PayPal Fee Calculator 2026 — Commercial & Cross-Border Fees
See exactly what PayPal keeps on a commercial (goods & services) transaction, including the cross-border surcharge for international buyers, and reverse-solve the invoice amount for a target net.
Commercial transactions (goods & services) rate for a standard US PayPal Business/Checkout account: 3.49% + $0.49 domestic. Cross-border transactions add a separate cross-border fee (typically 0.5–1.5% depending on country) plus currency conversion if applicable — the toggle above models a mid-range estimate. Micropayments and nonprofit rates differ.
Fee breakdown
Fee structure
How PayPal fees are calculated
COMMERCIAL RATE
3.49% + $0.49 per transaction for goods & services on a standard US PayPal Business account.
CROSS-BORDER FEE
International buyers add an extra cross-border fee (≈0.5–1.5%) plus currency conversion — toggle it above.
MICROPAYMENTS
PayPal offers a separate micropayments rate for very small transactions — not modeled here; check your account settings.
REVERSE MATH
Need a specific net? The reverse calculator below solves for the invoice amount.
FAQ
PayPal questions answered
What does PayPal charge for commercial transactions?
The standard US rate for goods & services is 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction on a standard Business/Checkout account.
Does PayPal charge more for international buyers?
Yes — cross-border transactions add a separate fee (roughly 0.5–1.5% depending on the buyer's country), plus currency conversion if the payment isn't in your default currency.
Is PayPal more expensive than Stripe?
For a typical domestic charge, yes — 3.49% + $0.49 is higher than Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30. Negotiated volume pricing, currency, and transaction size can change the comparison.
How do I figure out what to invoice for a target take-home?
Use the reverse math calculator below, pre-loaded with PayPal's commercial rate — enter your target net and it solves for the invoice amount.
Reverse math mode
Know what you want to take home? Work backwards.
Instead of "what do I keep from this amount?", answer "what do I need to charge to net a specific amount, after PayPal's fees?" The pricing calculator solves it instantly, pre-loaded with PayPal's exact rate.
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Pair the PayPal calculator with these.
PayPal's commercial rate, in plain terms
On a $100 domestic invoice, PayPal keeps $3.98 ($3.49 percentage cut plus the $0.49 fixed fee), leaving you $96.02. Like most percentage-plus-fixed fee structures, the effective rate is worse on small invoices — the $0.49 fixed portion matters much more on a $10 payment than a $1,000 one.
Cross-border fees for international clients
If your buyer is paying from outside your home country, PayPal adds a cross-border fee on top of the base rate — typically in the 0.5–1.5% range depending on the country pair — plus a currency conversion markup if the payment currency differs from your balance currency. Toggle the surcharge above to model an international client.
Invoicing for a target take-home
Need exactly $750 to land after fees? The reverse pricing calculator is pre-loaded with PayPal's rate and solves for the invoice amount. If you're deciding between processors, run the same target through Stripe for a direct comparison.