PayPal Fee Calculator
Work out what PayPal charges on a payment — or flip it around and see how much to ask for so you keep an exact amount.
Rates verified against PayPal's published US fee pages on July 29, 2026.
- Sender pays
- $100.00
- PayPal fee (2.99%)
- −$2.99
- You receive
- $97.01
- Effective fee rate
- 2.99% of the total
Tired of eating the fee?
On Donairo, supporters can choose to cover the fees at checkout — so a $10 donation actually lands as $10 for you. Set up your free donation page in minutes.
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<a href="https://donairo.com/tools/paypal-fee-calculator" title="PayPal Fee Calculator">PayPal Fee Calculator</a> by <a href="https://donairo.com">Donairo</a>PayPal fees in 2026 at a glance
These are PayPal's published US rates. Most payment types charge a percentage of the amount plus a fixed fee; some charge a percentage only. Withdrawal fees are listed separately from fees for receiving payments — each row links to the PayPal page that documents it.
| Scenario | Fee |
|---|---|
| Send/Receive Money for Goods and Services | 2.99% (no fixed fee) |
| PayPal Checkout, Pay with Venmo, Guest Checkout (incl. invoices paid these ways) | 3.49% + $0.49 |
| Standard Credit and Debit Card Payments | 2.99% + $0.49 |
| QR code transactions | 2.29% + $0.09 |
| Micropayments (application required, subject to PayPal approval) | 4.99% + $0.09 |
| Charity transactions (PayPal-confirmed charities) | 1.99% + $0.49 |
| International commercial transactions | +1.5% on top of the payment type's rate |
| Instant Transfer — personal account | 1.75% ($0.25 min, $25.00 max) |
| Instant Transfer — business account | 1.5% ($0.50 min, no fee cap) |
How PayPal fees work
When you're paid for goods or services, PayPal deducts a percentage of the total — plus a fixed fee on most payment types — before the money reaches your balance. The sender pays the amount they entered; you receive what's left. Personal (Friends and Family) payments are free between US personal accounts when funded by a PayPal balance or bank account — but US business accounts can't receive them, they carry no PayPal Purchase Protection, and they must not be used for sales.
If you need to end up with an exact amount, you have to ask for slightly more to absorb the fee. That's the gross-up calculation, and it's what the "what should I ask for" mode above does for you — the same math Donairo runs when supporters choose to cover a creator's fees.
Frequently asked questions
How much does PayPal charge for Goods and Services?
Receiving money sent through PayPal's Goods and Services flow costs a US account 2.99% of the amount, with no fixed fee. Payments that arrive through a PayPal Checkout integration, Pay with Venmo, or Guest Checkout — including invoices paid those ways — cost 3.49% + $0.49 instead; other invoice funding methods have their own published rates.
Are Friends and Family payments free?
Sending Friends and Family within the US is free from a PayPal balance or linked bank account, and costs 2.9% + $0.30 when funded by card. International personal payments add a 5% international fee ($0.99 minimum, $4.99 maximum on that fee) on top of any domestic funding fee, plus a currency conversion fee if conversion is involved. Receiving a personal payment is free unless currency conversion applies — and US business accounts can't receive them at all.
Who pays the PayPal fee — sender or receiver?
On Goods and Services payments the receiver pays: PayPal takes its fee out of the payment, so your balance is credited the net amount. Asking buyers to send Friends and Family instead is against PayPal's rules and leaves the payment without PayPal Purchase Protection — the safe approach is to price the fee in, using the gross-up mode above.
How do I work out what to ask for so I keep an exact amount?
Add any fixed fee to your target, then divide by one minus the percentage rate. To keep $100 on a Goods and Services payment (2.99%, no fixed fee): $100 ÷ (1 − 0.0299) ≈ $103.08. The calculator's second mode does this automatically and rounds so you always clear your target exactly.
What extra fees apply to international payments?
Commercial payments from another country add a 1.5% international fee on top of the standard rate. If a currency conversion is involved, PayPal also applies a conversion spread: 4% when goods-and-services payments or transfers arrive in a different currency, 3% on other transactions — or such other amount as PayPal discloses during the transaction.
How much does Instant Transfer cost?
On a personal account, Instant Transfer costs 1.75% of the amount ($0.25 minimum, $25.00 maximum). On a business account it costs 1.50% with a $0.50 minimum and no published maximum. Standard transfers to a linked bank account are free when no currency conversion is involved.
Do registered charities get a lower PayPal rate?
Yes — PayPal-confirmed charities pay 1.99% + $0.49 per domestic transaction, subject to eligibility, application, and pre-approval by PayPal. International transactions add the same 1.5% fee as other commercial payments.