Payment fees
PayPal Fee Calculator
PayPal charges 3.49% + $0.49 on standard US commercial payments — so a $100 payment costs $3.98 in fees and lands $96.02 in your balance. Enter any amount below to see the exact fee, what you receive, and the effective rate, or switch to reverse mode to find out what to charge to hit a target amount.
How much does PayPal charge per transaction?
For a standard commercial payment in the US, PayPal charges 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction. The PayPal fee on $100 is $3.98, on $1,000 it is $35.39, and on $20 it is $1.19. The same rate covers PayPal Checkout and PayPal invoices. Personal payments sent as friends and family within the US are priced separately and are free when funded from a PayPal balance or bank account.
How it works
PayPal’s commercial transaction fee is a percentage of the payment plus a fixed fee, deducted before the money reaches your balance. Whether you searched for a PayPal fees calculator, a PayPal transaction fee calculator or a PayPal charge calculator, the formula underneath is this one:
PayPal fee = payment amount × 3.49% + $0.49You receive = payment amount − PayPal feeThis standard commercial rate applies to the ways most businesses get paid through PayPal: PayPal Checkout on a website, PayPal invoices, and standard card payments processed by PayPal. The reverse mode above rearranges the formula — charge = (amount you want + $0.49) ÷ (1 − 0.0349) — for sellers who need a precise sum to arrive, for example when quoting a client who pays via PayPal.
Rates used by this calculator
| Transaction type | PayPal rate | Fee on $100 |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial transaction — US buyer | 3.49% + $0.49 | $3.98 |
| Commercial transaction — international buyer | 3.49% + 1.5% international fee + $0.49 | $5.48 |
Source: PayPal’s official US merchant fees page (paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/merchant-fees). The international row adds PayPal’s 1.5% international commercial transaction fee. Last verified: November 2026
Worked examples
Example 1 — a $100 payment from a US customer
| Payment amount | $100.00 |
| PayPal fee (3.49% + $0.49) | $3.98 |
| You receive | $96.02 |
| Effective fee rate | 3.98% |
Example 2 — a $1,000 invoice paid through PayPal
| Payment amount | $1,000.00 |
| PayPal fee (3.49% + $0.49) | $35.39 |
| You receive | $964.61 |
| Effective fee rate | 3.54% |
At $1,000 the fixed $0.49 almost disappears into the percentage — the effective rate falls from 3.98% to 3.54%.
Example 3 — you need exactly $250 to arrive (reverse mode)
| You should charge | $259.55 |
| PayPal fee (3.49% + $0.49) | $9.55 |
| You receive | $250.00 |
| Effective fee rate | 3.68% |
When these fees apply — and the limitations
This calculator uses PayPal’s standard US commercial transaction rate. Watch for these exceptions:
- International payments add a 1.5% international fee, and if PayPal converts the currency it applies its own exchange rate, which includes a conversion markup above the base rate.
- Micropayments: if you sell very low-priced items, PayPal’s micropayment pricing (a higher percentage, much lower fixed fee) can work out cheaper — it is not the rate used here.
- Refunds: when you refund a commercial payment, PayPal does not return the transaction fee.
- Chargebacks and disputes carry separate fees that are not part of the per-transaction rate.
- Registered charities and high-volume merchants may be on different, individually agreed rates.
Always confirm the current figures on PayPal’s own merchant fees page before making pricing decisions.
Comparing your options
For PayPal vs Stripe, Stripe’s standard rate of 2.9% + $0.30 is cheaper on every standard card payment — $3.20 against PayPal’s $3.98 on $100, and the gap grows with the amount. PayPal still earns its place for many sellers because buyers trust the PayPal button and it can lift conversion. Compare your own average sale in the Stripe fee calculator, and if you sell to the UK, check the PayPal fee calculator UK — the UK rate is lower.
Frequently asked questions
How much does PayPal take from $100?
On a standard US commercial payment, PayPal takes $3.98 from $100 — the 3.49% percentage fee ($3.49) plus the $0.49 fixed fee — leaving you $96.02. If the buyer is outside the US, the 1.5% international fee raises the deduction to about $5.48.
What is PayPal’s fee for sending an invoice?
PayPal invoices are charged at the same standard commercial rate as checkout payments: 3.49% + $0.49 per paid invoice in the US. There is no fee to create or send the invoice — the fee is only taken when the customer pays it.
What is the PayPal fee for friends and family?
Personal friends-and-family payments within the US are free when funded from a PayPal balance or a linked bank account; funding them with a card attracts a fee. Note that friends and family carries no purchase protection and must not be used for business sales — using it to dodge commercial fees breaches PayPal’s terms and can get an account limited.
How can I reduce the PayPal fees I pay?
The fixed $0.49 punishes small transactions, so consolidating into fewer, larger payments helps most. If your products are priced under about $10, ask PayPal about micropayment pricing. And if a large share of your revenue arrives through PayPal, compare the total against Stripe (2.9% + $0.30) using the calculator on this page — on standard rates Stripe is cheaper per transaction.
How do I calculate the PayPal fee in reverse?
Divide the amount you want to receive, plus the $0.49 fixed fee, by (1 − 0.0349). To receive $250: ($250 + $0.49) ÷ 0.9651 = $259.55. Charging $259.55 leaves exactly $250.00 after PayPal’s $9.55 fee. The reverse mode above does this automatically.
Read the guide: How Much Does PayPal Charge? Every Fee Explained — every fee in plain English, what $100 really costs, and how to pay less.
Related calculators
Estimates only. Platforms can change their fees at any time; always confirm the rate on the platform’s own pricing page before making pricing decisions. ToolFees is not affiliated with the platform named on this page.