PayPal Fee Calculator

Enter your transaction amount. See your exact PayPal fee and net take-home — for standard Checkout, international, currency conversion, and Micropayments, using current 2026 rates.

No sign-up. No email. Nothing stored. Rates current as of April 2026.

Calculate your fee
$
Gross transaction $100.00
PayPal fee (3.49% + $0.49) −$3.98
You receive $96.02
Standard Checkout: 3.49% + $0.49 per successful charge
Quick reference — standard
Transaction PayPal fee You keep
Assumes standard Checkout at 3.49% + $0.49 per successful charge.

How PayPal fees actually work

PayPal's pricing is the most complex of the three major processors. The fee depends on who pays (domestic card, PayPal balance, international card), how they pay (standard Checkout, Advanced Checkout, invoice), and what tier you're on (standard or Micropayments).

fee = (amount × rate%) + fixed

A $100 standard domestic charge at 3.49% + $0.49 costs $100 × 0.0349 + $0.49 = $3.98, leaving $96.02. Notice that PayPal's rate is meaningfully higher than Stripe's (2.9% + $0.30) or Square's online rate (2.9% + $0.30).

Current PayPal rates (2026)

Payment type Rate Notes
Standard Checkout (PayPal balance + cards via PayPal button) 3.49% + $0.49 The default rate for most US merchants since 2021.
Advanced Credit/Debit Card processing 2.99% + $0.49 When cards are processed directly through Checkout without the PayPal button.
International card +1.5% (4.99% + $0.49 total) Surcharge added to standard rate for non-US cards.
Currency conversion ~4% additional Applied when converting to/from your account currency.
Micropayments (opt-in) 4.99% + $0.09 Cheaper than standard for transactions below ~$12. All-or-nothing per account.
Invoicing (card payment) 3.49% + $0.49 Same as standard Checkout.
Chargeback / dispute fee $20 per dispute Waived if the transaction is eligible for Seller Protection.
Heads up: PayPal's pricing changes frequently and varies by country, business type, and volume. Enterprise pricing is negotiable for merchants processing $100K+/month. Always verify current rates at paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/merchant-fees.

Worked examples at common transaction sizes

PayPal's fixed $0.49 fee is the highest among major processors. On a $5 sale, PayPal keeps 13.3% — more than Stripe (9.0%) or Square (4.6% in-person). For very small transactions, the Micropayments tier is much better.

Gross Standard (3.49% + $0.49) Advanced Card (2.99% + $0.49) Micropayments (4.99% + $0.09)
$5.00$0.66 (13.24%)$0.64 (12.79%)$0.34 (6.79%)
$10.00$0.84 (8.39%)$0.79 (7.89%)$0.59 (5.89%)
$25.00$1.36 (5.45%)$1.24 (4.95%)$1.34 (5.34%)
$50.00$2.24 (4.47%)$1.99 (3.98%)$2.59 (5.17%)
$100.00$3.98 (3.98%)$3.48 (3.48%)$5.08 (5.08%)
$500.00$17.94 (3.59%)$15.44 (3.09%)$25.04 (5.01%)
$1,000.00$35.39 (3.54%)$30.39 (3.04%)$49.99 (5.00%)
$5,000.00$174.99 (3.50%)$149.99 (3.00%)$249.59 (4.99%)

PayPal quirks worth knowing

  • Fixed fee isn't refunded. Since 2019, when you refund a transaction, PayPal keeps the $0.49 fixed fee. Only the percentage is returned. This hurts businesses with high refund rates (software trials, subscription cancellations).
  • Dispute fees are real. $20 per chargeback, though Seller-Protection-eligible transactions are exempt. If you sell primarily to the US with real ship-to addresses, most disputes are covered.
  • Micropayments is all-or-nothing. You can't mix Micropayments pricing with standard pricing in the same PayPal account. If your average transaction is under $10, switch; above $12, standard is cheaper.
  • Hold times on new accounts. New PayPal Business accounts often have 21-day holds on the first $2K–$5K of transactions. Plan for cash flow accordingly.
  • PayPal Payouts is separate. If you need to pay out to contractors or affiliates, PayPal charges 2% (max $20) per domestic payout, more for international. Different from processing fees.
  • International currency conversion stacks. A EUR-based customer paying you in USD triggers both the international card surcharge (+1.5%) AND currency conversion (~4%) — total 8.99% + $0.49.
  • Advanced Checkout is a rate cut, not a separate product. The 2.99% + $0.49 rate applies when PayPal processes cards directly through Checkout (without the PayPal-branded button). Most PayPal Business accounts qualify automatically.

PayPal vs Stripe vs Square fees

PayPal has the highest headline rates but unmatched buyer trust in some markets. Stripe is the developer favorite for online and international. Square wins on in-person and chargebacks. Run your numbers through the head-to-head comparison:

Stripe

2.9% + $0.30 · US card
Calculate Stripe fees →

Square

2.6% + $0.10 · in-person
Calculate Square fees →

PayPal

3.49% + $0.49 · Checkout
Current page

Head-to-head

Compare all three at your volume
Open comparison →

Ready to accept PayPal payments?

PayPal Business has the largest reach of any processor — especially if your audience skews toward buyers who want to pay with a trusted brand they already use.

Start with PayPal Consider Square Consider Shopify Stripe pricing (direct)

Some links are affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Stripe link is not affiliate. Full disclosure.

Frequently asked questions

What are PayPal's current transaction fees?
3.49% + $0.49 for standard Checkout, 2.99% + $0.49 for Advanced Credit/Debit Card via Checkout, +1.5% for international cards, ~4% for currency conversion, and 4.99% + $0.09 for the opt-in Micropayments tier.
Is PayPal more expensive than Stripe and Square?
For standard domestic online payments, yes — PayPal's 3.49% + $0.49 is the highest among the three major processors. Stripe and Square online are both 2.9% + $0.30. PayPal justifies this with brand trust and Checkout conversion for buyers who prefer logging in rather than entering card details.
Does PayPal refund fees on refunded transactions?
Not fully. PayPal keeps the fixed fee ($0.49) on refunds; only the percentage-based portion is returned. This differs from Stripe (refunds most fees on modern accounts) and can meaningfully affect businesses with high refund volume.
When does Micropayments make sense?
Micropayments (4.99% + $0.09) beats standard (3.49% + $0.49) for transactions under approximately $12. If your average transaction is $5–$10 (microtransactions, tips, small digital goods), opt into Micropayments. You can only have one tier per PayPal account.
What's the deal with holds on new PayPal accounts?
New PayPal Business accounts often have 21-day rolling holds on initial transactions (typically first $2K–$5K processed). This is to mitigate fraud risk while PayPal builds confidence in the account. Plan cash flow accordingly.
Is this calculator affiliated with PayPal?
No. netfee.io is independent. We participate in PayPal's partner program via Impact.com — if you click through to PayPal from this page and sign up, we may earn a commission. This doesn't influence the rates we publish.