acalculator

What is my PayPal fee?

Enter a payment and how the buyer pays to see PayPal's fee and what you keep. Or enter what you want to keep to see how much to ask for. US rates as of September 1, 2026.

Your numbers

The amount is
US rates as of September 1, 2026.
PayPal fee
$3.98

On a payment of $100.00 (3.49% + $0.49), PayPal takes $3.98 and you keep $96.02.

You keep
$96.02
Buyer pays
$100.00
Fee as a percent of the payment
3.98%
Rate used
3.49% + $0.49

PayPal fee: $3.98. On a payment of $100.00 (3.49% + $0.49), PayPal takes $3.98 and you keep $96.02.

The results are estimates for information only. They are not financial, tax, or legal advice. Check the numbers with your lender or a qualified professional before you decide. Terms of use

How to calculate

Computes the PayPal fee on a payment received in the US, what you keep, or how much to ask for to keep a set amount, from PayPal’s published US rates.

Example with the default inputs (Amount $100.00, The amount is What the buyer pays, Payment type PayPal Checkout, Venmo or invoice, The buyer is in another country No): On a payment of $100.00 (3.49% + $0.49), PayPal takes $3.98 and you keep $96.02.

Method: fee = payment × percent ÷ 100 + fixed fee; you keep = payment − fee; to keep K, ask for (K + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − percent ÷ 100).

  • Rates are PayPal’s US fees for receiving a commercial payment in US dollars, as published on September 1, 2026 (retrieved September 27, 2026). PayPal can change them.
  • An international payment adds 1.50% to the percent fee. Currency conversion fees are not included.
  • Fees are not rounded here; PayPal charges whole cents, so a real fee can differ by a cent.
  • Personal payments to friends and family, chargebacks and dispute fees are not included.

Machine-readable copies: Markdown, JSON.

Worked examples

Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.

  1. Amount $240.00, The amount is What the buyer pays, Payment type Credit or debit card, The buyer is in another country no gives PayPal fee $7.67, You keep $232.33, Fee as a percent of the payment 3.194167%.Source: PayPal US merchant fees (2.99% + $0.49); hand calculation in content.mdx: 240 × 0.0299 + 0.49 = 7.666
  2. Amount $100.00, The amount is What the buyer pays, Payment type PayPal Checkout, Venmo or invoice, The buyer is in another country no gives PayPal fee $3.98, You keep $96.02.Source: PayPal US merchant fees (PayPal Checkout 3.49% + $0.49): 100 × 0.0349 + 0.49 = 3.98
  3. Amount $100.00, The amount is What the buyer pays, Payment type PayPal Checkout, Venmo or invoice, The buyer is in another country yes gives PayPal fee $5.48, You keep $94.52.Source: PayPal US merchant fees (3.49% + 1.50% international + $0.49): 100 × 0.0499 + 0.49 = 5.48
  4. Amount $500.00, The amount is What I want to keep, Payment type PayPal Checkout, Venmo or invoice, The buyer is in another country no gives Ask for $518.59, PayPal fee $18.59.Source: hand calculation in content.mdx: (500 + 0.49) ÷ (1 − 0.0349) = 518.59
  5. Amount $40.00, The amount is What the buyer pays, Payment type Goods and services payment, The buyer is in another country no gives PayPal fee $1.20, You keep $38.80.Source: PayPal US merchant fees (goods and services 2.99%, no fixed fee): 40 × 0.0299 = 1.196

How the PayPal fee is worked out

  • fee = payment × p + f
  • you keep = payment − fee
  • to keep K, ask for (K + f) ÷ (1 − p)

p is the percent fee as a decimal (3.49% is 0.0349), plus 0.015 for an international payment. f is the fixed fee.

US rates used (as of September 1, 2026)

  • PayPal Checkout, Guest Checkout, Pay with Venmo, and invoices paid with them: 3.49% + $0.49
  • Send or receive money for goods and services: 2.99%, no fixed fee
  • Standard credit and debit card payments (also invoices paid by card): 2.99% + $0.49
  • QR code payments: 2.29% + $0.09
  • PayPal Pay Later: 4.99% + $0.49
  • Micropayments (if your account has this pricing): 4.99% + $0.09
  • Buyer in another country: add 1.50% to the percent; the fixed fee stays the same

The rates are from PayPal's US merchant fees page. They are a dated table, not a rule: when PayPal changes them, this page's table is updated.

Assumptions

  • A US account receiving a commercial payment in US dollars. Other currencies have other fixed fees.
  • Fees are not rounded here. PayPal charges whole cents, so a real fee can differ by a cent.
  • Currency conversion, chargeback, dispute and withdrawal fees are not included.
  • There is no answer when the fee would be as large as the payment.

Worked examples by hand

A $240 card payment. Fee = 240 × 0.0299 + 0.49 = 7.176 + 0.49 = $7.67 ($7.666). You keep 240 − 7.666 = $232.33. The fee is 7.666 ÷ 240 = 3.19% of the payment.

A $100 PayPal Checkout payment. Fee = 100 × 0.0349 + 0.49 = $3.98. You keep $96.02.

The same payment from another country. p = 0.0349 + 0.015 = 0.0499. Fee = 4.99 + 0.49 = $5.48. You keep $94.52.

Keeping $500 on PayPal Checkout. Ask for (500 + 0.49) ÷ (1 − 0.0349) = 500.49 ÷ 0.9651 = $518.59. The fee on that is 518.59 × 0.0349 + 0.49 = $18.59, which leaves $500.

A $40 goods and services payment. Fee = 40 × 0.0299 = $1.20 ($1.196). You keep $38.80.

Other questions people ask

How much does PayPal charge to receive money?

For a US business receiving US dollars, PayPal charges a percent of the payment plus a fixed fee. As of September 1, 2026: PayPal Checkout, Venmo and invoices paid with PayPal are 3.49% + $0.49; card payments 2.99% + $0.49; goods and services payments 2.99%; QR code payments 2.29% + $0.09; Pay Later 4.99% + $0.49.

How do I calculate the PayPal fee?

Multiply the payment by the percent and add the fixed fee. A $100 PayPal Checkout payment costs 100 × 3.49% + $0.49 = $3.98, so you keep $96.02.

How much should I charge to cover PayPal fees?

Add the fixed fee to what you want to keep, then divide by (1 − the percent). To keep $500 on PayPal Checkout, ask for (500 + 0.49) ÷ (1 − 0.0349) = $518.59. Adding 3.49% to $500 is not enough, because the fee is also charged on the extra.

What does PayPal charge on international payments?

PayPal adds 1.50% to the percent fee when the buyer is in another country. A $100 PayPal Checkout payment from abroad costs 100 × 4.99% + $0.49 = $5.48. Currency conversion, if any, costs extra.

Are personal payments to friends and family free?

Sending money to friends and family in the US from a PayPal balance or bank account has no fee; paying with a card does. This calculator is for payments for goods and services, which always have a fee.

How current are these rates?

They are from PayPal's US merchant fees page, last updated September 1, 2026 and checked on September 27, 2026. PayPal changes its fees from time to time, so check its page before you rely on a number.