Calculate PayPal processing fees and find out exactly how much to charge to receive your desired amount.
PayPal's fee structure varies by transaction type, country, and account class. Standard goods-and-services rates in the US are 2.99% + $0.49 for online card transactions, with international transactions adding additional fees. Friends-and-family transfers within the same country typically have no fee but offer no buyer protection. Donations, in-store transactions, and recurring subscriptions each have their own rate schedules.
This calculator handles the common cases. Given a charge amount and transaction type, it returns the PayPal fee and net amount. Given a target net, it computes the gross charge needed. International transactions, currency conversions, and fee schedule variations are configurable.
Output is informational. PayPal fee schedules change periodically; for authoritative current rates, check PayPal's current fee documentation. The calculator covers typical scenarios but cannot capture every promotional rate or custom contract.
PayPal fees are higher than many alternatives, especially for international transactions. Pricing or invoicing without accounting for the fee leaves money on the table or surprises the merchant at reconciliation. Calculating fees explicitly lets you set prices that capture the intended revenue.
Invoicing situations also need gross-up math. A freelancer invoicing $1,000 receives about $940 net after PayPal fees on a domestic transaction; international transactions reduce that further. Charging the correct gross to net the target requires fee-aware calculation.
Pick transaction type, enter amount.
Standard goods and services rate (US): 2.99% + $0.49. Micropayments: 4.99% + $0.09. International goods and services: 4.4% + fixed fee in destination currency. Donations: 1.99% + $0.49 for confirmed nonprofits, standard rate otherwise.
Currency conversion: PayPal applies a markup (typically 3-4%) on top of the wholesale exchange rate when converting received funds. This is in addition to the percentage fee and is often the largest hidden cost of international transactions.
Inverse calculation (gross to receive target net): gross = (target_net + fixed_fee) / (1 - percentage). Same as Stripe but with PayPal's rate constants. The calculator handles the arithmetic.