Quick answer. A US PayPal Checkout payment costs 3.49% + $0.49. On $100 the fee is $3.98 and you keep $96.02. To keep $100 you need to charge $104.12. Goods and Services payments are 2.99% with no fixed fee on PayPal’s US table.
How to use this PayPal fee calculator
- Pick a direction. “I receive a payment” shows the fee and what you keep. “What to charge” works backwards from the amount you want to keep.
- Choose the country where your PayPal account is registered and the payment type, such as PayPal Checkout, Goods and Services, card, QR code or an invoice.
- Say whether the buyer is in another country. International payments add a percentage. Turn on the currency conversion estimate only if PayPal converts the money.
- Read the breakdown: percentage, fixed fee, total fee, net and the effective rate.
Switch the processor to Stripe or Square to compare the same amount on their standard US pricing.
How PayPal fees are calculated
Fee = amount × rate + fixed fee. The fee is rounded to the cent and taken from the payment, so net = amount − fee.
What to charge to keep a set amount: charge = (amount you want + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − rate). The calculator then rounds to the cent and checks the result, so the amount you keep is never short.
| Example (US, domestic) | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| PayPal Checkout, receive $100 | 100 × 3.49% + 0.49 = 3.98 | Fee $3.98, you keep $96.02 |
| PayPal Checkout, keep $100 | (100 + 0.49) ÷ (1 − 0.0349) = 104.12 | Charge $104.12 (fee $4.12) |
| Goods and Services, receive $100 | 100 × 2.99% | Fee $2.99, you keep $97.01 |
| Invoice paid by bank (ACH), receive $2,000 | 1%, capped at $10 | Fee $10.00, you keep $1,990.00 |
The common shortcut of adding 3.49% and $0.49 on top of $100 gives $103.99 (or $103.49 if you forget the fixed fee). Both are too low, because PayPal takes its percentage from the whole payment, including the part you added.
Goods & Services vs Friends & Family
Goods and Services and other commercial payments are for selling. The person receiving the money pays the commercial fee. On PayPal’s US table, Send/Receive Money for Goods and Services is 2.99% with no fixed fee, and PayPal Checkout is 3.49% + $0.49. Some unofficial calculators add the $0.49 card fixed fee to Goods and Services; we follow PayPal’s own row, which does not.
Friends and Family is for personal transfers only. In the US, receiving is free when no currency conversion is involved. Sending is free from a PayPal balance or bank account, or 2.90% + $0.30 from a card, and international sends add 5.00% (minimum $0.99, maximum $4.99). Do not use Friends and Family to get paid for a sale: it is not covered by PayPal Purchase Protection and can break PayPal’s rules.
International payments and currency conversion
US commercial and invoice payments from another market add 1.50%. Other countries have their own add-ons: the UK adds 1.29% for senders in the EEA and 1.99% for other markets; Germany adds 1.99% for payments from outside the EEA; Australia adds 1.00%; Canada adds 0.80% from the US and 1.00% from other countries. If PayPal converts currency, a separate spread applies (3% or 4% on the US page, or another amount shown during the transaction). That spread is an estimate here and is off by default.
PayPal, Stripe and Square (US, standard published rates)
| Processor and payment type | Rate | Fee on $100 |
|---|---|---|
| PayPal Checkout | 3.49% + $0.49 | $3.98 |
| PayPal Send/Receive Money for Goods and Services | 2.99% | $2.99 |
| PayPal standard card payment | 2.99% + $0.49 | $3.48 |
| Stripe domestic card | 2.9% + 30¢ | $3.20 |
| Square Free, Online API | 2.9% + 30¢ | $3.20 |
| Square Free, online or invoices | 3.3% + 30¢ | $3.60 |
| Square Free, in person | 2.6% + 15¢ | $2.75 |
Your real account rate can differ (negotiated, volume or legacy pricing). Use Custom rate if it does. Selling on a marketplace? The Etsy Fee Calculator, Shopify & eBay Fee Calculator and Amazon FBA Calculator cover those platforms; this page does not replace them. To set a price that still leaves a profit after fees, use the Profit Margin Calculator. Billing a customer directly? The Invoice Generator makes the PDF.
Current rates (last checked 12 November 2026)
| Account | Main commercial rate | Official page (its own date) |
|---|---|---|
| PayPal US | Checkout 3.49% + $0.49; Goods and Services 2.99%; card 2.99% + $0.49; QR 2.29% + $0.09; Pay Later 4.99% + $0.49; invoice by bank 1% (cap $10); international +1.50% | PayPal US merchant fees (4 November 2026) |
| PayPal US personal | Receive free; send by card 2.90% + $0.30; international +5.00% (min $0.99, max $4.99) | PayPal US consumer fees (19 May 2026) |
| PayPal UK | 2.9% + £0.30; international +1.29% (EEA) or +1.99% | PayPal UK merchant fees (1 October 2026) |
| PayPal Germany (EEA) | Checkout 2.99% + €0.39; Goods and Services 2.49% + €0.35; QR 0.90% | PayPal DE merchant fees (4 November 2026) |
| PayPal Australia | 2.90% + A$0.30; QR 1.20%; international +1.00% | PayPal AU merchant fees (13 October 2026) |
| PayPal Canada | 2.90% + C$0.30; Pay Later 4.9% + C$0.30; international +0.80% (US) or +1.00% | PayPal CA merchant fees (4 November 2026) |
| Stripe (US) | 2.9% + 30¢ domestic card; +1.5% international; +0.5% manually entered; +1% conversion | Stripe pricing (no date shown) |
| Square (US) | Free plan: 2.6% + 15¢ in person, 2.9% + 30¢ Online API, 3.3% + 30¢ online or invoices, 3.5% + 15¢ keyed; +1.5% international card | Square fees (no date shown) |
Germany is shown as an example of an EEA account; other EU countries have their own PayPal pages and may differ. Pakistan: PayPal has not published a merchant fee table we can cite, so the calculator asks for a custom rate. Fees for disputes, chargebacks and instant withdrawals (1.50% on the US page) are not included. We re-check these pages at least once a quarter; next review February 2027.
Privacy
The calculator runs in this browser. Amounts are not uploaded, saved or put in the page address.
Frequently asked questions
How much does PayPal charge per transaction?
For a typical US PayPal Checkout payment, 3.49% + $0.49. Send/Receive Money for Goods and Services is listed at 2.99% with no fixed fee, and standard card payments are 2.99% + $0.49. Always check PayPal’s page for your account and country.
How much is the PayPal fee on $100?
US domestic Checkout: $3.98 fee, $96.02 net. Goods and Services at the official 2.99% row: $2.99 fee, $97.01 net. Standard card payment: $3.48 fee, $96.52 net.
How do I calculate what to charge so I receive $100?
Use the “What to charge” direction, or work out (target + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − rate). For US Checkout that is $104.12, not $103.49 or $103.99.
What is the difference between Goods & Services and Friends & Family?
Goods and Services is for selling: the recipient pays a commercial fee and the payment can be eligible for purchase protection. Friends and Family is for personal transfers: in the US, receiving is free when no currency conversion is involved, but it is not for sales.
Does PayPal charge international fees?
Yes. US commercial transactions add 1.50% when the sender and receiver are in different markets. If PayPal converts the money, a separate currency conversion spread applies (3% or 4% on the US pages, or another amount shown during the transaction).
What are Stripe and Square fees?
On standard US published pricing, Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ for domestic cards, plus 1.5% for international cards and 1% if currency conversion is required. Square Free is 2.6% + 15¢ in person, 2.9% + 30¢ for Online API and 3.3% + 30¢ for online or invoices, plus 1.5% for international cards.
Are these official PayPal rates?
They are taken from PayPal’s, Stripe’s and Square’s own fee pages, last checked 12 November 2026, and linked on this page. Your account, country, payment type or a later update can change the actual fee. This is an estimate, not tax, legal or financial advice, and not an official PayPal tool.
Is my amount uploaded?
No. The calculation runs in your browser. Amounts are not saved, sent or put in the page address.