Bookkeeping categories
What category is Stripe in bookkeeping?
A Stripe payout into your bank is usually Sales Revenue. Even Margin categorizes it that way and asks you to confirm it. Money going to Stripe can be a fee, a refund or a purchase, so Even Margin uses your bank's category for it, or asks you when the bank gives none.
What Stripe charges are
Stripe collects card payments from your customers and pays them out to your bank, usually after taking its fees.
How Even Margin categorizes Stripe
Sales Revenue. Payouts categorized, then sent to your review list.
- Even Margin recognizes Stripe on your bank transaction, using the merchant list its team curates.
- A Stripe payout into your bank is categorized as Sales Revenue at medium confidence and goes to your review list to confirm.
- Money going to Stripe takes your bank's category for it. When the bank gives none, it goes to your review list for you to choose.
When a different category fits
Whatever category you pick for a Stripe transaction stays: Even Margin never overwrites a choice you made.
- A refund you send a customer is Sales Returns & Refunds, so your sales still show what you sold.
- A Stripe fee charged on its own, rather than taken from a payout, is Merchant & Payment Processing Fees.
- Stripe Tax, billed as its own charge, is Online Software and tagged Tax & Compliance.
Is money from Stripe on my credit card a sale?
It is a refund of something you bought through Stripe. A card cannot receive a payout, so Even Margin does not count it as one, and your bank's category for it decides.
Why is my Stripe payout less than my sales?
Stripe usually takes its fees before it pays out, so the payout is your sales after fees. Your Stripe dashboard lists each fee.
About this page
Reviewed 2026-10-08 by the Even Margin team.
These are categories for your books; for how a cost is treated on your tax return, ask your accountant. Merchant names are trademarks of their owners, and Even Margin is not affiliated with them.