PayPal charges a percentage plus a fixed amount on most payments you receive. The two parts mean the effective rate is much higher on small payments than large ones, and that "adding 3.49%" to an invoice does not quite cover the fee. This calculator applies the current US rates in both directions: what lands in your account from a given payment, and what to invoice so that a specific amount lands.
How it is calculated
- Fee = amount × percentage + fixed fee. Standard goods and services: 3.49% + $0.49.
- You receive = amount − fee.
- To net a target amount: charge = (target + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − percentage). Simply adding the percentage falls short because the fee is charged on the larger, grossed-up amount.
Example
A client pays $100 for goods and services: fee $3.49 + $0.49 = $3.98, you receive $96.02, an effective 3.98%. To receive exactly $100, invoice ($100 + $0.49) ÷ 0.9651 = $104.12; PayPal takes $4.12.
Which rate applies
- Goods and services, invoices, checkout: 3.49% + $0.49.
- Goods and services sent from the PayPal app with Send, rather than paid through checkout or an invoice: 2.99% with no fixed fee.
- Card payments through standard card checkout (buyer pays by card without a PayPal account): 2.99% + $0.49.
- In-person QR code: 2.29% + $0.09.
- Micropayments (opt-in, for sales under about $10): 4.99% + $0.09.
- Registered charities: 1.99% + $0.49.
- International: the goods and services rate plus 1.50%, and currency conversion adds a spread of around 3–4% on top if the payment is in another currency.
- Friends and family: free from a bank balance, 2.9% + $0.30 from a card, and not allowed for commercial sales.
Rates change
Rates above are US merchant fees as of the date shown under the calculator. Other countries have different percentages and fixed fees in local currency; use the custom option with your own rate card.
Frequently asked questions
How much does PayPal charge to receive money?
For goods and services paid through PayPal checkout or an invoice in the US: 3.49% plus $0.49 per transaction. On $100 that is $3.98. A goods-and-services payment the buyer sends from the PayPal app costs 2.99% with no fixed fee, $2.99 on $100. Other payment types have different rates; pick yours in the calculator.
How do I calculate what to charge so I receive a certain amount?
Divide the target plus the fixed fee by one minus the percentage: to net $100 at 3.49% + $0.49, charge $104.12. The "what to charge" mode does this for you.
Is there a fee for friends and family?
Not when funded from a PayPal balance or bank account within the US. Card-funded friends-and-family payments cost 2.9% + $0.30, paid by the sender. Using it for business sales violates PayPal’s terms.
Does PayPal charge a fee for international payments?
Yes. An extra 1.50% cross-border fee on top of the standard rate, plus a currency conversion spread of about 3–4% if the money arrives in a different currency.
Can I pass the PayPal fee to the customer?
You can price it in, and this calculator shows the grossed-up amount. Adding a separate "PayPal surcharge" line is restricted in some places and by PayPal’s rules; building it into the price is safer.
Read more
- Can you avoid PayPal's 3% fee?Nothing removes the fee from a business payment, and 3% is the rate of only one route. What each route actually costs on $500 and on $5,000, where micropayment pricing wins, and what to invoice so a round number lands.
Sources
By Calcelate Team. Formula from the sources above.
- 2026-09-24 · Formula and texts checked
- 2026-09-24 · Reference data as of this date