Mollie vs Stripe: which payment provider suits a Benelux store?

Mollie vs Stripe is a question most stores in Belgium and the Netherlands hit once the first orders come in. On paper the two look alike. Neither has a setup or monthly fee, both process Bancontact, iDEAL, Wero and the major card brands, and both plug into Shopify, WooCommerce and most other platforms. The differences sit one level down.

Mollie started in Amsterdam about twenty years ago and has kept its focus on European merchants that need local methods. Stripe started as an API for developers and grew into a full financial stack: recurring billing, invoices, tax calculation and payouts to third parties. PayPal is the third option on this page, mainly as a button that buyers abroad recognise.

This page uses fees published in November 2026 for a Belgian account. For the bigger picture of which method wins in which country, read payment methods in Europe. If you are still choosing the store itself, start with Shopify or WooCommerce.

A worked month: 400 orders at 50 euro

An example we put together for a store that sells into Belgium and ships abroad: 400 orders at 50 euro, so 20,000 euro in revenue. 200 buyers pay with Bancontact, 120 with a standard consumer card from the EEA, 80 with a card from outside the EEA paid in euro. No disputes, no currency conversion, November 2026 rates.

Stripe comes out 30 euro cheaper in this mix. Swap the international cards for Dutch buyers paying with iDEAL and both totals drop sharply. Shift the cards towards premium or business cards and both go up. Run your own numbers through the margin calculator to see what each order leaves you.

One cost often matters more than the provider: the platform's own surcharge. On the Shopify Basic plan, using a provider other than Shopify Payments adds a 2% fee per order. The Shopify cost guide breaks that down.

Wero and Bancontact Pay in Belgium

Wero is the wallet backed by European banks that is replacing iDEAL in the Netherlands. Belgian shoppers have been able to pay online with Wero since 3 March 2026, starting with customers of ING, KBC and BNP Paribas Fortis. Belfius was due within weeks; Argenta, Crelan, bunq, Revolut and several other banks are expected in the second half of 2026. Mollie and Stripe were both named among the first acquirers.

The Payconiq by Bancontact app was renamed Bancontact Pay on 16 March 2026, and the merchant side became Bancontact Pro. Online, buyers pay with the Bancontact card, the Bancontact Pay app or a stored card via Bancontact One Click. The guide on selling online in Belgium covers the rest of the local checkout, and if you ship from the Netherlands, read selling in Belgium from the Netherlands. Dutch buyers are covered in iDEAL payments in the Netherlands.

What you pay beyond the checkout

Both providers sell modules on top of payments. These are the published prices in November 2026.

If you plan to run a subscription box or a paid membership, the Billing fee becomes part of your cost per customer. A one-off shop never touches it.

Disputes and refunds

Stripe charges 20 euro for a disputed card payment and returns that amount if you win the case. On a normal refund, the original processing fee stays with Stripe. A SEPA direct debit that bounces costs 15 euro per chargeback and 3.50 euro per failed attempt. PayPal charges 16 euro for a card chargeback and 14 euro for a dispute at standard rates, and also keeps its fee on a refunded sale. A clear returns page and a working withdrawal button for Shopify and WooCommerce cut the number of disputes before they start.

Where PayPal fits

In Belgium PayPal charges 3.40% + 0.35 euro for a wallet payment from inside the EEA, adding 1.99% for most buyers from outside it. Cards through the PayPal checkout cost 1.80% + 0.35 euro, Bancontact 0.39 euro, and a currency conversion 3.0%. That makes it the dearest route for a straight card payment. Stores keep it anyway because shoppers in Germany and further away trust it; see selling online in Germany. You do not need a separate integration to offer it: Mollie routes PayPal through its own checkout for the PayPal fee plus 0.10 euro.

VAT on the fees and your own invoices

Stripe supplies European accounts from Ireland and does not charge VAT on its fees to a Belgian account. Its monthly tax invoices sit in the Dashboard, ready for your accountant. For Mollie and PayPal, check the first monthly statement to see how the fees are invoiced before you book them.

Your invoice to your own customer is a separate matter. Belgian businesses send B2B invoices over Peppol, usually from accounting software. A Stripe invoice does not replace your Peppol registration; the guide on e-invoicing in Belgium explains what changed. For a bank transfer, generate a Belgian structured communication so the payment matches the order.

Data protection

Mollie B.V. holds an e-money licence from De Nederlandsche Bank. Stripe contracts with European merchants from Ireland. With any of the three, your customer's name, email and payment details go to the provider. Name them in your privacy notice and read their terms on processing. More in a GDPR-compliant website and in the glossary entry on the data processing agreement.

When none of the three is the answer

A shop where most sales happen at the counter needs a terminal first, and the online provider follows from that choice. A wholesaler that invoices on 30 days may need a customer portal with open invoices more than a checkout. And a marketplace that pays out to many sellers should pick its provider on that feature, not on the Bancontact rate. Those flows usually need a custom web application that talks to the provider through an API integration and listens for webhooks.

The provider usually follows from the platform: the WordPress alternatives and Webflow vs Framer show which builders sell and how. To push each paid order into your accounting or CRM, look at n8n vs Power Automate. And to bring in buyers with paid social, read TikTok Ads vs Meta Ads.