Stripe vs. Cash vs. Check: Which Should Tradespeople Accept?

Cards cost a small fee but get you paid in 2 days. Checks are free but bounce and take weeks. Here's the honest breakdown for your business.

Every payment method has a real cost — even the "free" ones. Here's the honest breakdown for handymen, plumbers, and electricians deciding what to accept.

Cash

Pros: No fees, immediate, simple. Cons: Hard to prove for taxes, easy to lose track of.

Check

Pros: No processing fees. Cons: They bounce. They get "lost in the mail." They take 5–10 days to clear.

Cards via Stripe

Pros: Paid in 1–2 business days. No bouncing. Auto-recorded for taxes. Cons: Stripe takes 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.

The math nobody does

On a $500 invoice, Stripe costs you about $14.80. That's real money. But if accepting cards means you get paid this week instead of in three weeks, that's the cheapest financing you'll ever get.