Finance tools
PayPal fee calculator
Estimate PayPal seller fees and goods & services costs before you price a product or send an invoice. Forward and reverse modes, eight US transaction types, domestic or international (+1.50%), and optional CSV or PDF export.
What this calculator does
This PayPal fee calculator estimates merchant processing costs using PayPal’s published US rates (July 15, 2026). Enter a payment amount, pick a transaction type, and see the fee, net payout, and effective percentage — or work backward from a target net amount.
Payment received
Fee deducted from a gross payment — what you keep after PayPal takes its cut.
Target payout
Reverse mode: gross amount required so you receive a chosen net after fees.
Eight transaction types
Checkout, Goods & Services, QR, invoicing, micropayments, and charity rates.
PayPal fee rates in 2026 (US domestic)
| Transaction type | Variable rate | Fixed fee |
|---|---|---|
| PayPal Checkout / Venmo | 3.49% | $0.49 |
| Goods & Services (card) | 2.99% | $0.49 |
| Goods & Services (balance) | 2.99% | $0.00 |
| QR code | 2.29% | $0.09 |
| Invoicing (PayPal/Venmo) | 3.49% | $0.49 |
| Invoicing (card) | 2.99% | $0.49 |
| Micropayments (approval) | 4.99% | $0.09 |
| Charity (nonprofit approval) | 1.99% | $0.49 |
International surcharge
Cross-border commercial payments add +1.50% to the variable rate. Toggle International in the calculator to include it.
PayPal goods and services fees
When someone pays you for a product or service, PayPal treats it as a goods & services (G&S) commercial payment. Domestic rates depend on how the buyer funds the payment — not whether you label the button “G&S” in the app.
Select Goods & Services (card) or Goods & Services (balance) in the calculator above. Checkout and invoicing products use their own rate rows when the buyer pays through those flows.
| Scenario | Fee on $100 | You receive |
|---|---|---|
| G&S — card (2.99% + $0.49) | $3.48 | $96.52 |
| G&S — PayPal balance (2.99% + $0.00) | $2.99 | $97.01 |
| PayPal Checkout (3.49% + $0.49) | $3.98 | $96.02 |
| G&S international (+1.50%) | $4.98 | $95.02 |
Buyer vs seller
For merchant sales, the seller typically pays PayPal’s processing fee — the buyer pays the listed price and you receive the net. Sending money “for goods and services” is free on the sender side; the recipient pays the fee when the payment is commercial.
How to calculate PayPal fees
Forward formula
Fee = (Amount × rate%) + fixed fee
Example — PayPal Checkout, $100 domestic: (100 × 3.49%) + $0.49 = $3.98 fee, $96.02 net.
Choose direction
Payment received (gross in) or target payout (net you want to keep).
Set transaction type
Match how the buyer pays — Checkout, card, QR, invoice, etc.
Read fee and net
Use the breakdown for variable, fixed, and optional FX estimate rows.
Reverse calculation: gross for target net
If you need $100 net after PayPal Checkout fees, the required gross is about $104.12 — not $103.30 (a common rounding error when people add 3.49% to the net instead of solving for gross).
Switch to Target payout in the calculator and enter your desired net amount.
International and micropayment fees
International (+1.50%)
$100 Checkout international → fee about $5.48, net $94.52.
Micropayments
$10 micropayment → fee $0.59, net $9.41. Requires PayPal account approval.
Non-binding estimate
Rates follow PayPal’s US merchant fee schedule (effective July 15, 2026). Your account type, currency conversion, chargebacks, and refunds can change actual costs. See PayPal’s official documentation for binding figures.
Currency conversion (optional)
If a buyer pays in another currency, PayPal may convert funds at its retail exchange rate plus a spread (often around 3–4% above the base rate). Enable Include currency conversion estimate (3%) in the calculator’s advanced panel for a rough FX line item — in addition to the +1.50% international surcharge when applicable.
PayPal fees for receiving money
“Receiving money” fees depend on why the payment was sent:
- Goods & services / merchant sales: 2.29%–3.49% + fixed fee (use the transaction-type dropdown).
- PayPal invoice paid by card: 2.99% + $0.49 domestic; 3.49% + $0.49 when paid via PayPal or Venmo.
- Friends & Family (personal): often no fee when funded by US bank or PayPal balance — but not for commercial sales.
Use Target payout mode when you need to quote a gross invoice amount so you keep a specific net after fees.
Cheapest in-person rate
QR code at 2.29% + $0.09 — about $2.38 on a $100 sale vs $3.48 for standard G&S card.
Batch sales
Set Number of transactions to multiply per-sale fixed fees — ten $100 Checkout payments cost about $39.80 total in fees.
Friends & Family vs Goods & Services
Friends & Family is for personal transfers between people who know each other. Many domestic bank-funded transfers have no seller fee, but you get no purchase protection for goods — PayPal discourages using it for sales.
This calculator models merchant transaction types (Checkout, invoicing, QR, G&S, etc.) only. It does not include a Friends & Family mode.
Common PayPal fee mistakes
Adding 3.49% to your net price
Reverse fees need (net + fixed) ÷ (1 − rate), not net × 1.0349. For $100 net Checkout, gross is about $104.12, not $103.30.
Ignoring the fixed fee on small sales
$0.49 fixed hurts micropayments — compare standard vs micropayment pricing if PayPal approved your account.
Forgetting international surcharge
Cross-border commercial payments add +1.50% on top of domestic variable rates.
PayPal vs other payment processors
Stripe, Square, and PayPal each publish different rate cards. This tool models PayPal US merchant fees only — compare processors using their official schedules before switching.
| Provider | Typical online rate | In-person / QR | Monthly fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| PayPal | 2.99% + $0.49 (G&S card) | 2.29% + $0.09 (QR) | $0 |
| Stripe | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.7% + $0.05 | $0 |
| Square | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.6% + $0.10 | $0 |
PayPal’s higher $0.49 fixed fee hurts small-ticket sales; QR and micropayment pricing can offset that for eligible accounts. Browse more free calculators on the Ordio tools hub — including percentage calculator for markup math.
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Frequently asked questions about this PayPal fee calculator
How can I calculate PayPal fees?
Multiply the payment by the variable rate, then add the fixed fee: Fee = Amount × rate% + fixed. Use Payment received mode above with your transaction type — the calculator applies the correct 2026 US rates automatically.
What is the PayPal fee for $100?
For a $100 domestic PayPal Checkout payment: fee $3.98 (3.49% + $0.49), net $96.02. Goods & Services card is lower ($3.48 fee). QR code is about $2.38 on $100.
How much is the PayPal fee for $5000?
PayPal Checkout on $5,000 domestic: variable $174.50 + $0.49 fixed ≈ $174.99 fee, net ≈ $4,825.01. Use the calculator for your exact transaction type and international toggle.
How do I calculate PayPal fees on an invoice?
Select Invoicing (PayPal/Venmo) or Invoicing (card) in the transaction dropdown. Rates match PayPal’s invoicing products (3.49% + $0.49 or 2.99% + $0.49 domestic). Use reverse mode if you need a specific net on the invoice.
What are PayPal international fees?
International commercial transactions add +1.50% to the variable rate on top of domestic pricing. Enable International in the calculator — e.g. $100 Checkout goes from $3.98 to about $5.48 in fees.
What is the PayPal micropayment rate?
Micropayment pricing is 4.99% + $0.09 per transaction (US, with account approval). On $10 that is about $0.59 in fees — often better than standard rates for very small payments because the fixed fee is lower.
How do I avoid PayPal fees with Friends & Family?
Friends & Family transfers are for personal use; many domestic transfers have no seller fee but no purchase protection for goods. This calculator covers merchant transaction types only — not Friends & Family mode.
Can I export my PayPal fee calculation?
Yes. After each calculation, download CSV or PDF with inputs, fee breakdown, and disclaimer — free, no account required.
What is the PayPal goods and services fee?
Domestic goods & services payments are 2.99% + $0.49 when the buyer pays by card, or 2.99% + $0.00 when funded from a PayPal balance. On $100 by card, that is a $3.48 fee and $96.52 net. International sales add +1.50% to the variable rate.
Who pays PayPal fees — the buyer or seller?
For merchant and goods & services sales, the seller (recipient) pays PayPal’s processing fee — you receive the net after deduction. The buyer is not charged an extra PayPal fee on top of the listed price in typical US checkout flows. Use Target payout mode to gross up your price so you keep a chosen net amount.
What is the cheapest way to accept PayPal payments?
QR code transactions at 2.29% + $0.09 are usually the lowest published US merchant rate — about $2.38 on a $100 sale. For online card sales, Goods & Services (balance) avoids the $0.49 fixed fee when the buyer pays from their PayPal balance. Micropayment pricing (4.99% + $0.09) can beat standard rates on very small amounts if PayPal approved your account.
Does PayPal charge a monthly fee?
Standard PayPal Business accounts have no monthly fee — you pay per transaction when you receive commercial payments. Optional products (e.g. advanced checkout tiers, Payflow Pro) may carry monthly charges; this calculator covers standard per-transaction merchant rates only.
What is the PayPal chargeback fee?
PayPal charges a $20 dispute/chargeback fee per case for many merchant transactions. Seller Protection may cover eligible chargebacks when you meet PayPal’s requirements. This calculator does not model chargebacks — only published processing rates.