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See how much PayPal takes from a payment, or work backwards: enter the amount you want to keep and find out what to charge your customer. Pick a fee preset or type your own rate, and add the international and currency-conversion costs if they apply to you.
The presets are sample rates published for US and UK sellers, checked in September 2026. Fees change and depend on your country, payment type and account, so always compare them with your own PayPal fee page or statement.
How PayPal fees are calculated
PayPal charges a percentage of each payment plus a fixed fee. The calculator uses these formulas:
- Fee = payment × percentage rate + fixed fee
- You keep = payment − fee (minus any currency-conversion cost)
- What to charge to receive a set amount = (amount you want + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − percentage rate)
The fixed fee is why small payments are expensive. On a $5 sale, a 49 cent fixed fee alone is close to 10% of the price, while on a $500 sale it barely shows. International payments and currency conversion add further costs on top. Fees also change over time and differ by country, payment method and account type, so treat the presets as a starting point and edit them to match your own PayPal pricing page.
Worked examples
These use the US checkout preset (3.49% + $0.49), unless stated otherwise.
- A $100 payment. Fee = 100 × 0.0349 + 0.49 = $3.98. You keep $96.02, an effective rate of 3.98%.
- A $5 payment. Fee = 5 × 0.0349 + 0.49 = about $0.66. You keep about $4.34, so PayPal takes roughly 13.3% of the sale.
- Keep $100 exactly. Using the card preset (2.99% + $0.49), charge (100 + 0.49) ÷ (1 − 0.0299) = $103.59. After the fee of $3.59, you receive $100.00.
How to keep more of each sale
- Build the fee into your price. The reverse mode shows the exact price that leaves you with the amount you need.
- Bundle small items. One larger payment pays the fixed fee once instead of several times.
- Check cheaper options. Your account may offer lower-rate products such as QR codes or micropayment pricing, and other payment providers can cost less for some sales.
- Know your true margin. Fees reduce your profit, so include them in your cost when you use the profit margin calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much does PayPal charge per transaction?
It depends on your country, the payment type and your account. The presets above show sample published rates, for example 3.49% + $0.49 for a US PayPal checkout payment. Check your own PayPal fee page for the rate that applies to you.
Does PayPal charge a fee on shipping and tax?
PayPal usually calculates its fee on the total amount it receives, which normally includes shipping and tax. Check a recent payment on your PayPal statement to confirm how it applies to you.
What is the international surcharge?
Some payments from buyers in another country carry an extra percentage. The calculator lets you add it, with 1.5% as a sample value for US sellers. Your rate may differ.
What is the currency conversion spread?
When PayPal converts a payment into another currency, the exchange rate it uses includes a margin above the market rate. It is often roughly 3% to 4%. Turn the option on and enter your own figure to include it.
Can I pass the PayPal fee on to my customer?
You can build it into your listed price, which is what the "What to charge" mode calculates. Adding a separate surcharge is treated differently in different countries and by PayPal's own rules, so check the rules that apply to you before doing it.