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PayPal fee calculator

What PayPal takes from a business payment, and what to ask for so you receive the amount you want.

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Change it if your rate is different.

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Extra fees that apply
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Commercial rates for US merchants. Payments from other countries add an international fee, and currency conversion is charged through PayPal's exchange rate. Check the current rates at PayPal merchant fees.

How PayPal's fees work

PayPal charges businesses a percentage of each payment plus a fixed fee that depends on the currency. In the US a standard PayPal Checkout payment costs 3.49% + 49¢. When a customer pays a PayPal invoice by card, it's 2.99% + 49¢. Payments from another country add an international fee, and if PayPal converts the currency it uses its own exchange rate, which includes a margin.

Sending money to friends and family isn't charged in the same way, but it isn't meant for business and has no buyer protection.

Charging so you receive the full amount

Adding the fee percentage to your price doesn't quite work, because the fee is charged on the higher amount too. To receive exactly what you want, divide by what's left after the percentage:

Amount to charge = (amount you want + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − percentage fee ÷ 100)

For example, to receive 500 when the fee is 2.9% + 0.30: (500 + 0.30) ÷ 0.971 = 515.24. Choose "I want to receive" in the calculator and it does this for you.

Can you pass fees on to customers?

It depends on where you are and who you sell to. In the UK and the EU, businesses may not add a surcharge for paying with consumer cards. In the US, card surcharges are allowed in most states, with limits and disclosure rules. Everywhere, you can simply set your prices to cover your costs, and offer a cheaper way to pay, such as a bank transfer. Our invoice generator puts your bank details on every invoice.

Fees are a business cost

Payment and platform fees are normally a deductible business expense. Keep your monthly statements from Stripe, PayPal or the platform for your accounts. To set a rate that covers fees, costs and time off, try our day rate calculator.

Other fee calculators

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Questions people ask

›How much does PayPal charge to receive a business payment?

In the US, 3.49% + 49¢ for a standard PayPal Checkout payment, or 2.99% + 49¢ when a customer pays an invoice by card. International payments add 1.5%. Rates and fixed fees differ in other countries.

›Why doesn't adding the fee percentage to my price cover it?

Because the fee is charged on the whole amount, including the part you added. To receive 100 after a 3% fee you need to charge 100 ÷ 0.97 = 103.09, not 103.

›Are these fees up to date?

They're the published standard rates as we last checked them (October 2026). Providers change their pricing, rates differ by country, and larger businesses often get custom pricing, so every value in the calculator can be changed to match your own statement.