PayPilot vs Stripe
Subscription & billing feature parity. PayPilot runs on FluidPay.
Last updated 2026-06-03
BuiltPartialNot yetValue 1–5 (business upside)
Confirmedverified via docs/tested APIs or buildable in our layer ·Needs enablingAPI exists, needs an account/feature/key flip ·Open questionneeds research / an answer (see below)
Top opportunities to build next
High business value, not yet fully built — ranked.
FeatureValuePayPilot status
- Split payments / multi-party distributionTom's top ask + the EFS model. FluidPay Split Transaction is 2-way; N-party needs partner setup.Needs enablingNo
- Programmatic sandbox / sub-merchant boardingFluidPay partner API. Needs a partner key from NextNP (David).Needs enablingNo
- Connect-style payouts to providersProductized EFS: board providers, route each charge, pay out.Open questionNo
- Smart retry timing (ML)Rules engine drives retries today; a trained recovery-score model runs in shadow mode and swaps in as real data accumulates.Partial
- Pay in our own UI (card)Wired; needs FluidPay to enable API invoice payment for the merchant.Needs enablingPartial
- ACH / bank debitLower fees for B2B. Needs an ACH processor configured on the merchant.Needs enablingPartial
Open questions (need answers to unblock)
Tracked here as we get answers from NextNP / FluidPay.
- Can a split go to more than two parties (N providers), or only 2-way?David / FluidPay
- Enable the "Split Transaction" feature + a split-tagged processor on my sandbox?David
- Issue a partner API key so we can programmatically board sub-merchants / sandboxes?David
- Enable API invoice payment for my merchant (currently returns "not authorized")?David / FluidPay
- Configure an ACH processor on the merchant for bank-debit invoices?David
- Does FluidPay offer jurisdiction-based automatic tax, or is flat-rate the only option?FluidPay
- Does FluidPay support SCA / 3DS, and can it be enabled?FluidPay
- Schedule A per-transaction pricing (for the Stripe cost comparison)?Tom
- FluidPay technical contact for the QuickBooks PaySync (client ID / redirect URI) issue?Tom / FluidPay
Subscriptions
| Feature | Value | PayPilot | Stripe |
|---|---|---|---|
Create subscription | Yes | Yes | |
Immediate charge at signup | Yes | Yes | |
Free trials | Yes | Yes | |
Proration on upgrade / downgrade | Yes | Yes | |
Proration preview (upcoming invoice) | Yes | Yes | |
Pause & resume | Yes | Yes | |
Cancel immediately | Yes | Yes | |
Cancel at period end + reactivate | Yes | Yes | |
Quantity / per-seat | Yes | Yes | |
Per-seat proration | Yes | Yes | |
Coupons / discounts (%/amount; once/repeating/forever) | Yes | Yes | |
Account credit balance | Yes | Yes | |
Flat tax | Yes | Yes | |
Automatic tax (jurisdiction engine) Stripe Tax. We do flat-rate only. Open question | No | Yes | |
Hosted checkout link (Stripe Checkout) | Yes | Yes | |
Customer portal | Yes | Yes | |
Webhook-driven state sync | Yes | Yes | |
Dunning / failed-payment retries Decline-code-aware retries (payday timing for NSF), 3-email sequence, pause-not-cancel. | Yes | Yes | |
Smart retry timing (ML) Rules engine drives retries today; a trained recovery-score model runs in shadow mode and swaps in as real data accumulates. | Partial | Yes | |
Customer card-update recovery Update card → instant retry + reactivation. Biggest recovery lever. | Yes | Yes | |
Recovery dashboard + recovery score Recovered revenue, recovery rate, per-case score. Stripe surfaces this only on higher tiers. | Yes | Partial | |
Reconciliation queue (stuck charges) Operator queue to retry void/refund or resolve charges that moved but did not apply. | Yes | Partial | |
Multiple items per subscription Confirmed | No | Yes | |
Usage / metered billing Confirmed | No | Yes | |
Billing thresholds Confirmed | No | Yes |
Invoices (accounts receivable)
| Feature | Value | PayPilot | Stripe |
|---|---|---|---|
Create invoice with line items Backed by FluidPay native invoices. | Yes | Yes | |
Tax on invoices | Yes | Yes | |
Hosted invoice page Our clean UI + FluidPay-hosted page. | Yes | Yes | |
Email / text the invoice FluidPay send_via email/text; Stripe email only. | Yes | Partial | |
Visible in gateway dashboard | Yes | Yes | |
Void invoice | Yes | Yes | |
Resend invoice | Yes | Yes | |
Pay in our own UI (card) Wired; needs FluidPay to enable API invoice payment for the merchant. Needs enabling | Partial | Yes | |
Partial payments Allowed on the invoice; collected via the hosted page. | Yes | Yes | |
ACH / bank debit Lower fees for B2B. Needs an ACH processor configured on the merchant. Needs enabling | Partial | Yes | |
Recurring invoices Scheduled re-issue via daily cron (monthly/yearly). | Yes | Yes | |
Invoice PDF Open question | No | Yes | |
Credit notes Open question | No | Yes |
Payments core
| Feature | Value | PayPilot | Stripe |
|---|---|---|---|
Card tokenization (PCI SAQ-A) | Yes | Yes | |
Save card / vaulting | Yes | Yes | |
Stored-credential (MIT) compliance | Yes | Yes | |
Receipts | Yes | Yes | |
Gift cards PayPilot extra. | Yes | No | |
Refunds & voids Smart action: refund if settled, void if not. Operator Payments page. | Yes | Yes | |
SCA / 3DS authentication Open question | No | Yes | |
Apple Pay / Google Pay Open question | No | Yes |
Emails
| Feature | Value | PayPilot | Stripe |
|---|---|---|---|
Subscription confirmation | Yes | Yes | |
Payment receipt | Yes | Yes | |
Payment failed (dunning) | Yes | Yes | |
Upcoming renewal | Yes | Yes | |
Trial ending | Yes | Yes | |
Subscription canceled | Yes | Yes | |
Plan changed | Yes | Yes | |
Card expiring Template ready; needs stored card-expiry data. | Partial | Yes |
Platform / marketplace (highest strategic upside)
| Feature | Value | PayPilot | Stripe |
|---|---|---|---|
Split payments / multi-party distribution Tom's top ask + the EFS model. FluidPay Split Transaction is 2-way; N-party needs partner setup. Needs enabling | No | Yes | |
Programmatic sandbox / sub-merchant boarding FluidPay partner API. Needs a partner key from NextNP (David). Needs enabling | No | Yes | |
Connect-style payouts to providers Productized EFS: board providers, route each charge, pay out. Open question | No | Yes | |
Subscription import / migration Wins legacy clients. CSV import, no double-charge. | Yes | Yes | |
Payment links | Yes | Yes | |
Storefront / products Stripe via Checkout/Payment Links. | Yes | Partial | |
QuickBooks sync Active deal driver. PayPilot has a direct connector. | Yes | Partial | |
Terminal (in-person POS) Open question | No | Yes | |
Radar (fraud) Open question | No | Yes | |
Issuing (card issuing) Open question | No | Yes |
Living document — updated as features ship. PayPilot on FluidPay.