How to use it
- Choose the kind of payment: a PayPal checkout or invoice, a goods and services payment, or a card payment through PayPal.
- Say whether the buyer is in the United States or abroad.
- Type the amount the buyer pays to see the fee and your net amount.
- Or switch to the reverse mode and type the amount you want to receive: the calculator tells you what to charge.
How PayPal calculates its fee
For commercial transactions, PayPal charges a percentage of the payment plus a fixed fee per transaction. The percentage depends on how the buyer pays and on the product you use, and the fixed fee depends on the currency of the payment. The current US rates are in the table above.
- Domestic payment: the standard percentage plus the fixed fee.
- International payment: an extra percentage when the buyer's account or card is from another country.
- Currency conversion: if you or the buyer convert currencies, PayPal applies its own exchange spread, which is not shown as a fee line but reduces what you receive.
- Payments between friends and family in the US are free when funded by balance or bank, but they have no purchase protection and are not meant for sales.
How much to ask to receive a certain amount
Because the fee is a percentage of the total plus a fixed amount, you cannot just add the fee to your price: the fee on the extra amount is missing. The right formula is: amount to ask = (amount you want + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − percentage). The reverse mode does this for you, rounded to the cent the way PayPal rounds.
Check your selling platform's rules before passing the fee on to the buyer. Some marketplaces and card network rules restrict surcharges, and some states regulate them.
PayPal on eBay and other marketplaces
eBay processes payments itself, so eBay sales do not pay a separate PayPal fee: the payment processing is part of eBay's own fees. Use the eBay calculator for those. This page is for sales you take directly, through invoices, your own website or social media.
What the calculator does not include
- Chargebacks, dispute fees and refunds. When you refund, PayPal may keep part of the original fee.
- Instant transfer fees to move money to your bank or debit card.
- Custom rates negotiated for high-volume merchants.
Questions
How much does PayPal charge for receiving money?
For a sale, a percentage of the payment plus a fixed fee per transaction, with an extra percentage for international payments. The current rates are in the table above, with the date they were checked.
How do I calculate how much to charge to cover PayPal fees?
Add the fixed fee to the amount you want and divide by one minus the percentage. Switch to the reverse mode and type the amount you want: the calculator does the math.
Does PayPal charge the buyer or the seller?
For a purchase, the seller pays the fee. The buyer pays nothing extra unless a currency conversion applies on their side.
Are friends and family payments free?
Domestic payments funded by PayPal balance or a bank account usually are, but they are not for buying or selling and have no seller or buyer protection.