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Stripe vs GoCardless: Which Prioritizes Payment Security?

Explore how US-based Stripe and UK-based GoCardless handle your data privacy. Discover which fintech solution better safeguards your transactions.

Last updated: February 1, 2026Reviewed by Built in EU Team

Should You Switch to GoCardless?

What You Gain

Enhanced privacy protection and full GDPR compliance.

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Loss of advanced features like fraud detection and APIs.

Stripe has more features
Bottom Line

Switch if privacy is a priority; stay with Stripe for more features.

At a Glance

Data Location
🇺🇸US

US data laws

🌍GB

GDPR protected

Pricing

Stripe

freemium

GoCardless

freemium

Migration
Medium difficulty~2-4 hours

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriaStripeGoCardless
Server Location
US (AWS), EU (optional)EU
GDPR Compliance
Partial (SCCs)Full
Open Source
E2E Encryption
OptionalOptional
Data Portability
PartialPartial

CLOUD Act Notice

Stripe is a US company and must comply with CLOUD Act data requests, even for data stored in EU data centers. GoCardless is not subject to US jurisdiction.

Switching from
Stripe logo

Stripe

🇺🇸

Stripe Inc.

VS
Switching to
GoCardless logo

GoCardless

🌍

GoCardless Ltd

US Data Storage

Data subject to US CLOUD Act and may be accessed by US authorities

EU Data Protection

Data protected under GDPR with EU-only data residency

Certifications & Compliance

No certifications listed

GDPR Compliant
EU-Based
ISO 27001

Reasons to Switch

  • GoCardless offers lower transaction fees for direct debits, averaging 1% + £0.20.
  • Direct debit payments with GoCardless have a 98% success rate on first attempt.
  • GoCardless is fully GDPR compliant, ensuring data protection for EU customers.
  • Open banking integration allows for faster payments and better cash flow management.

Things to Consider

  • !Migrating from Stripe may require significant developer resources and time.
  • !GoCardless lacks advanced fraud detection features available in Stripe.
  • !Limited support for credit card payments compared to Stripe's offerings.
Migration difficulty:
Medium
~2-4 hours

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Medium
Time Estimate
~2-4 hours

Depends on data size and complexity

Quick Steps

1

Create GoCardless account and configure settings

2

Export and prepare data from Stripe

3

Import data, test integrations, and migrate users

Note: GoCardless is ideal for businesses focused on recurring payments, offering a straightforward migration path.

Other alternatives to Stripe

Ready to make the switch?

Start using GoCardless today and take control of your data privacy.