PayPal fee calculator
An independent calculator, not PayPal: nothing to sign in to and nothing to pay here. Enter a sale amount and read the fees.
PayPal takes a percentage of each payment you receive plus a fixed $0.49 (or $0.09 for QR and micropayments): 3.49% for PayPal Checkout and most other payments, 2.99% for card payments, 2.29% for QR codes, 4.99% for Pay Later, plus 1.50% when the buyer is outside the US. Refunds don't return the fee.
The nightly check re-reads 12 of the 12 sentences quoted on this page.
At a glance (default settings)
| Sale | Fees | You keep | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $0.84 | $9.16 | 8.40% |
| $25.00 | $1.36 | $23.64 | 5.44% |
| $50.00 | $2.24 | $47.76 | 4.48% |
| $100.00 | $3.98 | $96.02 | 3.98% |
| $250.00 | $9.22 | $240.78 | 3.69% |
| $500.00 | $17.94 | $482.06 | 3.59% |
| $1,000.00 | $35.39 | $964.61 | 3.54% |
Computed from the schedule with the calculator's default settings; change them above for your case. How much does PayPal take? explains each fee in words.
Where these numbers come from
- PayPal Merchant Fees (United States) — read 2026-09-08; the page states "Last updated September 1, 2026"
Receiving a domestic commercial payment costs a percentage of the amount plus a fixed fee that depends on the currency received ($0.49 for USD; $0.09 for QR-code and micropayment transactions). The percentage depends on how the buyer paid: 3.49% for PayPal Checkout, guest checkout, Pay with Venmo and all other commercial transactions; 2.99% for standard credit and debit card payments; 2.29% for QR code transactions; 2.99% with no fixed fee for money received for goods and services person-to-person; 4.99% for PayPal Pay Later. International transactions add 1.50%. Invoices follow the same percentages, with Pay by Bank (ACH) at 1% capped at $10. Micropayments pricing (by application) is 4.99% + $0.09. Donations are 2.89% + fixed; approved charities 1.99% + fixed. Refunding a payment does not return the fees originally paid. Instant withdrawal to a bank or card costs 1.50% (minimum $0.50).
Checked against PayPal's own examples
The calculator reproduces every worked example the platform publishes; these are run as tests before any page is built.
- Arithmetic check derived from the published rates (PayPal publishes no worked example on this page): $100.00 received through PayPal Checkout from a US buyer. Page says: total fees $3.98, net $96.02. "PayPal Checkout 3.49% + fixed fee … US dollar 0.49 USD"
- Arithmetic check derived from the published rates: $50.00 received as a standard card payment from an international buyer. Page says: total fees $2.74, net $47.26. "Standard Credit and Debit Card Payments 2.99% + fixed fee … Additional percentage-based fee for international commercial transactions … 1.50%"
Not included
- Chargeback fee ($20)
- Dispute fees ($15 standard / $30 high volume)
- Currency conversion spread (3%–4%)
- Crypto
- PayPal Payouts / Hyperwallet
- Payflow gateway
- Point of Sale card-present rates
- Sending money to friends and family
Notes
- Fixed fee is per transaction in the currency received; this calculator covers USD only.
- PayPal rounds fees at the transaction level; this calculator rounds the computed fee to the cent (half up).
See a mistake? The schedule file behind this page is public; corrections that cite the platform's page are applied.