Small Transfers
Effortless usage-based billing for SaaS businesses
What is Small Transfers? Complete Overview
Small Transfers is a revolutionary payment platform designed specifically for SaaS businesses that want to implement usage-based billing. It allows you to charge customers as little as 0.000001 USD per request, eliminating the barriers of traditional subscription models. The platform addresses the growing issue of subscription fatigue, where 28% of users feel overwhelmed by subscriptions and 39% cancel within the first month. Small Transfers offers a pay-as-you-go alternative where occasional users only pay for what they use, while regular users can still opt for subscriptions when it makes financial sense. The platform integrates seamlessly with Stripe, handling all payment processing, customer authentication, and risk management while ensuring PCI DSS compliance. It's particularly valuable for AI services, API providers, and any SaaS business looking to offer micro-transactions or flexible pricing models.
Small Transfers Interface & Screenshots
Small Transfers Official screenshot of the tool interface
What Can Small Transfers Do? Key Features
Micro-Transaction Capability
Small Transfers enables billing as small as 0.000001 USD per request, opening up possibilities for services that were previously impractical to monetize due to transaction cost constraints. This granular pricing allows businesses to align costs precisely with usage, creating fairer pricing models for customers.
Seamless Stripe Integration
The platform works directly with your existing Stripe account, automatically transferring collected funds without any manual intervention. This integration handles all payment processing while maintaining PCI DSS SAQ A compliance, with TLS encryption for all traffic and AES-256 encryption for data at rest.
Automated Risk Management
Small Transfers implements intelligent spending limits that start at $10 per customer and can grow to $30 with successful payments. The system automatically performs Stripe Radar and 3-D Secure checks on all payment methods, significantly reducing your fraud risk and chargeback exposure.
Simplified API Integration
With just a few API calls, you can implement complete usage-based billing without managing products, prices, or subscriptions in Stripe. The platform includes ready-to-use starters for Next.js and AI applications, dramatically reducing development time for new integrations.
Built-in Customer Authentication
The platform handles customer authentication through OAuth during the authorization process, eliminating the need for you to build and maintain your own authentication system. This not only saves development time but also ensures secure access to your services.
Best Small Transfers Use Cases & Applications
AI Image Processing Service
An AI service that enhances image resolution can charge per image processed (e.g., $0.01 per image). Occasional users pay only for what they use, while heavy users might opt for a subscription. Small Transfers handles all micro-payments automatically.
API Usage Metering
API providers can charge per request or data unit consumed. The platform's spending limits prevent abuse while allowing legitimate users flexible access. Authentication is handled automatically through the payment authorization flow.
Pay-per-Use Cloud Services
Cloud services offering compute or storage by the second can implement true usage-based billing. Small Transfers aggregates micro-charges into manageable customer payments while ensuring the provider gets paid promptly.
How to Use Small Transfers: Step-by-Step Guide
Connect your Stripe account to Small Transfers, either by linking an existing account or creating a new one. This connection enables automatic transfers of collected payments to your business.
Implement the authorization flow by directing customers to Small Transfers where they set spending limits and add payment methods. This step also serves as customer authentication for your service.
For each service request, call the Small Transfers API to charge the customer's account. You can specify exact amounts (from 0.000001 USD to 1 USD) or authorize maximum amounts to capture actual costs later.
Small Transfers automatically batches and processes customer payments through Stripe when balances reach predetermined limits or at month-end for small balances, handling all payment retries and notifications.
Receive payments directly to your Stripe account as Small Transfers forwards collected funds immediately after successful customer payments, with no holding periods or manual transfer requirements.
Small Transfers Pros and Cons: Honest Review
Pros
Considerations
Is Small Transfers Worth It? FAQ & Reviews
Yes, you can charge different amounts for each request, which is particularly useful when your costs vary. The API allows you to specify exact amounts from 0.000001 USD to 1 USD per transaction.
The API call will fail, allowing you to inform the customer they need to either wait for their next billing cycle or increase their spending limit through the Small Transfers interface.
The platform automatically retries failed payment methods, notifies customers, and temporarily pauses new charges to their account until payments are successfully collected.
No, Small Transfers has no minimum volume requirements or monthly fees. You only pay the 3% transaction fee on actual usage, making it ideal for businesses of all sizes.
Small Transfers is significantly easier to implement, includes built-in customer authentication, and provides per-customer spending limits that reduce your financial risk. It's specifically designed for micro-transactions and pay-as-you-go models.