Free tool · Sellers & food
PayPal fee calculator
A US business receiving a PayPal Checkout payment pays 3.49% + $0.49; money received through “Send/Receive Money for Goods and Services” costs 2.99%. International payments add 1.5%. Enter an amount to see the fee and your net, or flip to reverse mode to find what to charge so you receive an exact sum.
You receive
$96.02
PayPal keeps $3.98 of $100.00.
- Percentage fee
- 3.49% → $3.49
- Fixed fee
- $0.49
- Total fee
- $3.98
- Effective rate
- 3.98%
US rates from PayPal's merchant fees page, checked 2026-10. Fixed fees differ for non-USD currencies.
PayPal US commercial rates (checked Oct 2026)
- PayPal Checkout fee = Amount × 3.49% + $0.49
- Goods & services fee = Amount × 2.99%
- International: add 1.5% to the percentage rate
- Net = Amount − Fee
- Amount to request = (Target net + Fixed fee) ÷ (1 − Rate)
Which PayPal rate applies to you
PayPal prices by how the money arrives, not by who you are:
- PayPal Checkout — the yellow button on a website or invoice paid with a PayPal balance or linked account: 3.49% + $0.49. Guest checkout and Pay with Venmo use the same rate.
- Send/Receive Money for Goods and Services — a buyer sends you money in the app and marks it as a purchase: 2.99%, with no fixed fee listed in PayPal's table.
- Standard credit and debit card payments through PayPal's card processing: 2.99% + $0.49.
The fixed $0.49 applies to payments received in US dollars; other currencies have their own fixed fees.
Worked example
A web designer invoices a client $1,200 and the client pays through PayPal Checkout. Fee = $1,200 × 3.49% + $0.49 = $42.37, so the designer receives $1,157.63.
If the same client were in Canada, the international surcharge lifts the rate to 4.99%: $59.88 + $0.49 = $60.37 in fees. On a small $100 sale, the domestic Checkout fee is $3.98 — almost 4% once the fixed part is counted.
Reverse mode: charging so you receive a set amount
To receive exactly $100 through PayPal Checkout, you cannot simply add 3.49% — the fee is also charged on the extra you add. The right formula is (100 + 0.49) ÷ (1 − 0.0349) = $104.13.
Before passing fees on to customers as a surcharge, check card network rules and your state's laws; many small businesses build fees into their prices instead.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the PayPal fee for $100?
$3.98 for a domestic PayPal Checkout payment (3.49% + $0.49), leaving $96.02. A goods and services payment of $100 costs $2.99.
What is PayPal's fee for receiving international payments?
PayPal adds 1.5% to the domestic rate for international commercial transactions, so a PayPal Checkout payment from abroad costs 4.99% plus the fixed fee for the currency received.
Does PayPal charge fees for friends and family payments?
The rates on this page are PayPal's commercial rates, which apply when you are paid for goods or services. Personal transfers between friends and family follow PayPal's separate consumer fee schedule, so check that page if you are not selling anything.
How do I calculate how much to charge to cover PayPal fees?
Add the fixed fee to the amount you want to receive, then divide by one minus the percentage rate. For a $250 target via PayPal Checkout: (250 + 0.49) ÷ 0.9651 = $259.55.