PayPal Fee Calculator for USD

Rates for the United States · verified 2026-08-26 from paypal.com/us/business/paypal-business-fees

What PayPal leaves you

$96.02 reaches your account

Total fee: $3.98
Effective rate: 3.98%
Headline rate: 3.49%
Charge to net this: $104.12

You keep
PayPal keeps

Where the money goes

PayPal fee breakdown on $100.00
Item	Amount	% of sale
Customer pays	$100.00	100%
Percentage fee (3.49%)	$3.49	3.49%
Fixed fee	$0.49	0.49%
International transaction (+1.5%)	$0.00	0%
Currency conversion (+4%)	$0.00	0%
Total fee	$3.98	3.98%
You receive	$96.02	96.02%

How PayPal pricing works in USD

PayPal charges 3.49% plus $0.49 on paypal checkouts in the United States. The two halves behave very differently: the percentage is the same whatever you charge, while the fixed fee is a bigger slice the smaller the payment. On $10 you lose 8.4%; on $1,000 you lose 3.54%.

On top of that sit international transaction (+1.5%) and currency conversion (+4%). These stack onto the same base, which is why a converted international payment can cost close to double the headline rate. Switch them on in the calculator to see what that does to a real figure.

The 4% currency-conversion spread is charged on top of the transaction fee and is easy to miss.

PayPal rate card, USD

PayPal rate card for USD
Payment type	Percentage	Fixed fee
PayPal Checkout	3.49%	$0.49
+ International transaction	+1.5%	—
+ Currency conversion	+4%	—

Source: paypal.com/us/business/paypal-business-fees, verified 2026-08-26

What it costs at a glance

PayPal fees by transaction size in USD
Sale	Fee	You receive	Effective rate
$10	$0.84	$9.16	8.39%
$25	$1.36	$23.64	5.45%
$50	$2.24	$47.77	4.47%
$100	$3.98	$96.02	3.98%
$250	$9.22	$240.79	3.69%
$500	$17.94	$482.06	3.59%
$1,000	$35.39	$964.61	3.54%
$5,000	$174.99	$4,825.01	3.5%

Other processors on a $100 sale

Processor fees compared on a $100 sale
Processor	Fee	You receive	vs PayPal
Stripe · USD	$3.20	$96.80	−$0.78

Frequently asked questions

How much does PayPal charge in USD?

3.49% plus $0.49 per paypal checkout in the United States. On a $100 payment that is $3.98, leaving $96.02 — an effective rate of 3.98%.

Why is my effective PayPal rate higher than 3.49%?

Because of the $0.49 fixed fee. It is the same on every payment, so it weighs far more on small ones: a $10 sale loses 8.4% while a $1,000 sale loses 3.54%. The advertised percentage is only the floor.

How much should I charge to receive a specific amount?

Divide your target by (1 − 3.49%) after adding the fixed fee. To net $100 you would charge $104.12. The calculator does this automatically — the "charge to receive" figure updates as you type.

What extra does PayPal charge on international payments?

International transaction adds 1.5%; Currency conversion adds 4%. These are additive on the same base as the main rate, so an international card that also needs conversion pays both on top of the standard percentage.

Are these PayPal rates current?

They were read from paypal.com/us/business/paypal-business-fees on 2026-08-26. Processor pricing changes without notice and can differ by account, country and negotiated rate, so confirm against your own dashboard before relying on a figure.

Fee estimates for informational purposes only. Processor pricing changes without notice and varies by account, country, product and negotiated rate. Always confirm against your processor's own pricing page and your account dashboard before relying on a figure.