Estimate PayPal fees, net received, and the invoice amount needed to cover the fee
This PayPal fee calculator now starts with common U.S. merchant fee profiles instead of forcing you to type raw percentages from memory. Pick the payment type, add the international surcharge when it applies, and use custom mode when you need a different market or negotiated rate.
Payment profile
Quick amounts
Scope note
Preset profiles reflect the current U.S. PayPal business fee table. Use custom mode for non-U.S. markets, charity pricing, negotiated merchant pricing, currency-conversion costs, or any transaction that does not match the standard fee profiles on this page.
Display currency
Custom mode follows your chosen display currency. U.S. preset profiles stay in USD because their fixed fees come from the U.S. merchant schedule.
Result
$96.02 net received
On a $100.00 checkout / invoice / guest checkout payment, PayPal keeps $3.98 at an applied rate of 3.49%.
To net $100.00 after fees, charge $104.12.
$3.98
Fee amount
$96.02
Net received
$104.12
Amount to charge to net this figure
$4.12
Extra charged to cover the fee
Payment profile
Checkout / invoice / guest checkout
Applied percentage rate
3.49%
Fixed fee
$0.49
Effective fee share of the payment
3.98%
Fee as a share of what you keep
4.14%
International surcharge impact
No extra international surcharge applied
Workflow note
Use the amount-to-charge figure when you need the customer to cover PayPal fees so you still net the entered amount.
Profile comparison on the same payment amount
This benchmark table is the main usability advantage over a simple PayPal fee formula. It shows which U.S. payment profile keeps more of the same sale amount before you set your price or send an invoice.
Profile
Rate
Fixed fee
PayPal fee
Net kept
Effective rate
Goods & services
2.99%
$0.00
$2.99
$97.01
2.99%
Standard card payment
2.99%
$0.49
$3.48
$96.52
3.48%
Checkout / invoice / guest checkout
3.49%
$0.49
$3.98
$96.02
3.98%
QR code in person
2.29%
$0.09
$2.38
$97.62
2.38%
Pay Later
4.99%
$0.49
$5.48
$94.52
5.48%
Checkout / invoice / guest checkout Use this for PayPal Checkout, guest checkout, and invoice-style flows where the buyer pays through PayPal or Venmo-backed checkout.Important limitations Preset profiles mirror the current U.S. PayPal merchant fee table. Currency conversion, dispute fees, chargebacks, and non-U.S. fixed-fee tables still need a manual check.
PayPal fee calculator guide: U.S. fee profiles, invoice pricing, and reverse fee maths
A strong PayPal fee calculator should do more than multiply a payment by a percentage. You usually need to know which PayPal fee profile applies, how much the fixed fee changes the real cost on a small payment, and how much to charge if you want to receive a specific net amount after PayPal deducts its fee. This page is built around that workflow, with current U.S. merchant fee profiles plus a custom mode for other markets or negotiated pricing.
What this PayPal fee calculator does better than a basic formula
A basic PayPal fee formula is still useful, but it leaves an important question unanswered: which fee profile should you use? PayPal goods and services payments, standard card payments, checkout or invoice-style payments, QR code payments, and Pay Later transactions do not all use the same pricing in the U.S. merchant schedule.
This calculator starts with those real transaction profiles so you can compare the fee, the net amount received, and the grossed-up amount you would need to charge to still receive your target amount. That makes it more useful than a generic percentage and fixed-fee worksheet.
Current U.S. PayPal fee profiles covered here
The preset modes cover common U.S. business pricing patterns: goods and services at a percentage-only rate, standard card payments, checkout or invoice-style payments, QR code in-person payments, and Pay Later transactions. These are the fee profiles most people search for when they look for a PayPal fee calculator, PayPal invoice fee calculator, or PayPal goods and services fee calculator.
If your transaction does not match one of those profiles, use custom mode. That is the correct choice for other countries, charity pricing, negotiated merchant rates, or any case where currency-conversion fees, dispute fees, or other adjustments change the real fee.
Further reading
PayPal merchant fees — Official PayPal page listing current U.S. merchant fee categories and rates.
The PayPal fee formula and reverse fee calculator maths
The forward calculation is still the core of the calculator: fee equals payment amount multiplied by the percentage rate, plus any fixed fee. Net received is the original amount minus the fee.
The reverse solve is what turns this into a true PayPal reverse fee calculator. If you want to receive a target amount after fees, the calculator adds the fixed fee and divides by one minus the percentage rate so you can see how much to invoice or request.
PayPal fee = amount x fee rate + fixed fee
The forward calculation for the estimated PayPal processing fee.
Net received = amount - fee
How much the seller keeps after PayPal deducts the fee.
Amount to charge = (target net + fixed fee) / (1 - fee rate)
The reverse-solve formula for pricing an invoice or payment request so you still net the amount you need.
Worked example: invoice-style checkout on a $100 payment
Suppose you use the checkout or invoice-style profile on a $100 payment. With a 3.49% rate and a $0.49 fixed fee, the fee is about $3.98 and the net received is about $96.02. The effective fee rate is higher than 3.49% because the fixed fee increases the real cost of the transaction.
If you need to receive a full $100 after PayPal fees, the reverse-solve result is about $104.12. That extra amount is the pricing buffer needed to cover both the percentage charge and the fixed fee.
Why small payments feel expensive on PayPal
The fixed fee matters much more on small transactions. A $0.49 fixed charge barely changes the economics on a $500 payment, but it noticeably increases the effective fee rate on a $10 or $20 payment. That is why so many sellers search for how much PayPal takes on small invoices or low-ticket goods and services payments.
This calculator exposes both the headline rate and the effective fee share so you can see the real drag. That is useful when you are deciding whether to raise your minimum invoice amount, use a different payment profile, or absorb the fee on lower-value orders.
International surcharge and cross-border planning
The preset profiles include an international surcharge toggle for current U.S. business pricing. Turning it on adds the extra percentage-based charge to the selected preset so you can see the fee difference on the exact transaction amount you are planning.
This helps with quoting and budgeting, but it does not replace a full fee review. Currency conversion, additional cross-border rules, and local fixed-fee tables can still change the final result. If those factors apply, custom mode is safer than relying on a domestic preset alone.
How to use this as a PayPal invoice fee calculator
If you send invoices and want to know how much to request so the payout still matches your target, start with the fee profile that best matches how the customer will pay. Many sellers will compare the checkout or invoice-style profile with the standard card profile and then use the amount-to-charge result as the draft invoice amount.
The comparison table is there for this exact use case. It shows how much you would keep under several common PayPal fee profiles on the same sale amount, which is more practical than calculating one fee in isolation and hoping it matches the real payment path.
When to use custom mode instead of a preset
Use custom mode when you are outside the U.S., when you already know the exact percentage and fixed fee from your own merchant statement, or when the transaction includes pricing that is not part of the standard U.S. profiles shown on this page.
Custom mode is also the safest way to model marketplace-style agreements, negotiated enterprise pricing, or scenarios where you want the display currency to match the actual payment currency. The preset profiles are intentionally specific, while custom mode is the flexible fallback.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate PayPal fees?
Multiply the payment amount by the applicable percentage rate, add any fixed fee, and subtract the result from the original amount. This calculator does that automatically and also shows the reverse-solve amount needed to net a target figure.
How much does PayPal take from a $100 payment?
It depends on the fee profile. In the current U.S. checkout or invoice-style profile, a $100 payment works out to about a $3.98 fee, leaving about $96.02. Other profiles on the page can be lower or higher.
What is the PayPal goods and services fee?
In the current U.S. merchant table, the goods and services profile used on this page is a percentage-only fee. The calculator lets you compare that against profiles that also include a fixed fee.
Can I use this as a PayPal invoice fee calculator?
Yes. Use the amount-to-charge result when you want to set an invoice total that still leaves you with a specific net amount after PayPal deducts its fee.
What is a PayPal reverse fee calculator?
A PayPal reverse fee calculator works backward from the amount you want to receive. Instead of starting with the customer payment, it estimates how much you need to request so you still net your target after fees.
Why is the effective fee rate higher than the listed percentage?
Because many PayPal profiles include a fixed fee as well as a percentage fee. That fixed fee has a larger impact on small payments, which pushes the true fee share above the headline percentage.
Does this calculator include the international surcharge?
Yes, for the U.S. preset profiles. Turn on the international surcharge toggle to add the extra percentage-based fee and compare the impact on the same payment amount.
Does this include currency conversion fees?
No. Currency-conversion costs are not added automatically. If conversion applies, use custom mode or adjust the result manually after checking the relevant PayPal fee schedule.
Do PayPal fees vary by country?
Yes. PayPal fee schedules vary by country, payment type, and sometimes currency. That is why this page makes the U.S. preset scope explicit and keeps a custom mode for other pricing structures.
When should I use custom mode?
Use custom mode when you know the exact rate and fixed fee that apply to your transaction, especially for non-U.S. payments, negotiated merchant pricing, or unusual payment flows that do not match the preset profiles.
Why compare several PayPal fee profiles on the same amount?
Because it shows the real pricing difference between payment types before you send an invoice or price a sale. That helps you choose a practical fee assumption instead of relying on a single generic percentage.
