Hey everyone! Stripe Team here. We've noticed this question “Standard vs. Express vs. Custom” resurfaces quite a bit, and given how much has changed since the original post back in 2022, we wanted to share some current information. The original thread is still directionally right but wanted to share a few things we have changed before you make a decision.

The Core Tradeoffs (still accurate)

Standard:
  - Connected accounts have a direct relationship with Stripe (not your platform).
  - Stripe handles compliance, KYC, fraud, and disputes for those accounts.
  - You use "direct charges", the connected account is the merchant of record.
  - You cannot split the payment at charge-time or collect a platform fee on
Standard accounts in the same way Express/Custom allow.
  - Lower operational burden on your platform, but less control.

Express / Custom:
  - Your platform controls more of the funds flow using destination charges
or separate charges + transfers.
  - You can collect an application_fee_amount on each transaction.
  - The platform bears more dispute/fraud liability depending on the charge type.
  - Express gives Stripe-hosted onboarding/dashboard; Custom gives you full UI
control but full compliance/KYC responsibility.

The comment about needing ~$1M+/year in volume to negotiate IC+ (cost-plus) 
pricing is a real ballpark figure for Stripe historically, though that threshold isn't officially published. Reach out to Stripe sales directly for an actual quote.

What's changed since 2022

1. ACCOUNTS V2 (General Availability: December 2025)

This is the most significant change. Stripe has released Accounts v2 as generally available, which replaces the rigid Standard / Express / Custom "type" model with a flexible, configuration-based approach.

Instead of picking a fixed account type at creation, you now configure roles on an Account object:

• merchant  → can accept payments
• customer  → can be used like a v1 Customer object (eliminates duplicate KYC)
• recipient → can receive payouts
• storer    → can hold a Stripe balance

A single account can have multiple configurations. This is a meaningful architectural shift -- you no longer have to create a separate Customer and Account object for the same person, which was a major pain point with v1.

Docs: https://docs.stripe.com/connect/accounts-v2

2. PRICING

The $2/active connected account/month for Express was a real concern in 2022. Connect fees have evolved so verify current pricing at: https://stripe.com/pricing/connect

Do not rely on figures from old Reddit threads for pricing decisions.

3. ONBOARDING

Account Links v2 (July 2025) now supports collection_options and configuration-based onboarding, giving you more control without going full Custom. This blurs the line between what was previously Express vs Custom.

Practical Guidance

IF you're starting a new integration today:

• Read the Accounts v2 docs before defaulting to the old type-based model.
• If you just need simple marketplace payouts with minimal overhead, a merchant-configured v2 Account + destination charges may be the right path.
• If you need maximum control over the UX and onboarding, v2 Custom-equivalent configurations exist.

IF you have an existing Standard integration:

• The OAuth-based Standard flow still works and is still supported.
• V2 migration is not required but is worth evaluating for new builds.

NOTE: OAuth-connected accounts (Standard) and accounts using recipient service 
agreements currently still require v1 flows. v2 is not a universal drop-in replacement yet for every use case.

Relevant docs:

Connect account types (v1 overview): https://docs.stripe.com/connect/accounts

Accounts v2 overview: https://docs.stripe.com/connect/accounts-v2

Migrate existing integrations to Accounts v2: https://docs.stripe.com/connect/accounts-v2/migrate-integration

Connect pricing: https://stripe.com/connect/pricing

Choosing a charge type (direct vs destination vs separate): https://docs.stripe.com/connect/charges

We published our roadmap today at Sessions. Now we want to hear from the people we're building it for: you!

Here's what we're building and where we're headed, but want to hear from you. What are you most excited about? What should we build next? What questions do you have about what's coming?

https://stripe.com/roadmap

Our product team will be here to answer any questions you have starting now until 4:30 ET / 1:30 PT. We'll prioritize the most upvoted questions, so vote up what you most want answered.

Ask us anything. Go.