How much does PayPal charge per transaction?

As of 2026, PayPal charges 2.99% + $0.49 for standard US domestic Goods and Services payments, 3.49% + $0.49 for invoicing, 4.99% + $0.09 for micropayments under $10, and 2.29% + $0.09 for QR code payments. International (cross-border) transactions add a 1.5% surcharge. Personal Friends and Family transfers funded by a bank account are free within the US.

What is the PayPal fee formula?

The forward formula is Fee = Amount × Percentage + Fixed Fee. For 2.9% + $0.30 (legacy rate) on $100, Fee = $100 × 0.029 + $0.30 = $3.20. The reverse (gross-up) formula is Gross = (Target Net + Fixed Fee) / (1 − Percentage). To net $100 at 2.9% + $0.30, charge $103.30.

How to calculate PayPal fees for invoices?

PayPal invoicing costs 3.49% + $0.49 per payment in the US. To calculate the fee on an invoice, multiply the invoice total by 0.0349 and add $0.49. To ensure you receive the intended net, gross up the invoice: Invoice = (Desired Net + $0.49) / (1 − 0.0349). For a $500 target, invoice $518.63 — PayPal takes $18.63 and you net $500.

What is the PayPal fee for receiving money?

It depends on how the money is sent. Receiving a Goods and Services payment costs 2.99% + $0.49. Receiving a Friends and Family payment costs nothing if the sender funded it from a US bank balance, but 2.9% + $0.30 if they used a credit or debit card. International Goods and Services payments add a 1.5% cross-border fee.

Are PayPal international fees different?

Yes. PayPal adds a 1.5% cross-border fee on top of the domestic rate whenever the sender and receiver are in different countries. A US seller receiving a $100 Goods and Services payment from a European buyer pays 2.99% + 1.5% + $0.49 = roughly $4.99 in fees. PayPal also applies a currency conversion spread of 3-4% if the payment is in a different currency.

Can I pass PayPal fees on to my customers?

In most US states yes, you can add a surcharge to cover PayPal fees, but PayPal's User Agreement requires the total amount charged to match the good or service — you cannot list the fee as a separate line item on PayPal itself. Use the gross-up method: quote one combined price that already includes the fee coverage.

What is PayPal Micropayments?

Micropayments is an opt-in pricing tier for merchants who process many small transactions. The rate changes from 2.99% + $0.49 to 4.99% + $0.09. The lower fixed fee makes it cheaper for any payment under about $12. Merchants must contact PayPal to enable it on their account.

Are PayPal Friends and Family transfers really free?

Only when the sender is in the US and funds the payment from their PayPal balance or a linked US bank account. Card-funded Friends and Family payments cost the sender 2.9% + $0.30. International Friends and Family is also not free — it carries currency conversion and cross-border fees.

PayPal Fee Calculator

PayPal's fee schedule is a patchwork of transaction types, each with its own percentage and fixed fee. The standard US domestic Goods and Services rate is 2.99% + $0.49, but invoicing bumps the percentage to 3.49%, cross-border transactions add another 1.5%, micropayments under $10 switch to 4.99% + $0.09, and QR code payments drop to 2.29% + $0.09. Our PayPal fee calculator handles all of these in one place. Enter the amount and pick the transaction type — we compute the fee, the net amount you receive, the effective fee percentage, and (critically for freelancers and merchants) the gross-up amount, which is the total you must charge so that after PayPal's cut you receive exactly the target net. This is essential for invoicing clients a clean number and not eating the fee yourself.

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calendar_today Updated: April 2026

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payments Transaction Details

Amount

Transaction Type

Target Net (optional, for gross-up)

Leave 0 to use the amount above as the target

Advanced overrides

Percentage Override

Fixed Fee Override

analytics Fee Breakdown

PayPal Fee

$3.48

Effective: 3.48%

You Receive (Net) $96.52

Applied %

2.99%

Fixed Fee

$0.49

Gross-Up (Reverse)

Charge this to net target $103.60

Fee PayPal takes $3.60

Rate Applied

Standard Goods and Services fee — 2.99% + $0.49

Input Values

Transaction Amount

Transaction Type

Goods and Services (2.99% + $0.49)

Invoicing (3.49% + $0.49)

International / Cross-border (+1.5%)

Micropayments (4.99% + $0.09)

QR Code (2.29% + $0.09)

Friends and Family — Bank (Free)

Friends and Family — Card (2.9% + $0.30)

Target Net (for gross-up)

tips_and_updates Tips

• Always add the PayPal fee to your invoice using gross-up — dividing (net + 0.49) by (1 − 0.0299) — or you'll eat 3-5% of every transaction
• For transactions under $10, enable Micropayments (4.99% + $0.09) — the lower fixed fee makes small payments cheaper despite the higher percentage
• International (cross-border) transactions add a 1.5% surcharge on top of the base rate, so a US seller receiving from Europe pays roughly 4.49% + $0.49
• Invoicing carries a 3.49% + $0.49 rate — higher than standard Goods and Services because invoices get extra reminders and dispute protection
• QR code in-person payments are the cheapest at 2.29% + $0.09 — worth using for face-to-face transactions
• Friends and Family transfers from a US bank account are free, but credit-card-funded F&F still costs 2.9% + $0.30 — always verify the funding source
• Never ask a client to send Goods and Services payment as Friends and Family to avoid fees — it voids PayPal's purchase protection and violates the User Agreement
• Charity rates (1.99% + $0.49) apply only to verified 501(c)(3) nonprofits that enroll with PayPal Giving Fund

How to Use This Calculator

Enter the transaction amount

Input the gross amount of the PayPal payment you are sending or receiving.

Pick the transaction type

Choose Goods and Services, Invoicing, International, Micropayments, QR Code, or Friends and Family.

Review fee and net

See the PayPal fee, net amount received, and effective fee percentage instantly.

Use gross-up for invoicing

Enter a target net amount to compute the gross you should charge so you receive exactly that net after fees.

Optional overrides

Use percentage and fixed fee overrides for charity rates, negotiated pricing, or future rate changes.

The Formula

Forward: multiply the amount by the percentage and add the fixed fee. Reverse (gross-up): to net a target amount after PayPal fees, divide (target + fixed fee) by (1 − percentage). Example: to net exactly $100 on Goods and Services, charge $103.60 — PayPal takes 2.99% + $0.49 = $3.60 and you receive $100.00. International transactions add a 1.5% cross-border surcharge on top of the base percentage.

Fee = Amount × Percentage + Fixed Fee   |   Net = Amount − Fee   |   Gross-up = (Target Net + Fixed Fee) / (1 − Percentage)

lightbulb Variables Explained

Amount Gross transaction amount (what the payer sends)
Percentage PayPal's percentage fee (2.29% – 4.99% depending on type)
Fixed Fee Flat per-transaction fee ($0.09, $0.30, or $0.49)
Fee Total PayPal fee deducted from the payment
Net Amount you actually receive after fees
Effective % Fee / Amount × 100 — true all-in rate including the fixed fee
Gross-up Amount to charge so net equals your target (reverse calculation)

tips_and_updates Pro Tips

Always add the PayPal fee to your invoice using gross-up — dividing (net + 0.49) by (1 − 0.0299) — or you'll eat 3-5% of every transaction

For transactions under $10, enable Micropayments (4.99% + $0.09) — the lower fixed fee makes small payments cheaper despite the higher percentage

International (cross-border) transactions add a 1.5% surcharge on top of the base rate, so a US seller receiving from Europe pays roughly 4.49% + $0.49

Invoicing carries a 3.49% + $0.49 rate — higher than standard Goods and Services because invoices get extra reminders and dispute protection

QR code in-person payments are the cheapest at 2.29% + $0.09 — worth using for face-to-face transactions

Friends and Family transfers from a US bank account are free, but credit-card-funded F&F still costs 2.9% + $0.30 — always verify the funding source

Never ask a client to send Goods and Services payment as Friends and Family to avoid fees — it voids PayPal's purchase protection and violates the User Agreement

Charity rates (1.99% + $0.49) apply only to verified 501(c)(3) nonprofits that enroll with PayPal Giving Fund

PayPal's US domestic Goods and Services rate sits at 2.99% + $0.49 in 2026, up from the long-running 2.9% + $0.30 legacy rate. Invoicing is priced higher at 3.49% + $0.49 because PayPal provides additional services — automated reminders, payment tracking, and dispute mediation. Micropayments (opt-in) flip the formula to 4.99% + $0.09, which makes any payment below roughly $12 cheaper because the fixed fee drops by 40 cents. In-person QR Code payments are the cheapest channel at 2.29% + $0.09, reflecting PayPal's push into point-of-sale. Cross-border transactions carry a flat 1.5% surcharge on top of the base rate, and currency conversion adds a further 3-4% spread when the payment arrives in a different currency than your account.

If a client owes you $500 and you send them a PayPal invoice for $500, PayPal takes 3.49% + $0.49 = $17.94 and you receive $482.06. To receive the full $500, you must gross up the invoice: Gross = (500 + 0.49) / (1 − 0.0349) = $518.59. Always bake the fee into the price you quote — never absorb it silently. Our PayPal fee calculator does the reverse math automatically so you can generate a correct invoice in one step.

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