# What is my PayPal fee?

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.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/paypal-fee-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/paypal-fee-calculator.json
- Version: dd9ef51d6b68

## Default answer

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.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| amount | Amount | The payment amount in US dollars: what the buyer pays, or what you want to keep. |
| mode | The amount is | Paid: the buyer pays this amount. Keep: you want this much after fees. |
| type | Payment type | How the buyer pays, which sets the rate. |
| intl | The buyer is in another country | International payments add 1.5% to the percent fee. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ask | Ask for | The payment that leaves you the amount you want to keep after the fee. |
| fee | PayPal fee | Percent of the payment plus the fixed fee. |
| net | You keep | The payment minus the PayPal fee. |
| paid | Buyer pays | The payment the buyer makes. |
| effective | Fee as a percent of the payment | The fee divided by the payment × 100. |
| rate | Rate used | The percent and fixed fee used. |

## Method

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

## Assumptions

- 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.

## Worked examples

1. amount = $240.00, mode = paid, type = card, intl = no gives fee = $7.67, net = $232.33, effective = 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, mode = paid, type = checkout, intl = no gives fee = $3.98, net = $96.02. Source: PayPal US merchant fees (PayPal Checkout 3.49% + $0.49): 100 × 0.0349 + 0.49 = 3.98.
3. amount = $100.00, mode = paid, type = checkout, intl = yes gives fee = $5.48, net = $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, mode = keep, type = checkout, intl = no gives ask = $518.59, fee = $18.59. Source: hand calculation in content.mdx: (500 + 0.49) ÷ (1 − 0.0349) = 518.59.
5. amount = $40.00, mode = paid, type = goods, intl = no gives fee = $1.20, net = $38.80. Source: PayPal US merchant fees (goods and services 2.99%, no fixed fee): 40 × 0.0299 = 1.196.

## FAQ

### 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.

## Sources

- PayPal, Merchant Fees (United States), last updated September 1, 2026: commercial transaction rates, the 1.50% international fee, the $0.49 US dollar fixed fee, and the $0.09 fixed fee for QR code and micropayments. https://www.paypal.com/us/business/paypal-business-fees
- PayPal, Consumer Fees (United States), last updated May 19, 2026: domestic personal payments from a balance or bank account have no fee; card-funded personal payments do. https://www.paypal.com/us/digital-wallet/paypal-consumer-fees