PayPal Fee Calculator

What this PayPal fee calculator does

Enter a payment amount and the PayPal fee calculator shows exactly what PayPal takes and what reaches your account. Switch to What to charge and it works backwards: tell it how much you want to keep and it gives you the amount to invoice so the fees are covered.

It uses PayPal’s published 2026 rates for the US, the UK and India (checked September 2026), including the extras most calculators leave out: the 1.5% international fee, the currency conversion markup, and for Indian freelancers, the 18% GST on PayPal’s fee.

PayPal fees in the US (2026)

How the buyer pays	Fee
Goods and services payment	2.99% + fixed fee
PayPal Checkout, invoices and Venmo	3.49% + fixed fee
Credit or debit card	2.99% + fixed fee
Pay Later	4.99% + fixed fee
QR code (over $10)	2.29% + $0.09
Micropayments (on approval)	4.99% + $0.09
Confirmed charities	1.99% + fixed fee
Buyer outside the US	add 1.50%

The fixed fee depends on the currency you receive: $0.49 for US dollars, €0.39 for euros and 0.59 for Canadian or Australian dollars. Sending money to friends and family inside the US from a bank or PayPal balance is free, but it has no purchase protection and PayPal doesn’t allow it for business payments. The full schedule is on PayPal’s merchant fees page.

How to calculate PayPal fees

PayPal’s fee is a percentage of the payment plus a fixed amount:

fee = amount × rate + fixed fee

For a $100 invoice paid through PayPal Checkout: 100 × 3.49% + $0.49 = $3.98, so you receive $96.02. If the buyer is abroad, the rate becomes 4.99% and you receive $94.52.

To work out what to charge so you keep a set amount, reverse it:

charge = (amount you want + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − rate)

To keep exactly $100 at 3.49% + $0.49, charge $104.13. The calculator does both directions and adds conversion and tax where they apply.

PayPal fee examples

Payment (US)	Goods and services 2.99% + $0.49	Checkout 3.49% + $0.49
$10	$0.79 fee, you keep $9.21	$0.84 fee, you keep $9.16
$100	$3.48 fee, you keep $96.52	$3.98 fee, you keep $96.02
$1,000	$30.39 fee, you keep $969.61	$35.39 fee, you keep $964.61

If you take many similar payments, enter how many you get each month and the calculator adds up your monthly and yearly PayPal cost. It’s usually a bigger number than people expect.

PayPal fees in India

In India, PayPal only handles payments from abroad, so every payment counts as international. Freelancers and exporters pay three separate costs:

• 4.4% plus a fixed fee ($0.30 for a US-dollar payment, €0.35 for euros).
• 18% GST on that fee, because PayPal bills the service in India.
• A conversion markup of roughly 3–4% when the money is converted to rupees. It’s hidden inside the exchange rate, so it never appears as a line on your statement.

Together they usually take 7–9% of the payment. On a $1,000 invoice the PayPal fee calculator shows about $914.56 left before conversion to rupees, using a 3.5% markup. Enter today’s exchange rate and it shows the rupee amount too. Comparing that with the rate you see on Google is the quickest way to see the markup for yourself.

PayPal fees in the UK

UK sellers pay 2.9% + £0.30 on standard payments. A buyer in Europe adds 1.29%, and a buyer anywhere else adds 1.99%. Micropayments cost 5% + £0.05 and confirmed charities pay 1.4% + £0.20. Choose the buyer’s region in the UK tab and the right surcharge is applied.

PayPal vs Stripe and Square

Processor (US, online)	Standard rate
PayPal Checkout	3.49% + $0.49
PayPal goods and services	2.99% + $0.49
Stripe cards	2.9% + $0.30
Square online	3.3% + $0.30

PayPal’s higher fixed fee matters most on small sales. On larger ones the gap narrows, and many buyers simply prefer to pay with PayPal, which can be worth the difference.

Why small payments cost so much

The fixed fee doesn’t shrink with the payment, which the PayPal fee calculator makes easy to see if you try a few small amounts. On a $5 sale, $0.49 alone is almost 10%, before the percentage is added. If you sell many low-priced items, ask PayPal about micropayment pricing (4.99% + $0.09), which is cheaper below about $10.

Ways to pay less in PayPal fees

• Invoice in the buyer’s currency and hold the balance until you need it, rather than converting every payment.
• Raise your price, not a separate “PayPal fee” line. Use the What to charge mode. Adding a surcharge is restricted in some countries.
• Use a cheaper route for large, regular payments. For big international invoices, bank transfer services often cost far less than PayPal’s combined fees and markup.
• Check the fee line on each payment. Rates vary by account type, and PayPal changes them from time to time.

Related tools

Freelancers can compare platform costs with the Upwork Fee Calculator and the Fiverr Fee Calculator, or work out margins with the Percentage Calculator. For the full story, read our guide to PayPal fees and how to calculate what you actually receive.

Frequently asked questions

How much are PayPal fees on $100?

In the US, $3.48 for a goods and services payment (2.99% + $0.49) or $3.98 through PayPal Checkout (3.49% + $0.49). Add $1.50 if the buyer is outside the US.

Who pays the PayPal fee, the sender or the receiver?

For purchases and invoices, the seller or receiver pays it. The buyer pays nothing extra unless PayPal converts their currency or they pay by card for a personal transfer.

How much does PayPal charge in India?

4.4% plus a fixed fee on each payment from abroad, plus 18% GST on that fee and a conversion markup of about 3–4%. The PayPal fee calculator’s India tab adds all three.

Is receiving money from friends and family free?

Yes within the US, when the sender pays from a bank account or PayPal balance. Card-funded and international transfers have fees, and business payments must use goods and services.

Are PayPal fees refunded if I refund a sale?

No. PayPal doesn’t charge extra to issue a refund, but it keeps the original fee, so a refund still costs you that amount.