Polar is tracked by HelpCompare in the Payment Processing category. This page collects every pricing fact, rating and switching guide we publish about Polar, and links each one back to the comparison it was verified in.
On Starter it's 5% + 50¢ per transaction with no monthly fee, but the headline rate isn't the whole bill: international cards add 1.5% and each dispute costs $15.
The paid plans trade a monthly fee for a lower rate, from Pro at $20/mo (3.8% + 40¢) to Scale at $400/mo (3.4% + 30¢), and part of what you're paying for is that Polar acts as merchant of record and handles sales tax, VAT and GST. Price the plan against your real mix of domestic and international buyers. Having run product-launch campaigns, I'd warn you that disputes cluster right after a big sale, when buyers don't recognise the charge or regret the purchase. A quick, no-argument refund almost always costs less than a $15 dispute you then have to fight, so make refunds easy to ask for and answer them fast.
My read of the verified data on this page, checked against vendor sources on September 27, 2026. Disagree or spot an error? Tell Bill
Every row was recorded on a HelpCompare comparison page. The Source column links to the page it was verified on and the date it was last checked.
| Attribute | Value | Source & date |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Starter: no monthly fee, 5% + 50¢ per transaction; Pro $20/mo at 3.8% + 40¢ | polar-vs-stripe |
| Free plan | Yes: Starter has no monthly fee, you pay per transaction | polar-vs-stripe |
| Model | Merchant of record: handles sales tax, VAT and GST | polar-vs-stripe |
| Paid plans | Pro $20/mo (3.8% + 40¢), Growth $100/mo (3.6% + 35¢), Scale $400/mo (3.4% + 30¢) | polar-vs-stripe |
| Extra fees | +1.5% international cards; $15 per dispute; payout fees passed through | polar-vs-stripe |
Compliance reports, sign-in controls, offline access and the setup details that matter for remote, hybrid and in-office teams. Each value links to the vendor page it came from. Scope: Polar merchant of record plans (Starter, Pro, Growth, Scale).
How Polar connects to the rest of the software we track — head-to-head research, switching paths, and the closest alternatives in its category.
What transfers, what you rebuild by hand, and what to budget.
Other tools we track in the same category, with their entry price.
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