Isn't WorkPaid just Stripe with a markup?

WorkPaid does run on Stripe, and pays Stripe the same processing fee you would. The 2.5% buys what Stripe Invoicing doesn't do: a quote the customer accepts by name, the deposit before you start, stages and extras, reminders by email and WhatsApp, the invoice raised when they pay, your expenses and profit, and a dispute response with your photos attached. If you don't need any of that, Stripe Invoicing is the cheaper tool.

Which is cheaper, Stripe Invoicing or WorkPaid?

Stripe Invoicing, on most jobs. It charges 0.4% an invoice (0.5% with quotes) and WorkPaid charges 2.5%, with the same card processing on top of both. On a £1,000 job paid by UK card that is about £19 against about £40. WorkPaid's fee is capped at £500 a quote, and you can pass it to the customer; Stripe's UK page states no cap.

Can my customer pay by bank transfer with either?

With WorkPaid, yes: Pay by Bank (open banking) from the same link, at 0.5% + 20p capped at £5, with no chargeback possible. Stripe Invoicing's UK pricing page lists Bacs Direct Debit at 1% capped at £4 and doesn't mention Pay by Bank.

Compared

Stripe Invoicing alternative for trades: where each one wins

Stripe Invoicing lets any business send an invoice with a pay link, straight from a Stripe account. WorkPaid runs on Stripe too, underneath a flow built for a trade's job: the quote, the deposit, the stages, the invoice. The honest question is what the extra fee buys you.

What each one is, and what it costs

Stripe Invoicing has no monthly fee. Starter costs 0.4% of each paid invoice; Plus costs 0.5% and adds quotes. On top of that, Stripe's UK card processing applies: 1.5% + 20p on a standard UK card, 2.5% + 20p on a European card, 3.15% + 20p on an international one. Both plans give you a hosted invoice page, automatic email reminders and retries, a customer portal and reporting. Its UK pricing page doesn't mention deposits, part payments or Pay by Bank, and lists Bacs Direct Debit at 1% capped at £4. You set up and run the Stripe account and dashboard yourself.

WorkPaid has no monthly fee either. Sending quotes and invoices is free. When a customer pays, WorkPaid takes 2.5%, capped at £500 a quote, and you can pass that on to the customer. Processing is the same Stripe rate, 1.5% + 20p on a UK card, or 0.5% + 20p (capped at £5) when the customer pays by bank. Your Stripe account is created for you from inside WorkPaid, and you never need the Stripe dashboard.

Stripe Invoicing's details were read from stripe.com/gb/invoicing/pricing on 25 October 2026. Prices and plans change. If something here is out of date, email support@workpaid.uk and we'll fix it. Stripe Invoicing is its owner's trade mark; WorkPaid isn't connected to them.

Side by side

How Stripe Invoicing and WorkPaid compare for a UK trade.
What matters	Stripe Invoicing	WorkPaid This is us
Monthly fee	None	None
Fee when you're paid card processing is on top with both, at the same Stripe rate	0.4% an invoice (0.5% with quotes)	2.5%, capped at £500 a quote
On a £1,000 job paid by UK card	£4 + £15.20 processing	£25 + £15.20 processing
Deposit before you start	Not mentioned on their pricing page	Yes
The customer accepts the price by typing their name dated, kept as evidence	No	Yes
Stage payments and mid-job extras	Not mentioned on their pricing page	Yes
Pay by Bank, with no chargebacks	Bacs Direct Debit listed; Pay by Bank not mentioned	Yes
Reminders	Automatic emails	Emails, plus one-tap WhatsApp from your phone
Chargeback evidence with your job photos	You respond in the Stripe dashboard	From the job, photos attached
VAT invoice raised when they pay	You raise the invoice	Yes
Expenses, mileage, profit, VAT threshold	No	Yes
Public profile with reviews	No	Yes
Recurring invoices	Yes	No
Runs the Stripe account for you	No	Yes

"Not stated on their site" means we couldn't find it on the pages we checked, not that it doesn't exist. Scroll sideways on a phone to see both columns.

Where each one is the better pick

Choose Stripe Invoicing when

You just need invoices, you're happy in a dashboard, and you want the lowest fee. On a £1,000 job paid by card, Stripe Invoicing costs about £19 all in and WorkPaid about £40. That gap is real.
You bill the same customers every month. Stripe does recurring invoices and a customer portal; WorkPaid is built for one job at a time.
You aren't a trade. Stripe Invoicing is for any business; WorkPaid is for people who quote a job, take a deposit and finish the work.

Choose WorkPaid when

You want a deposit before you start, from the same link the customer accepts the quote on. That's the whole shape of WorkPaid; Stripe Invoicing is an invoice after the fact.
Big jobs in stages, with extras added mid-job and rolled into the final bill, each with its own pay-by date and reminders.
A dispute. The customer's typed acceptance, the date, and your job photos go to Stripe from inside WorkPaid. On Stripe alone, you gather and upload that yourself.
The fee is capped. On a £30,000 job, WorkPaid's fee stops at £500. Stripe Invoicing's UK page states no cap on its 0.4%.
No dashboard to learn, no account to configure, and a pay page a homeowner who has never heard of either of us will trust.

Questions trades ask

Isn't WorkPaid just Stripe with a markup?: WorkPaid does run on Stripe, and pays Stripe the same processing fee you would. The 2.5% buys what Stripe Invoicing doesn't do: a quote the customer accepts by name, the deposit before you start, stages and extras, reminders by email and WhatsApp, the invoice raised when they pay, your expenses and profit, and a dispute response with your photos attached. If you don't need any of that, Stripe Invoicing is the cheaper tool.
Which is cheaper, Stripe Invoicing or WorkPaid?: Stripe Invoicing, on most jobs. It charges 0.4% an invoice (0.5% with quotes) and WorkPaid charges 2.5%, with the same card processing on top of both. On a £1,000 job paid by UK card that is about £19 against about £40. WorkPaid's fee is capped at £500 a quote, and you can pass it to the customer; Stripe's UK page states no cap.
Can my customer pay by bank transfer with either?: With WorkPaid, yes: Pay by Bank (open banking) from the same link, at 0.5% + 20p capped at £5, with no chargeback possible. Stripe Invoicing's UK pricing page lists Bacs Direct Debit at 1% capped at £4 and doesn't mention Pay by Bank.

More comparisons

Deposit before you start. Final payment without chasing.

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