PayPal Fee Calculator

Estimate fees for domestic or international PayPal transactions and see how much to charge to net your target amount.

Region / Currency

Preset Type

Amount ($)

Fee Rate %

Fixed Fee ($)

International / Cross-BorderAdds cross-border fee (+1.5% surcharge)

If you charge $100.00

$96.02Fee: $3.98 (3.49% + 0.49)

You receive (net)

To receive $100.00 net

$104.12Fee: $4.12

You must charge (gross)

Fee Comparison Table ($100.00 transaction)

Payment Preset	Rate	Total Fee	Net Received
PayPal Standard Checkout	3.49% + 0.49	-$3.98	$96.02
Credit / Debit Card (Standard)	2.99% + 0.49	-$3.48	$96.52
QR Code (Above $10.00)	1.90% + 0.1	-$2.00	$98.00
QR Code (Below $10.00)	2.40% + 0.05	-$2.45	$97.55
Donations / Charities	2.89% + 0.49	-$3.38	$96.62
Micropayments	5.00% + 0.05	-$5.05	$94.95

How PayPal fees work

A PayPal payment typically costs the receiver a percentage of the amount plus a fixed fee. To net a specific amount you can't just add the fee back, because the fee applies to the larger total; the correct gross is (net + fixed) / (1 − rate). All math runs in your browser.

More money tools: the discount calculator, the profit margin calculator, and the percentage calculator.

Built and maintained by Meet Shah · Last updated 1 August 2026

What this tool is used for

Working out what you will actually receive on an invoice before sending it.
Reverse-solving what to charge in order to net a target amount.
Comparing the cost of two payment methods on the same transaction.
Checking a received amount against what the fee should have been.
Estimating fees across a month's transactions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is a PayPal fee structured?: A percentage plus a fixed amount per transaction — commonly 2.9% plus a fixed fee domestically, with both varying by country and product. The fixed component is why small transactions are disproportionately expensive: on a £2 payment it can exceed the percentage.
How do I charge so I receive an exact amount?: Gross up rather than adding the fee. To net N at rate r with fixed fee f, charge (N + f) / (1 − r) — adding 2.9% to the target leaves you short, because the fee applies to the larger total. That is the single most common mistake with payment fees.
What does a refund cost?: The percentage is generally returned and the fixed fee is not — a policy change from 2019. So refunding a completed sale leaves you out of pocket by the fixed component, which matters for businesses with high return rates.
Why is a currency conversion so expensive?: Because a spread of around 3–4% is applied to the exchange rate on top of the transaction fee, and it is not itemised as a fee. Comparing against the mid-market rate is the only way to see it, and it frequently exceeds the headline fee.
Should I quote rates from a calculator as fact?: No — PayPal's schedule varies by country, account type, whether the payment is domestic, and which product processed it, and it changes. Use the calculation to understand the shape of the cost and confirm the current rate against your own account.

Common errors and gotchas

Using a domestic rate on an international payment, which carries an additional percentage.
Overlooking the currency conversion spread, which is often larger than the stated fee.
Assuming the fee is deducted from the sender rather than the recipient.
Adding the fee to the price naively, which under-recovers because the fee applies to the new total.
Using a stale rate, since fee schedules change without much notice.