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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, 2026โ€ขReviewed 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
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธUS

US data laws

๐ŸŒ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

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

Stripe Inc.

VS
Switching to
GoCardless logo

GoCardless

๐ŸŒ

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

  • โœ“GoCardless offers lower transaction fees for direct debits, averaging 1% + ยฃ0.20.
  • โœ“Direct debit payments with GoCardless have a 98% success rate on first attempt.
  • โœ“GoCardless is fully GDPR compliant, ensuring data protection for EU customers.
  • โœ“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.