PayPal fee calculator for US sellers
PayPal does not have one US rate, it has about ten, and the one you pay depends on how the money arrived. PayPal Checkout is 3.49% plus 49 cents. A card entered on your own site is 2.99% plus 49 cents. A QR code in person is 2.29% plus 9 cents. This PayPal Fee Calculator prices the channel you actually used, for US sellers.
Also Guest Checkout and Pay with Venmo. The default rate for a PayPal button.
PayPal takes
$3.98
You keep $96.02 of a $100.00 payment.
Rates checked against PayPal’s published US schedule on 27 August 2026.
Worked example
A $100 domestic sale paid through PayPal Checkout
3.49% of $100 is $3.49, plus the 49 cent fixed fee, so PayPal takes $3.98 and you net $96.02. The same $100 taken as a QR code payment in person costs $2.38, a saving of $1.60 on one sale.
PayPal's US rates depend entirely on the channel
The single most useful thing to know about PayPal's pricing is that the button matters more than the amount. The same $100 sale costs $3.98 through PayPal Checkout, $3.48 through standard card payments, $3.38 through Advanced card payments and $2.38 through a QR code. Nothing about the customer or the product changed.
The headline 3.49% plus 49 cents applies to PayPal Checkout, Guest Checkout, Pay with Venmo and anything PayPal classes as an other commercial transaction. It is the rate most sellers quote when they complain about PayPal, and it is the most expensive of the common ones.
Cards processed on your own site are cheaper: 2.99% plus 49 cents on standard card payments, or 2.89% plus 49 cents on Advanced card payments, which requires approval. Invoicing bills at the Checkout rate of 3.49% plus 49 cents when the customer pays through PayPal or Venmo.
Micropayments, and the crossover point most sellers miss
PayPal offers opt-in micropayments pricing of 4.99% plus 9 cents. The higher percentage looks worse and usually is, but the 9 cent fixed fee instead of 49 cents flips the answer on small tickets.
The crossover sits at roughly $12. Below it, micropayments wins. A $5 sale costs 66 cents on standard Checkout and 34 cents on micropayments. Above about $12 the higher percentage overtakes the fixed-fee saving and standard pricing is cheaper again. If your average ticket is genuinely under $12 and you have not applied for micropayments, you are leaving money on the table every day.
International sales, disputes and the fees people forget
Selling to a buyer outside the US adds 1.5% on top of whichever domestic rate applies. On PayPal Checkout that makes it 4.99% plus 49 cents. If the payment also has to be converted between currencies, PayPal applies a conversion spread of 3.00% to 4.00% depending on the transaction type, and that spread is buried in the exchange rate rather than shown as a line item.
Two fixed costs sit outside the per-transaction rate. A chargeback costs $20.00. A standard dispute costs $15.00. Both are charged in addition to losing the sale amount if the case goes against you, which is why a low chargeback rate is worth more than a slightly better percentage.
PayPal US seller rates
| Fee | Rate |
|---|---|
| PayPal Checkout, Guest Checkout, Venmo | 3.49% + $0.49 |
| Standard card payments | 2.99% + $0.49 |
| Advanced card payments | 2.89% + $0.49 |
| Invoicing paid via PayPal or Venmo | 3.49% + $0.49 |
| QR code in person | 2.29% + $0.09 |
| Point of Sale, card present | 2.29% + $0.09 |
| Virtual Terminal | 3.39% + $0.49 |
| Pay Later | 4.99% + $0.49 |
| Micropayments | 4.99% + $0.09 |
| ACH services | 0.80%, capped at $5.00 |
| Buyer outside the US | +1.50% |
| Chargeback fee | $20.00 |
| Standard dispute fee | $15.00 |
Assumptions and limits
- Rates are PayPal's published US seller schedule, read on 27 August 2026 from a page stating it was last updated on 15 July 2026.
- US sellers only. PayPal's rates differ by market, and a non-US seller's fees are not modelled here.
- Currency conversion spread is shown as a range because PayPal discloses it during the transaction rather than as a fixed published figure.
- This is an estimate from the figures you entered, not a quote. Your processor statement is the authority on what you actually pay.
Rate card checked 27 August 2026. Source: paypal.com US business fees (page states last updated 15 July 2026).
Frequently asked questions
- How much does PayPal take from $100?
- Through PayPal Checkout, $3.98, leaving you $96.02. Through standard card payments on your own site, $3.48. Through a QR code in person, $2.38. The channel decides the fee, not the amount.
- What is PayPal's goods and services fee?
- Send and receive money for goods and services is 2.99% in the US with no fixed fee. PayPal Checkout, which is what most online stores actually use, is 3.49% plus 49 cents.
- How much does PayPal charge on an invoice?
- An invoice paid through PayPal Checkout or Venmo bills at 3.49% plus 49 cents. On a $2,000 invoice that is $70.29, which is why large invoices are usually better collected by ACH at 0.80% capped at $5.00.
- Are PayPal micropayments cheaper?
- Only below roughly $12 per transaction. Micropayments pricing is 4.99% plus 9 cents against the standard 3.49% plus 49 cents, so the smaller fixed fee wins on tiny tickets and the higher percentage loses on everything else.
- Does PayPal refund the fee when you refund a customer?
- PayPal returns the percentage portion on a refunded commercial transaction but keeps the fixed fee. Check your own account's terms, because this has changed more than once.
Go deeper
Other calculators
PayPal is rarely the cheapest option at volume
Tell us what you process and we will shortlist processors that price your channel mix better.
Looking for something else? See free payment tools and calculators.