How PayPal merchant fees are calculated
For supported US commercial transactions, PayPal combines a percentage of the payment with a fixed fee based on the currency received. This calculator uses USD fixed fees and rounds the percentage component to the nearest cent.
PayPal fee = payment amount × percentage rate + fixed feeNet received = payment amount − PayPal feeDomestic and international transactions
A payment is domestic when sender and receiver are registered or identified by PayPal as residents of the same market. An international commercial transaction adds 1.50 percentage points to the applicable domestic rate.
What this estimate excludes
Currency conversion spreads are applied through PayPal's transaction exchange rate rather than as a simple processing fee, so they are not added here. Disputes, chargebacks, refunds, withdrawals, custom pricing, and optional services are also outside this transaction estimate.
Selected US PayPal merchant rates
| Payment type | Domestic USD rate |
|---|---|
| PayPal Checkout, Pay with Venmo, Guest Checkout | 3.49% + $0.49 |
| Standard credit and debit card payments | 2.99% + $0.49 |
| Send/Receive Money for Goods and Services | 2.99% |
| QR code transactions | 2.29% + $0.09 |
| PayPal Pay Later | 4.99% + $0.49 |
| Approved micropayments pricing | 4.99% + $0.09 |
International commercial transactions add 1.50%. Micropayments pricing requires eligibility, application, and PayPal approval. Rates for Braintree, Advanced Card Payments, Point of Sale, donations, charities, invoicing ACH, and cryptocurrency are not silently substituted.
PayPal fee calculation example
For a $100 domestic PayPal Checkout payment, the percentage fee is $3.49 and the USD fixed fee is $0.49.
Frequently asked questions
How much does PayPal charge for a $100 payment?
For a domestic US PayPal Checkout payment at 3.49% plus $0.49, the estimated fee is $3.98 and the merchant receives $96.02. Other payment types use different rates.
What is the PayPal fee for an international payment?
For US merchant commercial transactions, PayPal adds 1.50 percentage points to the applicable domestic transaction rate when sender and receiver are in different markets. Currency conversion may add a separate exchange-rate spread.
How do I calculate how much to charge after PayPal fees?
Choose Find amount to charge, enter the net amount you want, and EasyTry searches for the lowest gross USD payment that reaches that amount under the selected rate.
Does PayPal return the original fee after a refund?
PayPal says there is no separate fee to issue a commercial transaction refund, but the fees originally paid to receive the payment are not returned.
Rate sources and change log
- PayPal US merchant fees — definitions, supported commercial transaction types, international fee, refunds, and currency conversion.
- PayPal US merchant fee schedule — printable schedule effective .
Initial USD ruleset added from PayPal's July 15, 2026 merchant fee schedule.