Which of the following activities does NOT incur scheme fees?

Initiating a payout does not incur scheme fees because scheme fees are typically associated with the transactions that occur within payment processing systems, such as credit card transactions. When a payment is processed, scheme fees are charged by the card networks (such as Visa or Mastercard) to cover the cost of handling the transaction. Similarly, processing refunds is associated with the original transaction, thereby incurring scheme fees. Creating a subscription involves initial payment processing as well, which also incurs fees.

In contrast, initiating a payout is a process where funds are being sent from the platform or Stripe account to an external bank account without involving the card networks. Therefore, it does not generate the same kind of fee structure as payment processing or refunds, which are tied to card schemes. This delineation is crucial for understanding how Stripe and similar platforms calculate and apply their fees.