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PayPal Fee Calculator — Goods & Services Net
PayPal Checkout charges 3.49% + $0.49 on a US commercial goods-and-services payment — the highest standard rate of the big three US processors. On a $100 payment the fee is 100 × 3.49% + 0.49 = $3.98, so you net $96.02. A keyed / standard card payment is a little lower at 2.99% + $0.49. The fee formula is fee = amount × pct + fixed and the net is amount − fee; to receive a target net you gross up with charge = (target_net + fixed) / (1 − pct). Because PayPal's rate is the highest here, the compare view often shows Stripe or Square netting you more on the same sale — worth checking before you pick a processor. Enter your amount to see the fee and net. Free, no login.
PayPal Checkout (goods & services) US rate: 3.49% + $0.49 — the highest standard rate of the three
- PayPal keyed / standard card: 2.99% + $0.49 (slightly lower than Checkout)
- Fee formula: fee = amount × 0.0349 + 0.49; net = amount − fee
- Worked example — $100 goods-and-services payment: fee = 100 × 3.49% + 0.49 = $3.98, net = $96.02
- Gross-up: charge = (target_net + 0.49) / (1 − 0.0349) to receive a target net exactly
- International payments add roughly +1.5% cross-border on top of the base rate
- Compare: on a $100 online sale PayPal nets $96.02 vs Stripe $96.80 vs Square $96.40
Frequently asked questions
What are PayPal fees on a $100 payment?
For a US commercial goods-and-services payment through PayPal Checkout, the fee is 3.49% + $0.49. On $100 that is 100 × 3.49% + 0.49 = $3.98, so you receive $96.02. A standard / keyed card payment is a little cheaper at 2.99% + $0.49. This is the highest standard rate among Stripe, PayPal and Square, so on the same sale a rival processor often nets you slightly more. Rates change — confirm the current schedule on PayPal's business-fees page before relying on a figure.
How do I receive an exact amount after PayPal fees?
Gross up: charge = (target_net + fixed) / (1 − pct). To net $100 via PayPal Checkout (3.49% + $0.49): charge = (100 + 0.49) / (1 − 0.0349) = 100.49 / 0.9651 = $104.12. At that charge the fee works out so you receive exactly $100. Do not just add 3.49% — that ignores how the percentage applies to the larger grossed-up amount as well as the fixed $0.49. Use the gross-up mode for any target net.
Are these PayPal rates current?
The rates shown reflect PayPal's published US business fees as verified on 2026-07-04 (Checkout 3.49% + $0.49; standard card 2.99% + $0.49). Processor pricing changes without a fixed schedule, so always verify the current rate at the source (paypal.com business fees) before relying on it. International, currency-conversion, and micro-payment / QR-code variants carry different rates — check the specific schedule that applies to your transaction.