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Payment fees

PayPal Fee Calculator

What PayPal takes from a payment, and the exact amount to invoice so the fee lands on the payer instead.

PayPal fee = amount × 3.49% + $0.49 for standard US commercial payments. Receive $100 and PayPal keeps $3.98, leaving you $96.02. To receive a target amount, invoice more than the target: required invoice = (target + $0.49) ÷ (1 − 0.0349). To net exactly $100 you must invoice $104.12, not $103.98, because the fee applies to the grossed-up total too. PayPal's 3.49% + $0.49 runs noticeably above the 2.9% + $0.30 typical of Stripe and Square — the Stripe vs PayPal fee calculator works out what that costs on your own ticket size, and the credit card processing fee calculator compares any processor's rate on your volume. Enter an amount to see the fee both directions: what a payment nets you, and what to invoice for a desired net.

PayPal Fee Calculator — your numbers

You receive

$96.02

PayPal fee

$3.98

Invoice this to net your target

$104.12

Estimate only. Results reflect exactly the numbers you enter — verify against your own accounting before making pricing decisions.

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Fee defaults last reviewed 2026-08-15. Platforms change their fees — every rate above is editable, so enter your current numbers for an exact result.

Worked examples

Receiving a $100 payment

Payment amount $100.00
Fee rate 3.49%
Fixed fee $0.49
Desired net (for invoicing) $100.00
You receive $96.02
PayPal fee $3.98
Invoice this to net your target $104.12

$3.98 in fees; to actually net $100 you must invoice $104.12.

A $250 client invoice

Payment amount $250.00
Fee rate 3.49%
Fixed fee $0.49
Desired net (for invoicing) $250.00
You receive $240.79
PayPal fee $9.22
Invoice this to net your target $259.55

The fee grows with the amount: $9.21 gone, invoice $259.55 to keep $250.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I just add 3.49% to my invoice to cover the fee?

Because PayPal charges the fee on the grossed-up total, not the original amount. Add 3.49% to $100 and invoice $103.49: the fee on that is $4.10, netting you $99.39, still short. The correct formula divides instead: (target + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − rate). That is what the gross-up output computes for you.

What rate applies to my PayPal payments?

US commercial transactions (invoices, checkout, goods and services) run 3.49% + $0.49. Qualified charity rates, micropayment pricing (4.99% + $0.09, better below roughly $10), QR-code and card-present rates, and international surcharges (an extra ~1.5% cross-border) all differ. Both fee fields are editable: set them to the product you actually use.

Are friends-and-family payments free?

US-to-US personal payments funded by bank balance are free, but they carry no buyer or seller protection and using them for commerce violates PayPal's terms; accounts get limited for it. For any business income, use goods-and-services and treat the 3.49% + $0.49 as a cost of sale that this calculator prices into your invoice.

Do PayPal's fees change, and what about currency conversion?

PayPal revises its fee schedule periodically (the fixed fee moved from $0.30 to $0.49 in 2021), so verify the current rate table on PayPal's pricing page. Currency conversion adds a separate 3–4% spread on top of transaction fees, which this calculator does not model: for international clients, that spread often costs more than the visible fee.

What is the PayPal goods and services (G&S) fee?

Goods and services is the commercial payment type this calculator models: the seller pays 3.49% + $0.49 on the amount received, and the buyer pays nothing extra. G&S payments carry purchase protection for the buyer and seller protection for you, which is what the fee buys. Receive $80 through G&S and PayPal deducts $3.28, paying out $76.72. The rate differs for micropayments, charities and cross-border transactions, so set the fields to your actual product.

Does PayPal charge a fee for invoices?

Sending an invoice is free; getting paid is not. When a client pays a PayPal invoice by card or balance, the standard commercial rate of 3.49% + $0.49 comes off the payment, the same math as any goods-and-services transaction. There is no monthly fee for invoicing itself. Use the gross-up output above to set the invoice amount that nets your target figure, and remember cross-border clients add a surcharge of about 1.5% on top.

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Part of the Marketplace & Payment Fees collection.