PayPal fee calculator
PayPal's standard US PayPal Checkout rate is 3.49% of the amount plus $0.49 per transaction. Other products and negotiated or legacy account rates differ, so the calculator lets you select an alternate rate only when it matches your account agreement. There is no listing fee; use the calculator to model the processing cut and international surcharge.
Rates checked 25 August 2026
You keep
$43.90
- Total fees
- $2.10
- Effective rate
- 4.6%
- Profit
- $26.90
Profit margin 67.3% of item price
Unaffiliated with PayPal. Fee rates are published rates as of 25 August 2026 and may not reflect your account’s negotiated or promotional rates. Source: PayPal fees help page.
Worked example: a $40.00 PayPal sale
Suppose you sell an item for $40.00 and charge $6.00 shipping. The gross sale is $46.00. Here is how PayPal arrives at what you keep:
- Payment processing (3.49% × $46.00 + $0.49)−$2.10
Total fees come to $2.10 (4.6% of the gross sale), leaving a net payout of $43.90. After your $12.00 item cost and $5.00 shipping paid, the profit is $26.90 — a 67.3% margin on the item price.
Source-checked fee snapshot at $40.00
These models use a common item price with no shipping, ads, item cost, or cross-border surcharge. Each product keeps its own default sale type, category, plan, and payment method, so the table compares modeled seller deductions — not equivalent services or total buyer cost. PayPal’s modeled deduction is $1.89 (4.7%).
| Product | Modeled deduction | Effective rate | Seller proceeds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square | $1.19 | 3.0% | $38.81 |
| Stripe | $1.46 | 3.6% | $38.54 |
| PayPalthis page | $1.89 | 4.7% | $38.11 |
| Reverb | $3.77 | 9.4% | $36.23 |
| Mercari | $4.00 | 10.0% | $36.00 |
| Etsy | $4.25 | 10.6% | $35.75 |
| Whatnot | $4.66 | 11.7% | $35.34 |
| eBay | $5.84 | 14.6% | $34.16 |
| Poshmark | $8.00 | 20.0% | $32.00 |
USD schedules marked source-checked, ordered by modeled effective rate. Taxes, buyer-paid fees, subscriptions, negotiated rates, promotions, and service differences may not be included. See each calculator and the methodology for assumptions, sources, and verification dates.
How PayPal fees work
PayPal's standard US PayPal Checkout rate is 3.49% + $0.49. Standard card payments, invoices, QR transactions, negotiated accounts, and older agreements can use different rates; select the custom/legacy option only when it matches your account. International commercial transactions add 1.5%, and currency conversion can add a separate spread. Friends & Family payments are personal transfers and should not be used for sales.
Frequently asked questions
- What is PayPal's standard fee for goods and services?
- The current standard US PayPal Checkout rate is 3.49% of the amount received plus $0.49 per transaction. Select another rate only when it matches your account or product agreement.
- Does PayPal charge a monthly fee?
- A standard personal PayPal account has no monthly fee. PayPal only takes its per-transaction fee when you receive a goods-and-services payment.
- What does PayPal charge for international payments?
- Cross-border goods-and-services payments add a cross-border fee of around 1.5% on top of the standard rate. If currency conversion is required, PayPal also adds a spread above the base exchange rate.
- Why shouldn't I use Friends & Family for sales?
- Friends & Family payments are free domestically but carry no seller protection, so a buyer can dispute and reverse the payment with little recourse for you. They also violate PayPal's terms when used to sell goods.
Other fee calculators
- eBay fee calculator
- Etsy fee calculator
- Whatnot fee calculator
- Poshmark fee calculator
- Stripe fee calculator
- Square fee calculator
Selling on more than one? Compare source-checked USD fee models at a common item amount, or read how to price an item to cover its fees.