Buy Me a Coffee Fees: What Creators Pay and Keep

Buy Me a Coffee is one of the friendliest ways to let your audience support you, and its fee story is refreshingly short. There's one platform fee, then the payment processor's charges on top. Here's each layer, straight from Buy Me a Coffee's own help centre and terms, so you know what a supporter's coffee is worth by the time it reaches you.

The Buy Me a Coffee platform fee

Buy Me a Coffee doesn't charge a monthly subscription. Its help centre says it only applies a 5% platform fee per transaction, which means creators keep 95% of what they earn before processing costs. Its Terms of Use put it simply: signing up is free, and when a creator receives a payment, Buy Me a Coffee charges 5%.

That flat rate covers the main ways supporters pay you on the platform, from one-off coffees to memberships and shop sales. You don't move up or down a tier as you grow, which makes forecasting easy.

Stripe processing fees on Buy Me a Coffee payments

Every supporter payment on Buy Me a Coffee goes through Stripe, and Stripe charges for every transaction. According to Buy Me a Coffee's help centre:

• Standard processing: 2.9% + 30 cents per successful transaction.
• Payout processing: 0.5%, which Buy Me a Coffee says helps cover the payout charge Stripe imposes.
• International payments: an extra 1% for transactions from outside the US.
• Subscriptions: an extra 0.5% for subscription payments.

The Terms add that payment partners' processing fees can vary by location, currency and payment method, and that payout fees, minimums and currency conversion charges may apply. So treat those percentages as the standard case, and check your own dashboard for the exact charges on each payment.

What a supporter's coffee is worth after Buy Me a Coffee fees

Here's the order of things on a single one-off payment from a US supporter. Buy Me a Coffee's 5% comes off, Stripe's 2.9% + 30 cents comes off, and the 0.5% payout processing fee applies too. Add 1% if the supporter is outside the US, and 0.5% if it's a recurring membership.

That fixed 30 cents is worth thinking about if you set a low price per coffee. On a small payment, it's a much bigger slice than on a larger one. Many creators set the coffee price a little higher, or encourage supporters to buy several at once, so fewer payments carry that fixed charge.

Buy Me a Coffee's help centre doesn't give a worked example of the combined total, and I'd rather not invent one. The cleanest way to see your own number is to look at a real transaction in your Stripe dashboard, which shows what was charged and what landed.

Buy Me a Coffee payouts and the first review

You can request a payout once your outstanding balance reaches 10 US dollars or more, according to the help centre. The very first time you do, your account goes into a review queue automatically. Buy Me a Coffee says this is a one-time process, and that your first payout may take up to a total of 7 - 14 days.

After that, the money moves to Stripe and then on to your bank. The help centre says it can take 3-5 business days to show up in your account once it reaches Stripe, though timing varies a little with the payout method you choose.

Small print worth knowing on Buy Me a Coffee

• Age. The Terms say you must be at least 18, or old enough to form a binding contract where you live.
• Refunds. Fees already charged by Buy Me a Coffee or its payment partners aren't returned on a refund or chargeback, so a refunded coffee can cost you the fees.
• Fee changes. For any increase, the Terms promise at least 30 days' notice by email or in your dashboard.
• Tax. Supporter income is usually taxable. An accountant can tell you how to report it where you live.

Is Buy Me a Coffee a good fit for your audience?

For creators who want something light, the appeal is obvious: no monthly bill and one simple percentage. It suits writers, podcasters, artists and anyone whose audience likes to say thank you with a small payment.

If you're planning a full membership business with lots of tiers and perks, it's worth comparing fee stacks. My breakdown of what Patreon takes from each membership shows how a platform with a higher headline fee lines up. And if your supporters would happily buy something rather than just tip, my guide to creating digital products that keep selling can give you ideas for your Buy Me a Coffee shop.

What	How it works	Source checked
Monthly fee	None	Buy Me a Coffee help centre
Platform fee	5% per transaction	Buy Me a Coffee help centre and Terms
Stripe processing	2.9% + 30 cents per successful transaction	Buy Me a Coffee help centre
Payout processing	0.5%	Buy Me a Coffee help centre
International and subscriptions	+1% outside the US, +0.5% on subscriptions	Buy Me a Coffee help centre
Payout minimum	10 US dollars or more	Buy Me a Coffee help centre

Buy Me a Coffee fees checklist

• Set a coffee price that isn't swallowed by the fixed 30 cents.
• Expect your first payout to take longer while it's reviewed.
• Check Stripe for the exact fees on each transaction.
• Remember refunded payments don't give the fees back.
• Keep a record of supporter income for your tax return.

Frequently asked questions

What percentage does Buy Me a Coffee take?

Buy Me a Coffee takes a 5% platform fee per transaction, so creators keep 95% before payment processing. There's no monthly fee.

Does Buy Me a Coffee charge Stripe fees?

Yes. The help centre says Stripe charges 2.9% + 30 cents per successful transaction and 0.5% for payout processing, plus 1% for international payments and 0.5% for subscriptions.

What is the minimum payout on Buy Me a Coffee?

You can request a payout once your outstanding balance reaches 10 US dollars or more, according to Buy Me a Coffee's help centre.

How long does the first Buy Me a Coffee payout take?

Your first payout goes through a one-time review and may take up to a total of 7 - 14 days. After that, bank arrival from Stripe can take 3-5 business days.

Do I get fees back if a supporter is refunded?

No. Buy Me a Coffee's Terms say fees already charged by it or its payment partners aren't returned on a refund or chargeback.