International card
+0.0%0% + $0
$100 → $100.00
Card issued outside your country, payout in your local currency.
What Is Lago, and Who Is It For?
Lago is an open-source billing API that competes with Stripe Billing and Chargebee, not a direct payment processor. It handles subscription logic, metering, and invoicing but still requires a payment processor underneath (Stripe, Mollie, etc.). For WordPress users, this is an architectural layer, not a payment processor replacement.
Best for
Developers who need an open-source Stripe Billing alternative.
Used by
SaaS billing Usage-based pricing Developer tooling
Highlights
- Open-source
- Stripe Billing alternative
- Usage-based billing
Lago at a Glance
- Pricing model
- Pay-as-you-go gateway
- Domestic fee
- 0% + $0
- International card fee
- 0% + $0
- Currency conversion
- Included
- Monthly cost
- Free — no monthly fee
- Tax handling
- You handle (or buy add-on)
- Chargebacks
- You handle, $15 dispute fee
Lago Fee Calculator: What Does a Sale Actually Cost?
This Lago fee calculator shows where a sale ends up — drag the slider or type your own amount to see it in real time. Prices are list rates; large merchants can negotiate.
Lago Fee Calculator: Any Sale, Broken Down
Live scenario
US card · USD payoutYou receive
$100.00
$1 Drag or type your amount $1,000+
You keep · 100.0% Lago fee · 0.0%
Fee breakdown
- Card processing 0% × $100
- −$0.00
- Fixed fee per transaction
- −$0.00
- Total fee
- −$0.00
- You receive
- +$100.00
Currency conversion
+0%+0%
$100 → $100.00
Stacked on international when you charge and pay out in different currencies.
Refund · chargeback
Worst case−$18.20
$100 lost + $15 fee
Lost dispute: you forfeit the $100, the $3.20 processing fee, and a $15 dispute fee.
The fine print headline rates don't show
- Sales tax / VAT — your responsibility, or +0.5% via Stripe Tax.
- Chargebacks — $15 per dispute, original fee not refunded.
- Refunds — the processing fee is not returned to the merchant.
- Marketplaces — Stripe Connect adds 0.25% + $2 per active connected account, monthly.
What we like
- Open-source and self-hostable — no vendor lock-in
- Stripe-compatible API — easy migration from Stripe Billing
- Usage-based billing and metering built in
- Transparent pricing — you pay the payment processor's fees directly
- Strong EU data privacy compliance (GDPR)
Where it falls short
- Open-source billing layer, not a payment processor — you still need Stripe/Mollie/etc.
- Requires developer resources to self-host
- No native WordPress plugin
- You manage tax compliance through your chosen payment processor
- Not a turnkey solution
How Does Lago Work with WordPress?
No official WordPress plugin
Lago does not have an official WordPress, WooCommerce, or EDD plugin. Integration requires custom development.
If tax + chargebacks worry you
Consider Paddle as a Merchant-of-Record Alternative
Paddle handles VAT, sales tax, and chargebacks globally — and connects to WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads through WP Smart Pay's official integrations.
