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Calculator Answers

PayPal Fee Calculator

Blake Boege
Written by Blake Boege · Founder, Calculator Answers

A PayPal fee calculator is a financial tool that computes the processing fees and net payout for transactions completed through the PayPal payment gateway. The calculator processes the standard domestic transaction rate (such as two point ninety-nine percent plus a fixed fee) or custom international and merchant rates. It determines both the fee deducted from a specific received amount and the gross amount a seller must charge to receive a target net payout. Small business owners and freelancers use this tool to budget transaction expenses.

Pick forward mode to see the fee and net from a sale amount, or reverse mode to find the charge needed to net a target amount. All fee rates are editable so you can match the rate that applies to your transaction.

Quick Answer

Calculate PayPal transaction fees and net payouts. Enter the invoice or payment amount to see merchant deductions and net revenues.

Mode
$

What the customer pays. · e.g. 100

Fee rates (editable)

%

Domestic standard percent. · e.g. 2.9

$

Flat per-transaction fee. · e.g. 0.30

%

Add international or currency-conversion surcharge. · e.g. 0

About these defaults

The 2.9% + $0.30 default is a common starting point for online payment processing, but PayPal's actual rates depend on transaction type (goods and services vs friends and family), account type, country, currency, and whether the buyer pays from a balance, bank, or card. Adjust every field to match your account.

Payment-fee estimate only. Not affiliated with PayPal and not financial or tax advice.

PayPal-style fee

Net received

$96.80

Fee $3.20 on $100.00 (3.2% effective rate)

Sale amount$100.00
Fee$3.20
Net received$96.80
Effective fee rate3.2%

Forward mode: fee = sale × percent + fixed. Reverse mode: charge = (target_net + fixed) / (1 − percent). PayPal's real fees can change without notice; verify in your account dashboard before pricing transactions.

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Examples

$100 sale · 2.9% · $0.30 fixed

Fee $3.20 · net $96.80

$50 sale · 2.9% · $0.30 fixed

Fee $1.75 · net $48.25

Receive $100 net · 2.9% · $0.30

Charge $103.30 (fee $3.30)

$200 international · 2.9% + 1.5% · $0.30

Fee $9.10 · net $190.90

How it works

PayPal-style fees combine a percent and a fixed per-transaction charge. The reverse formula solves the charge needed to net a specific amount.

Fee · sale × (percent + intl_pct) + fixed_fee

Net · sale − fee

Charge to net target · (target_net + fixed_fee) / (1 − percent − intl_pct)

Related money calculators

Disclaimer. Payment fee estimate only. Not affiliated with PayPal. Real fees vary by account, transaction type, country, currency, and funding source. Confirm current fees in your PayPal dashboard before pricing.

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Frequently asked questions

PayPal-style fees are typically a percent of the sale amount plus a fixed per-transaction fee. The common online-payment default is 2.9% + $0.30 for domestic goods and services, though the actual rate depends on transaction type, country, currency, account type, and incentives. International and currency-conversion surcharges may apply on top.

Forward mode: you know the sale amount, you want to see the fee and what you will net. Reverse mode: you know the net you want to receive, you want to see what to charge the customer so the net works out. Reverse mode solves charge = (target_net + fixed) / (1 − percent).

2.9% + $0.30 is a common starting point for online payment processing and reflects PayPal's historical published rate for U.S. domestic goods and services, but PayPal can change rates without notice and the actual rate that applies depends on your specific account, transaction type, and counterparty. Always confirm current rates in your PayPal seller dashboard before pricing.

PayPal friends and family (personal transfers funded from balance or bank in many regions) is typically fee-free. Set percent and fixed fee to 0 to model that case. International friends and family transfers and credit-card-funded transfers may still incur fees; set the rates accordingly.

International transactions often add a surcharge on top of the domestic rate (commonly 1 to 2 percentage points), plus a currency-conversion margin on the FX rate that PayPal applies. Enter the international surcharge in the dedicated field. Currency-conversion margins are not separately modeled.

No. This is an independent fee-estimation tool. PayPal's actual fee schedule is authoritative; consult your account dashboard or PayPal's fees page for the rates that apply to your specific transactions.