transaction with no setup or monthly fee; rates differ by country and payment method, and large businesses can get custom pricing. Stripe is known for clear documentation and test tooling, which is why it is a default choice for SaaS and marketplaces. Availability depends on the country where your business is registered, so check that your country is supported before building on it.

Side by side

Attribute	Amazon Pay	Stripe
Pricing	Paid	Paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	Web	Web, iOS, Android
Best for	Online stores whose customers already shop on Amazon and want a familiar, quick checkout	SaaS companies and marketplaces that sell internationally and want strong developer tooling
Status	Active	Active