Work out what PayPal takes when you receive a payment, send money, or withdraw to your bank. Pick your market, choose the payment type with the same name PayPal uses on its fee page, and see the fee, the amount that arrives and the price to charge to keep an exact amount.
How Much Are PayPal Fees?
PayPal charges the receiver of a commercial payment a percentage of the amount plus a fixed fee set by the currency. Personal payments between friends and family are usually free domestically when funded from a balance or bank account. International payments, card funding and currency conversion each add a charge.
- United States, receiving
- 3.49% + $0.49 for PayPal Checkout and invoices. 2.99% + $0.49 for standard card payments. 2.99% with no fixed fee for Goods and Services send and receive.
- United Kingdom, receiving
- 2.9% + 0.30 GBP for all other commercial transactions.
- International add-on
- United States: +1.5%. United Kingdom: +1.29% from the EEA, +1.99% from other markets.
- Fee formula
- Fee = amount × percentage + fixed fee. You keep amount − fee.
- Price to net an exact amount
- Charge = (target + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − percentage). For 3.49% + $0.49 and a $100 target, charge $104.13.
- Currency conversion
- United States: 4.00% when paying or sending in a different currency, 3.00% for other conversions.
Rates checked October 30, 2026 against PayPal's published fee pages for the United States and United Kingdom.
PayPal Fees at a Glance: United States and United Kingdom
| Fee | United States | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Standard online payment received | 3.49% + 0.49 USD (PayPal Checkout, Pay with Venmo, invoices) | 2.9% + 0.30 GBP (all other commercial transactions) |
| Card payment without a PayPal account | 2.99% + 0.49 USD (standard credit and debit card) | 1.2% + 0.30 GBP |
| Goods and Services send and receive | 2.99%, no fixed fee | No separate row. Commercial rate applies. |
| QR code payment received | 2.29% + 0.09 USD | 1.5% + 0.10 GBP above 10.00 GBP. 2% + 0.05 GBP at 10.00 GBP or below. |
| Pay Later | 4.99% + fixed fee | 3.9% + fixed fee (Buy Now Pay Later, excludes PayPal Credit) |
| International commercial add-on | +1.50% | +1.29% from the EEA, +1.99% from other markets |
| Send to friends and family, domestic | Free from balance or bank. Cards: 2.90% + 0.30 USD | Free |
| Send to friends and family, international | 5.00%, minimum 0.99 USD, maximum 4.99 USD | 5%, minimum 0.99 GBP, maximum 2.99 GBP |
| Receive a personal payment | Free without currency conversion | Free without currency conversion |
| Currency conversion | 4.00% for payments in another currency, 3.00% for other conversions | 3% above the base exchange rate (business balance conversion) |
| Instant transfer to bank or card | Personal: 1.75%, min 0.25, max 25 USD. Business: 1.50%, min 0.50 USD | Not listed. Standard bank withdrawal is free. |
| Refunds | No fee to refund, original fees not returned | No fee to refund, original fees not returned |
Sources: PayPal US merchant fees (October 1, 2026), US consumer fees (May 19, 2026), UK merchant fees (October 1, 2026), UK consumer fees (January 22, 2026). Fixed fees change with the currency received.
PayPal Fee Terms by Country
PayPal names the same fee differently from market to market and between its consumer and merchant pages. This table matches the labels you will meet.
| Term you see | Where | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Friends and Family | US, UK send flow | A personal transaction: a payment that is not for goods or services. Fee pages list it under "sending and receiving money". |
| Goods and Services | US merchant page | Send/Receive Money for Goods and Services at 2.99%. The UK pages place these payments under commercial transactions. |
| Commercial transaction | US, UK | Buying or selling goods or services, or receiving a payment from a request for money. The receiver pays the fee. |
| Fixed fee | US, UK | The flat amount added to the percentage. Also called a per-transaction fee. It depends on the currency received. |
| International fee | US, UK | Listed as the additional percentage-based fee for international transactions. Also called a cross-border fee. |
| Currency conversion spread | US | Percentage added to the exchange rate. The UK pages describe it as a rate above the base exchange rate. |
| Guest Checkout | US | Paying by card without a PayPal account. The UK page words this as a card funded payment from a user without a PayPal account. |
| Pay Later | US | Called Buy Now Pay Later on the UK page. |
| Instant Transfer | US | A paid, same-day withdrawal to a bank or debit card. Standard transfers are the free option. |
| Merchant fees, seller fees | US, UK | The business fee page, also titled Seller Fees on the UK site. |
PayPal Fee Formulas
Fee = amount × percentage + fixed fee
International fee = amount × international add-on %
Amount you keep = amount − all fees
Charge to net a target = (target + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − percentage − international %)
Personal international fee = 5% of amount, held between the minimum and maximum
Instant transfer fee = amount × 1.75%, held between 0.25 and 25 USD (US personal)
Effective rate = total fees ÷ amount
International fee = amount × international add-on %
Amount you keep = amount − all fees
Charge to net a target = (target + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − percentage − international %)
Personal international fee = 5% of amount, held between the minimum and maximum
Instant transfer fee = amount × 1.75%, held between 0.25 and 25 USD (US personal)
Effective rate = total fees ÷ amount
When a currency conversion applies, the calculator takes the conversion spread from the amount left after the other fees. A bank or card issuer may add its own charges.
How Do You Use the PayPal Fee Calculator?
- Choose your market and the currency of the payment. Pick Custom rates to enter your own percentages.
- Receive: enter the sale amount, the payment type and where the buyer is. Switch to "I want to receive" to get the price to charge.
- Send: enter the amount, how it is funded, and whether the recipient is in another country.
- Compare: see every payment type for the same amount side by side. The cheapest row is highlighted.
- Withdraw: check what a standard or instant transfer to your bank costs.
PayPal Fee Examples
US sale of $100 through PayPal Checkout
Fee = 3.49% × 100 + 0.49 = $3.98. You receive $96.02, an effective rate of 3.98%.US sale of $100 as Goods and Services
Fee = 2.99% × 100 = $2.99 with no fixed fee. You receive $97.01.US sale of $100 to a buyer abroad
Rate = 3.49% + 1.50% = 4.99%. Fee = $4.99 + $0.49 = $5.48. You receive $94.52 before any currency conversion.UK sale of 100 GBP from a UK buyer
Fee = 2.9% × 100 + 0.30 = 3.20 GBP. You receive 96.80 GBP. From a non-EEA buyer the rate adds 1.99%, so the fee is 5.19 GBP and you receive 94.81 GBP.Sending $200 to a friend in another country
The international fee is 5% of $200 = $10, which is held at the $4.99 maximum. A card also adds 2.90% + $0.30. The recipient gets the full $200 before conversion.Pricing to net exactly $100 at 3.49% + $0.49
Charge = (100 + 0.49) ÷ (1 − 0.0349) = $104.13. After a fee of $4.13 you keep $100.00.How the Fixed Fee Changes the Real Rate
The fixed fee matters most on small payments. These figures use the US PayPal Checkout rate of 3.49% + $0.49.
| Payment | PayPal fee | You keep | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5 | $0.66 | $4.34 | 13.3% |
| $20 | $1.19 | $18.81 | 5.9% |
| $100 | $3.98 | $96.02 | 4.0% |
| $500 | $17.94 | $482.06 | 3.6% |
| $1,000 | $35.39 | $964.61 | 3.5% |
How to Lower Your PayPal Fees
- Compare payment types. In the US, Goods and Services send and receive costs 2.99% against 3.49% + $0.49 for Checkout, which is cheaper on most amounts.
- Watch the buyer's country. An international buyer adds 1.5% in the US and up to 1.99% in the UK.
- Avoid conversions. Hold balances in the currencies you are paid in. A conversion adds 3% to 4%.
- Use standard transfers. Standard withdrawals to a linked bank have no fee. Instant transfers cost 1.75% for US personal accounts.
- Fund personal payments from balance or bank. A card adds 2.90% + $0.30 on US domestic personal payments.
- Keep personal payments personal. Friends and Family is for non-commercial payments. A sale belongs under Goods and Services or Checkout.
PayPal Fee Calculator FAQs
How much does PayPal charge to receive money?
It depends on the market and payment type. In the United States PayPal lists 3.49% + $0.49 for PayPal Checkout and invoices, 2.99% + $0.49 for standard card payments and 2.99% with no fixed fee for Goods and Services send and receive. In the United Kingdom the standard commercial rate is 2.9% + 0.30 GBP. International payments add a further percentage.
Does PayPal charge to send money to friends and family?
A domestic personal payment from a PayPal balance or bank account is free in the United States, and a card payment costs 2.90% + $0.30. In the United Kingdom domestic personal payments are free. International personal payments cost 5% with a minimum and maximum: 0.99 to 4.99 USD in the US and 0.99 to 2.99 GBP in the UK.
Who pays the PayPal fee, the sender or the receiver?
For commercial payments the receiver pays the fee. For personal payments the sender pays any fee and the receiver gets the full amount, unless a currency conversion applies.
What is the difference between Friends and Family and Goods and Services?
Friends and Family is a personal transaction for payments that are not for goods or services, such as gifts or shared bills. Goods and Services is a commercial transaction and carries seller fees. PayPal's fee pages treat the two as separate categories with different rates.
How do I calculate how much to charge to receive an exact amount?
Use charge = (target amount + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − percentage rate). At 3.49% + $0.49 and a $100 target, charge $104.13. Add the international percentage to the rate when the buyer is abroad.
Why do PayPal fees differ by country?
Each market has its own fee page with its own percentages, international fee rules and fixed fees. The fixed fee also changes with the currency you receive, for example 0.49 USD, 0.39 EUR or 0.59 CAD on the US merchant page.
How much is the PayPal currency conversion fee?
The US fee page lists a 4.00% spread when you pay in a currency other than the one listed or send money that arrives in a different currency, and 3.00% for all other conversions. The UK page lists 3% above the base exchange rate for converting a business balance.
How much does PayPal charge for an instant transfer?
For US personal accounts an instant transfer to a bank or debit card costs 1.75% of the amount, with a minimum of 0.25 USD and a maximum of 25 USD. For US business accounts it is 1.50% with a minimum of 0.50 USD. Standard transfers to a linked bank have no fee when no conversion is involved.
References
- PayPal (2026). Merchant Fees, United States. Last updated October 1, 2026.
- PayPal (2026). Consumer Fees, United States. Last updated May 19, 2026.
- PayPal (2026). Merchant Fees, United Kingdom. Last updated October 1, 2026.
- PayPal (2026). Consumer Fees, United Kingdom. Last updated January 22, 2026.
- PayPal (2026). User Agreement: currency conversion and fees.
This calculator estimates fees from the rates PayPal published when the page was last checked. PayPal can change rates, offer custom pricing and apply other charges. Confirm the rate for your account on PayPal's fee page for your market before you rely on a figure. This site is independent and is not affiliated with PayPal.