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- PayPal charges 2.99% when you receive money as goods and services, with no fixed fee. A $100 payment costs $2.99.
- Checkout payments cost 3.49% + $0.49, so a $100 sale costs $3.98 and you keep $96.02.
- International payments add 1.50%. Sending money to friends and family from your PayPal balance or bank account is free.
- To receive an exact amount, request (amount + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − percentage fee).
How to use the PayPal fee calculator
Pick what you want
Choose See the fee to find what a payment costs, or Receive an exact amount to find what to request.
Enter the amount and type
Type the payment amount and pick the payment type. Goods & services is the default, and the menu has the other US rates.
Check the rates
Open the advanced options to see or change the percentage and fixed fee, add the 1.50% international fee and enter your monthly volume.
Read the results
See the fee, what you receive, the effective rate and your monthly and yearly PayPal cost.
How much does PayPal charge?
For most US sellers PayPal charges a percentage of each payment plus a fixed fee. The rate depends on how the buyer pays. Receiving money as goods and services costs 2.99% with no fixed fee, and a standard PayPal Checkout payment costs 3.49% + $0.49.
| Payment type | Rate | Fee on a $100 payment |
|---|---|---|
| Goods & services (Send/Receive Money) | 2.99%, no fixed fee | $2.99 |
| PayPal Checkout, Guest Checkout or Venmo | 3.49% + $0.49 | $3.98 |
| Standard card payments | 2.99% + $0.49 | $3.48 |
| Pay Later | 4.99% + $0.49 | $5.48 |
| QR code payments | 2.29% + $0.09 | $2.38 |
| Advanced card payments | 2.89% + $0.29 | $3.18 |
| Micropayments | 4.99% + $0.09 | $5.08 |
Rates checked on November 10, 2026 against PayPal’s merchant fees page (updated November 4, 2026). The fixed fee shown is for US dollar payments. Your own account may have custom pricing, so confirm it in PayPal.
Why small payments cost more
The fixed fee is the same on every payment, so it takes a bigger share of small ones. At 3.49% + $0.49, a $5 payment loses 13.3% while a $500 payment loses 3.6%.
| Payment | PayPal fee | You receive | Fee as a share of the payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5 | $0.66 | $4.34 | 13.3% |
| $10 | $0.84 | $9.16 | 8.4% |
| $20 | $1.19 | $18.81 | 5.9% |
| $100 | $3.98 | $96.02 | 4.0% |
| $500 | $17.94 | $482.06 | 3.6% |
Other PayPal fees
- International payments: PayPal generally adds 1.50% to international commercial payments. The calculator has a switch for it in the advanced options.
- Currency conversion: a spread of 4.00% when a buyer pays in a currency other than the listing currency, and 3.00% on other conversions.
- Disputes: a $15 standard dispute fee and a $30 high-volume dispute fee. The chargeback fee is $20 for payments not made through a buyer’s PayPal account or guest checkout.
- Invoices: Pay by Bank (ACH) costs 1%, capped at $10 per payment. Card and PayPal invoice payments follow the checkout rates.
- Instant transfer to your bank: 1.75% of the amount, with a $0.25 minimum and a $25 maximum. A standard transfer to your bank is free when no currency conversion is involved.
- Friends and family: sending from a PayPal balance or bank account is free, and sending with a card costs 2.90% plus a fixed fee paid by the sender. Sending internationally adds 5%, with a $0.99 minimum and a $4.99 maximum.
Consumer fees checked against PayPal’s consumer fees page (updated May 19, 2026). PayPal can change its fees, so check the rates in your account.
How the PayPal fee is calculated
PayPal fee formulas
Fee = payment × percentage fee + fixed fee
You receive = payment − fee
Effective rate = fee ÷ payment
Amount to request to receive a set amount = (amount + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − percentage fee)
The last formula works because PayPal also takes its percentage from the extra you add to cover the fee.
PayPal fee examples
Example 1: a $100 goods and services payment
Receiving a payment through Send/Receive Money for goods and services.
- PayPal fee (2.99%) $2.99
- You receive $97.01
- To receive a full $100, request $103.08
Goods and services has no fixed fee, so the effective rate stays at 2.99%.
Example 2: a $100 checkout payment
A buyer pays through PayPal Checkout at 3.49% + $0.49.
- Percentage fee $3.49
- Fixed fee $0.49
- Total fee $3.98
- You receive $96.02
- To receive a full $100, request $104.12
Adding only 3.49% + $0.49 to $100 would leave you about 14 cents short, because the fee is also charged on the extra.
Example 3: an international payment
The same $100 checkout payment from a buyer outside the US, with the 1.50% international fee.
- Total rate 4.99% + $0.49
- Total fee $5.48
- You receive $94.52
The international fee costs you $1.50 on this payment.
Example 4: a $10 payment
A small payment at 3.49% + $0.49.
- Total fee $0.84
- You receive $9.16
- Fee as a share of the payment 8.4%
- To receive a full $10, request $10.87
On small payments the fixed fee does most of the damage.
PayPal vs other payment processors
PayPal’s checkout rate is higher than the 2.9% + $0.30 card rate many processors use, so the fixed fee and the percentage both matter. Use the payment processing fee calculator to test any processor’s rates, and see how marketplace fees stack up in the eBay fee calculator and the Etsy fee calculator.
Where a PayPal fee calculator helps
Set your prices
Add the fee to your price so you keep the full amount.
Compare payment types
See how goods and services, checkout and QR payments differ.
Plan your costs
Turn the fee per payment into a monthly and yearly total.
Quote invoices
Work out what to invoice so the fee does not eat your pay.
Rules on adding a fee to a price differ by country and payment method, and PayPal’s own terms may limit it. Check them before you add a surcharge. Currency conversion, chargebacks and taxes are not included in the result. Related tools: Payment Processing Fee Calculator, eBay Fee Calculator, Markup Calculator and Freelancer Hourly Rate Calculator.
PayPal fee calculator FAQ
How much does PayPal charge to receive money?
It depends on the payment type. Goods and services costs 2.99% with no fixed fee, and a standard PayPal Checkout payment costs 3.49% + $0.49. On a $100 payment that is $2.99 or $3.98.
What is the PayPal goods and services fee?
When you receive money through Send/Receive Money for goods and services, PayPal charges 2.99% of the payment with no fixed fee. A $100 payment costs $2.99 and you receive $97.01.
How much does PayPal charge per transaction?
A checkout transaction costs 3.49% plus a $0.49 fixed fee in US dollars. QR code payments cost 2.29% + $0.09, and Pay Later costs 4.99% + $0.49.
How do I calculate PayPal fees?
Multiply the payment by the percentage fee and add the fixed fee. For $100 at 3.49% + $0.49 that is $3.49 + $0.49 = $3.98, and you receive $96.02.
How much should I request to receive $100?
At 3.49% + $0.49, request $104.12. The formula is (100 + 0.49) ÷ (1 − 0.0349). At 2.99% with no fixed fee, request $103.08.
Is there a fee for PayPal to PayPal transfers?
Sending to friends and family from a PayPal balance or bank account is free. Sending with a card costs 2.90% plus a fixed fee, paid by the sender. Paying for goods and services is free for the buyer, and the seller pays the fee when receiving.
Does PayPal charge for international payments?
Yes. PayPal generally adds 1.50% to international commercial payments, so a $100 checkout payment costs $5.48 instead of $3.98. Currency conversion has a separate spread of 3.00% or 4.00%.
How much does PayPal charge for an instant transfer?
Instant transfer to your bank costs 1.75% of the amount, with a $0.25 minimum and a $25 maximum. A standard transfer to your bank is free when no currency conversion is involved.
Are these PayPal rates exact for my account?
They follow PayPal’s published US rates, checked on November 10, 2026. Your account can have custom pricing, so use the result for planning and confirm your rates in PayPal.