PayPal Fee Calculator
CheckedThis PayPal fee calculator shows what PayPal takes from a payment, what you receive, and what to charge to receive a set amount. Free, no sign-up, and the result updates as you type.
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PayPal runs two headline rates for US sellers, and most calculators mix them up. Checkout buttons and PayPal invoices cost 3.49% + $0.49 a payment; a Goods and Services payment sent straight to your PayPal address costs 2.99% with no fixed fee. This calculator starts on the checkout rate, because that is what a shop or an invoice pays, and the flat 49 cents is what wrecks small transactions — on a $10 payment it works out at 8.39%, not 3.49%. For a Goods and Services payment, set the rate to 2.99 and the fixed fee to 0. The second half answers the question behind most searches: what to invoice so you still hold your price after PayPal takes its cut. That is a gross-up, not an addition. Adding 3.49% back on leaves you short, because the fee is charged on the larger figure too.
How it's calculated
You receive = amount − (amount × fee rate + fixed fee). To net the full amount, charge (amount + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − fee rate)
LaTeX source
\text{Net} = A - \left(A \times \frac{r}{100} + f\right), \qquad G = \frac{A + f}{1 - \frac{r}{100}} PayPal fees in 2026
| Fee | Rate |
|---|---|
| PayPal Checkout and invoices PayPal buttons on a store, and invoices. | 3.49% + 49¢ |
| Cross-border surcharge Added when the buyer is outside the US. | 1.5% |
| Goods and services payment A payment sent to your PayPal account as goods and services. | 2.99% |
| Micropayments (opt-in) Opt-in pricing for small sales. | 4.99% + 9¢ |
| Personal payment funded by card Paid by the sender. Bank and balance transfers are free. | 2.9% + 30¢ |
US rates for a standard account, from the sources listed at the bottom of this page. The calculator above takes its default rates from this table.
Worked examples
A $100 checkout payment from a US customer
$96.02 received
PayPal takes $3.49 from the percentage and $0.49 flat, so $3.98 — a real rate of 3.98%. To actually bank $100 you would have to invoice $104.12, not $103.98, because the fee applies to the extra you added as well. Sent as a Goods and Services payment instead, the same $100 would cost $2.99.
The numbers used
- Payment amount
- 100
- PayPal fee rate
- 3.49
- Fixed fee
- 0.49
A $5,000 invoice paid through PayPal
$4,825.01 received
The fee is $174.99 and the effective rate is 3.50%, almost identical to the headline rate because the fixed $0.49 is irrelevant at this size. Netting the full $5,000 would mean invoicing $5,181.32. At this value the percentage is the whole argument, which is why large sellers negotiate merchant rates rather than worrying about the flat fee.
The numbers used
- Payment amount
- 5000
- PayPal fee rate
- 3.49
- Fixed fee
- 0.49
Questions sellers ask
How can I calculate PayPal fees?
Multiply the payment by the rate, then add the fixed fee: for a US checkout or invoice payment that is amount × 3.49% + $0.49, so $3.98 on $100. A Goods and Services payment is simpler at 2.99% with no fixed fee, so $2.99 on $100. The trap is going the other way. To receive a set sum you divide rather than multiply: (target + $0.49) ÷ 0.9651, which is $104.12 to net $100 at the checkout rate.
What are the PayPal fees for sending $100?
It depends how it is paid. Through PayPal Checkout or an invoice the seller pays $3.98 and receives $96.02. As a Goods and Services payment the fee is $2.99, leaving $97.01. A friends and family payment inside the US from a PayPal balance or linked bank account is free. Funded by a card it costs 2.9% + $0.30, so $3.20, and the sender pays it rather than the recipient.
How much is the PayPal fee for $5000?
$174.99 through PayPal Checkout or an invoice, leaving $4,825.01, an effective rate of 3.50%. The same sum as a Goods and Services payment costs $149.50. PayPal does not apply volume discounts automatically, but merchants processing consistently at this level can apply for negotiated rates, and an invoice this size is often cheaper to take by bank transfer.
What is the PayPal fee for $1200?
$42.37 through PayPal Checkout or an invoice, leaving $1,157.63. That is 3.49% of $1,200 plus the flat $0.49, an effective rate of 3.53%. As a Goods and Services payment it is $35.88. If the payer's PayPal account is registered outside the US, the 1.5% cross-border surcharge applies and the checkout fee rises to $60.37 on the same payment.
How do I avoid a 3% fee on PayPal?
Legitimately, there are a few routes. Friends and family from a balance or bank account is free, but it carries no protection and using it for a sale breaches PayPal's terms. A Goods and Services payment costs 2.99% with no fixed fee, less than checkout at 3.49% + $0.49 on every amount. Micropayments pricing at 4.99% + $0.09 beats the checkout rate on anything under about $27. Or build the fee into your price using the gross-up figure above, which is what most sellers actually do.
How much is a PayPal service fee?
It depends how the money arrives. Checkout buttons and PayPal invoices cost a US seller 3.49% + $0.49. A Goods and Services payment costs 2.99% with no fixed fee. A card-funded personal payment costs the sender 2.9% + $0.30. A payment from an account outside the United States adds a 1.5% cross-border surcharge. On commercial payments the fee comes off the recipient, not the sender.
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