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Stripe vs Rain
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Onboards businesses in United States
Stripe
AvailableRain
LimitedAccept payments
Stripe
Cards, wallets and 100+ local payment methods. You can sell to customers in almost every country.Rain
Not offeredPay people abroad
Stripe
Connect pays out to sellers and contractors, and Global Payouts sends money to recipients in many countries.Multi-currency account
Stripe
Hold and settle balances in multiple currencies. Financial accounts with routing numbers are offered to US businesses.Rain
Not offeredBusiness cards
Stripe
Issue physical and virtual cards for your business or your users.Rain
Virtual and physical cards funded from stablecoin balances, for consumers or businesses, with issuing, processing and program management under one contract.Stablecoins
Stripe
US businesses can accept stablecoin payments that settle as dollars. Stablecoin financial accounts (via Bridge) are offered in 100+ countries.Rain
Cards settle in USDC, and users can spend from custodial or self-custodial wallets on major chains.Yield on idle cash
Stripe
Stripe Treasury gives US businesses 1% a year in credits on balances above $2,000, applied to Stripe fees. Stripe says it pays no cash interest on balances.Rain
Not offeredYield on idle cash
A return on money you are not using. How safe it is depends on where the return comes from, not on how high the rate is.
Where the return comes from
Stripe
Low risk, not insuredCredits against feesRain
No yield offeredIs the money protected?
Stripe
Your balance is not invested. The return is paid as credits toward the provider’s own fees, not as cash.Rain
–Does the rate change?
Stripe
Set by the provider, and only worth as much as the fees you pay.Last seen: 1% a year, as fee creditsRain
–Platform & marketplace
Run payments for other businesses: sign them up, take a cut, pay them out.
Sub-accounts for your users
Stripe
YesConnect creates and verifies accounts through hosted onboarding, embedded components or the API. Accounts v2 lets one account be a merchant, customer and payout recipient at once.Rain
PartlyCreate cardholders and their card accounts through the API; not general-purpose sub-accounts.Split payments and platform fees
Stripe
YesDestination charges, separate charges and transfers, and application fees.Rain
NoNot a payment processor.Embeddable UI
Stripe
YesConnect embedded components for onboarding, payments, payouts and account management.Rain
Not confirmedNot confirmed.Pay out to your users
Stripe
YesPayouts to connected accounts, including instant payouts in some markets. Global Payouts sends fiat to 100+ markets and stablecoins to 160.Announced, not yet live: EU marketplaces paying sellers in 100+ countries with stablecoinsEmbedded finance for your users
Give your users financial products under your brand.
Accounts that hold money
Stripe
PartlyFinancial accounts for platforms (formerly Treasury) give US business users routing numbers and FDIC pass-through eligibility. US only.Announced, not yet live: Financial accounts for platforms’ users in the eurozoneRain
PartlyCard balances funded from each user’s stablecoin wallet.Cards for your users
Stripe
YesIssuing for connected accounts: virtual and physical cards via the API. Cardholders can be individuals or companies.Announced, not yet live: Stablecoin-backed cards in 100 countriesRain
YesVirtual and physical Visa cards funded from stablecoin balances. Rain is a principal network member, so no sponsor bank is needed.Announced, not yet live: Credit card programs in Asia-PacificFinancing for your users
Stripe
YesCapital for platforms offers financing to connected accounts in selected markets.Rain
PartlyCredit as well as prepaid card programs.Consumer apps
Build for individuals, not just businesses, the way Bridge allows.
End users can be individuals
Stripe
PartlyStripe’s own account products are built for businesses. Consumer apps (wallets, stablecoin cards) go through its subsidiary Bridge.Rain
YesConsumer programs are a core use case, for example Western Union’s Stablecard.Consumer wallets or accounts
Stripe
PartlyThrough Bridge custodial wallets, not Stripe accounts.Rain
PartlyCards connect to custodial or self-custodial wallets rather than Rain holding accounts.Consumer cards
Stripe
PartlyStablecoin-linked consumer cards through Bridge and Stripe Issuing, rolling out by country (65+ countries, targeting 100 by end of 2026).Announced, not yet live: Stablecoin-backed cards in 100 countriesRain
YesConsumer stablecoin cards, live with partners such as Western Union.Announced, not yet live: Credit card programs in Asia-PacificStablecoins
Dollar-backed tokens as a payment and treasury rail.
Accept stablecoins
Stripe
YesStablecoin payments at checkout, settled to the business in fiat.Rain
NoCard issuing only.Hold stablecoin balances
Stripe
YesStablecoin financial accounts in 101 countries: USDC balances with USD (ACH, wire) and EUR (SEPA) rails.Announced, not yet live: Stablecoin financial accounts in 50 more countriesAnnounced, not yet live: Move stablecoin balances to and from local bank accountsRain
PartlyThrough custodial wallet integrations.Pay out in stablecoins
Stripe
YesInstant stablecoin payouts to recipients in 160 markets through Global Payouts.Announced, not yet live: EU marketplaces paying sellers in 100+ countries with stablecoinsIssue your own stablecoin
Stripe
YesThrough Bridge Open Issuance.Rain
NoNo stablecoin product found in public materials.Regulatory risk in United States
Stripe
Low riskRain
Low riskAI agents
Build with AI tools, and let AI agents shop and pay.
Official MCP server
Stripe
YesHosted MCP server at mcp.stripe.com with OAuth, plus an agent toolkit for the major agent frameworks.Rain
Not confirmedNone found.Checkout for AI agents
Stripe
YesCo-developed the Agentic Commerce Protocol with OpenAI, which powers Instant Checkout in ChatGPT. Shared payment tokens let an agent pay a seller without seeing card numbers.Rain
NoDoes not process checkout payments, so there is nothing for an agent to check out with.Cards for AI agents
Stripe
YesIssuing can create single-use virtual cards for agents buying online.Rain
YesScoped, often single-use cards funded from stablecoin balances, with merchant limits, spend caps and approvals set in its Agent Control Layer (beta for enterprise developers).Working with them
How easy it is to get started.
Self-serve signup
Stripe
YesSign up online and go live without sales in supported countries.Rain
NoPrograms are set up with Rain’s team.Published pricing
Stripe
YesStandard rates are on the pricing page; volume discounts are negotiated.Rain
NoPricing is not published.Public API and sandbox
Stripe
YesPublic API, test mode and sandboxes.Rain
YesSingle API for issuing and managing cards.Coming soon
Announced but not launched. These are plans, not products you can sign up for today: timing often slips, and some never ship.
Announced, not yet live
Stripe
Rain
In short
Countries onboarded
Stripe
42 of 170Rain
0 of 170Designed for
Stripe
Online businesses that want one integration for checkout, subscriptions and marketplaces.Rain
Apps that want branded cards people can spend stablecoins with, without arranging a sponsor bank.Limitations
Stripe
Your business must be registered in a country on Stripe’s supported list. Most of Africa and South Asia are not on it.Rain
Card issuing only: pair it with another provider for pay-ins, accounts and payouts.| Stripe Payment processor | Rain Card issuing | |
|---|---|---|
| Onboards businesses in United States | Available | Limited |
| Accept payments | Cards, wallets and 100+ local payment methods. You can sell to customers in almost every country. | Not offered |
| Pay people abroad | Connect pays out to sellers and contractors, and Global Payouts sends money to recipients in many countries. | Not offeredAnnounced, not yet live: Payouts from stablecoin balances |
| Multi-currency account | Hold and settle balances in multiple currencies. Financial accounts with routing numbers are offered to US businesses. | Not offered |
| Business cards | Issue physical and virtual cards for your business or your users. | Virtual and physical cards funded from stablecoin balances, for consumers or businesses, with issuing, processing and program management under one contract. |
| Stablecoins | US businesses can accept stablecoin payments that settle as dollars. Stablecoin financial accounts (via Bridge) are offered in 100+ countries. | Cards settle in USDC, and users can spend from custodial or self-custodial wallets on major chains. |
| Yield on idle cash | Stripe Treasury gives US businesses 1% a year in credits on balances above $2,000, applied to Stripe fees. Stripe says it pays no cash interest on balances. | Not offered |
| Yield on idle cashA return on money you are not using. How safe it is depends on where the return comes from, not on how high the rate is. | ||
| Where the return comes from | Low risk, not insuredCredits against fees | No yield offered |
| Is the money protected? | Your balance is not invested. The return is paid as credits toward the provider’s own fees, not as cash. | – |
| Does the rate change? | Set by the provider, and only worth as much as the fees you pay.Last seen: 1% a year, as fee credits | – |
| Platform & marketplaceRun payments for other businesses: sign them up, take a cut, pay them out. | ||
| Sub-accounts for your users | YesConnect creates and verifies accounts through hosted onboarding, embedded components or the API. Accounts v2 lets one account be a merchant, customer and payout recipient at once. | PartlyCreate cardholders and their card accounts through the API; not general-purpose sub-accounts. |
| Split payments and platform fees | YesDestination charges, separate charges and transfers, and application fees. | NoNot a payment processor. |
| Embeddable UI | YesConnect embedded components for onboarding, payments, payouts and account management. | Not confirmedNot confirmed. |
| Pay out to your users | YesPayouts to connected accounts, including instant payouts in some markets. Global Payouts sends fiat to 100+ markets and stablecoins to 160.Announced, not yet live: EU marketplaces paying sellers in 100+ countries with stablecoins | Not confirmedNot confirmed.Announced, not yet live: Payouts from stablecoin balances |
| Embedded finance for your usersGive your users financial products under your brand. | ||
| Accounts that hold money | PartlyFinancial accounts for platforms (formerly Treasury) give US business users routing numbers and FDIC pass-through eligibility. US only.Announced, not yet live: Financial accounts for platforms’ users in the eurozone | PartlyCard balances funded from each user’s stablecoin wallet. |
| Cards for your users | YesIssuing for connected accounts: virtual and physical cards via the API. Cardholders can be individuals or companies.Announced, not yet live: Stablecoin-backed cards in 100 countries | YesVirtual and physical Visa cards funded from stablecoin balances. Rain is a principal network member, so no sponsor bank is needed.Announced, not yet live: Credit card programs in Asia-Pacific |
| Financing for your users | YesCapital for platforms offers financing to connected accounts in selected markets. | PartlyCredit as well as prepaid card programs. |
| Consumer appsBuild for individuals, not just businesses, the way Bridge allows. | ||
| End users can be individuals | PartlyStripe’s own account products are built for businesses. Consumer apps (wallets, stablecoin cards) go through its subsidiary Bridge. | YesConsumer programs are a core use case, for example Western Union’s Stablecard. |
| Consumer wallets or accounts | PartlyThrough Bridge custodial wallets, not Stripe accounts. | PartlyCards connect to custodial or self-custodial wallets rather than Rain holding accounts. |
| Consumer cards | PartlyStablecoin-linked consumer cards through Bridge and Stripe Issuing, rolling out by country (65+ countries, targeting 100 by end of 2026).Announced, not yet live: Stablecoin-backed cards in 100 countries | YesConsumer stablecoin cards, live with partners such as Western Union.Announced, not yet live: Credit card programs in Asia-Pacific |
| StablecoinsDollar-backed tokens as a payment and treasury rail. | ||
| Accept stablecoins | YesStablecoin payments at checkout, settled to the business in fiat. | NoCard issuing only. |
| Hold stablecoin balances | YesStablecoin financial accounts in 101 countries: USDC balances with USD (ACH, wire) and EUR (SEPA) rails.Announced, not yet live: Stablecoin financial accounts in 50 more countriesAnnounced, not yet live: Move stablecoin balances to and from local bank accounts | PartlyThrough custodial wallet integrations. |
| Pay out in stablecoins | YesInstant stablecoin payouts to recipients in 160 markets through Global Payouts.Announced, not yet live: EU marketplaces paying sellers in 100+ countries with stablecoins | Not confirmedNot confirmed.Announced, not yet live: Payouts from stablecoin balances |
| Issue your own stablecoin | YesThrough Bridge Open Issuance. | NoNo stablecoin product found in public materials. |
| Regulatory risk in United States | Low risk | Low risk |
| AI agentsBuild with AI tools, and let AI agents shop and pay. | ||
| Official MCP server | YesHosted MCP server at mcp.stripe.com with OAuth, plus an agent toolkit for the major agent frameworks. | Not confirmedNone found. |
| Checkout for AI agents | YesCo-developed the Agentic Commerce Protocol with OpenAI, which powers Instant Checkout in ChatGPT. Shared payment tokens let an agent pay a seller without seeing card numbers. | NoDoes not process checkout payments, so there is nothing for an agent to check out with. |
| Cards for AI agents | YesIssuing can create single-use virtual cards for agents buying online. | YesScoped, often single-use cards funded from stablecoin balances, with merchant limits, spend caps and approvals set in its Agent Control Layer (beta for enterprise developers). |
| Working with themHow easy it is to get started. | ||
| Self-serve signup | YesSign up online and go live without sales in supported countries. | NoPrograms are set up with Rain’s team. |
| Published pricing | YesStandard rates are on the pricing page; volume discounts are negotiated. | NoPricing is not published. |
| Public API and sandbox | YesPublic API, test mode and sandboxes. | YesSingle API for issuing and managing cards. |
| Coming soonAnnounced but not launched. These are plans, not products you can sign up for today: timing often slips, and some never ship. | ||
| Announced, not yet live | Preview or betaStablecoin-backed cards in 100 countriesExpected by the end of 2026 AnnouncedStablecoin financial accounts in 50 more countriesExpected Q4 2026 Preview or betaMove stablecoin balances to and from local bank accountsExpected Q4 2026 3 more and details → | Preview or betaPayouts from stablecoin balancesExpected by the end of 2026 AnnouncedLater than expectedCredit card programs in Asia-PacificExpected Q2 2026, not launched yet Details and sources → |
| In short | ||
| Countries onboarded | 42 of 170 | 0 of 170 |
| Designed for | Online businesses that want one integration for checkout, subscriptions and marketplaces. | Apps that want branded cards people can spend stablecoins with, without arranging a sponsor bank. |
| Limitations | Your business must be registered in a country on Stripe’s supported list. Most of Africa and South Asia are not on it. | Card issuing only: pair it with another provider for pay-ins, accounts and payouts. |
Common questions
Is Stripe or Rain available in more countries?
Rain. Of the 170 countries we track, Stripe onboards businesses in 42 (and 1 more with limits) and Rain in 0 (and 65 more with limits). Both serve businesses in 43. Only Rain: Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Iceland, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and 10 more.
What do Stripe and Rain offer?
Accept payments: Stripe yes, Rain no. Pay people abroad: Stripe yes, Rain no. Multi-currency account: Stripe yes, Rain no. Business cards: Stripe yes, Rain yes. Stablecoins: Stripe yes, Rain yes. Yield on idle cash: Stripe yes, Rain no.
How do Stripe and Rain differ for platforms and embedded finance?
Sub-accounts for your users: Stripe yes, Rain partly. Split payments and platform fees: Stripe yes, Rain no. Embeddable UI: Stripe yes, Rain not confirmed. Pay out to your users: Stripe yes, Rain not confirmed. Financing for your users: Stripe yes, Rain partly. End users can be individuals: Stripe partly, Rain yes. Consumer cards: Stripe partly, Rain yes. Accept stablecoins: Stripe yes, Rain no. Hold stablecoin balances: Stripe yes, Rain partly. Pay out in stablecoins: Stripe yes, Rain not confirmed. Issue your own stablecoin: Stripe yes, Rain no. Official MCP server: Stripe yes, Rain not confirmed. Checkout for AI agents: Stripe yes, Rain no.
Who is Stripe designed for?
Online businesses that want one integration for checkout, subscriptions and marketplaces. Limitations: Your business must be registered in a country on Stripe’s supported list. Most of Africa and South Asia are not on it.
Who is Rain designed for?
Apps that want branded cards people can spend stablecoins with, without arranging a sponsor bank. Limitations: Card issuing only: pair it with another provider for pay-ins, accounts and payouts.
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