Razorpay vs Stripe for Indian D2C brands

If you are launching an Indian D2C brand in 2026, the payments question is unavoidable: Razorpay or Stripe? After integrating both into dozens of stores, here is the honest comparison.

Razorpay overview — Indian-first, UPI, COD

Razorpay is built for India. UPI works out of the box, payout settlement is T+2 with the option of instant settlement, KYC is straightforward, and it natively supports COD reconciliation, RuPay cards, EMI on Indian banks, and wallets like PhonePe and Paytm.

Stripe overview — global-first, international cards

Stripe is the gold standard for international payments. Its API is unmatched, it handles 135+ currencies, Apple Pay and Google Pay are first-class, and it integrates with every SaaS tool you can name. In India, Stripe supports cards (domestic + international) but does not support UPI or COD.

Fee comparison

Razorpay: 2% on domestic cards, UPI and net-banking; 3% on international cards. Stripe in India: 2.9% + ₹3 on domestic; 4.3% + ₹3 on international. For an India-only audience, Razorpay is meaningfully cheaper.

COD support — only Razorpay

Cash on Delivery still accounts for 40–60% of Indian D2C orders outside metros. Razorpay supports COD natively with order tracking and reconciliation. Stripe does not, so if you need COD, your decision is essentially made.

International payments — Stripe wins

Selling to NRIs, the US, UK or UAE? Stripe is dramatically smoother. Multi-currency display, automatic conversion, 3DS, and a checkout that doesn't feel foreign to global buyers.

Which to pick

India-only audience: Razorpay. Global audience or SaaS billing: Stripe. Both: integrate both — show Razorpay to .in traffic and Stripe to everyone else. MAKEiNDIA TECH sets this up for clients regularly.

Need help wiring this into your store? We integrate both gateways with smart routing, COD, abandoned-cart recovery and GST invoicing in under 5 days — see e-commerce development, or SaaS platforms if you need subscription billing.