See your exact payout for every PayPal transaction type. Updated for 2026 rates.
Live results · 2026 official rates
✓ Verified against PayPal official pricing · June 2026
PayPal remains one of the most widely used payment platforms in the world, processing payments for millions of sellers across more than 200 markets. But its fee structure has grown more complex over the years, with different rates applying depending on how you receive money, where your buyer is located, and what type of account you're using. Understanding exactly how these fees work — and how to minimize them — can mean the difference between a healthy profit margin and barely breaking even on each sale.
The calculator above gives you an instant answer, but knowing the reasoning behind the numbers helps you make smarter pricing decisions across your entire business — not just for a single transaction.
In mid-2023, PayPal raised its domestic Goods & Services rate from 2.9% + $0.30 to the current 3.49% + $0.49. The company cited rising costs related to fraud prevention, buyer protection claims, and currency processing infrastructure. While the increase frustrated many sellers — and pushed some toward alternatives like Stripe or Square — PayPal's brand recognition and built-in buyer trust still make it worthwhile for many businesses, especially those selling internationally or to first-time online shoppers who specifically look for the PayPal checkout option.
Let's walk through a concrete example. Say you sell a used camera lens for $250 through a Goods & Services PayPal transaction. PayPal's fee would be calculated as 3.49% of $250 (which is $8.73) plus the fixed $0.49 fee, for a total fee of $9.22. That means you'd actually receive $240.78 in your PayPal balance — not the full $250 you might have expected when setting your price.
This is exactly why many experienced sellers build the fee into their listing price from the start. If you want to guarantee you receive exactly $250 after fees, you'd need to charge the buyer $259.55 instead — using the reverse calculation formula built into our calculator above.
Not every PayPal transaction costs the same amount, and choosing the right transaction type for your situation can save you meaningful money over time:
1. Switch to QR codes for any in-person sales. If part of your business involves face-to-face transactions, this single change can save you 1.5 percentage points on every sale compared to a standard payment request.
2. Build fees into your pricing rather than absorbing them silently. Most successful online sellers don't think of PayPal's cut as a loss — they simply price their goods knowing the fee is part of the cost of doing business, the same way a retail store accounts for rent.
3. Consider your transaction volume. If you're processing more than $3,000 a month, it's worth comparing PayPal's rate against Stripe (2.9% + $0.30) for any transactions where buyer brand-preference for PayPal specifically isn't a factor. Even a half-percent difference adds up significantly at scale — see our full Stripe vs PayPal comparison for the complete breakdown.
Despite not having the lowest rates in the industry, PayPal remains the right choice for sellers who serve an international audience, who sell higher-ticket items where buyer trust meaningfully affects conversion rates, or who simply want the easiest possible setup with no developer involvement. The combination of brand recognition and built-in dispute resolution often outweighs the extra percentage point in fees — particularly for sellers without an established reputation of their own yet.
| Transaction Type | Rate | Fixed Fee | On $100 | You Keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goods & Services (domestic) | 3.49% | $0.49 | $3.98 | $96.02 |
| Invoice | 3.49% | $0.49 | $3.98 | $96.02 |
| QR Code (in-person) | 1.90% | $0.10 | $2.00 | $98.00 |
| Friends & Family | 0% | $0.00 | $0.00 | $100.00 |
| International | 4.99% | $0.49 | $5.48 | $94.52 |
| Charity / Nonprofit | 1.99% | $0.49 | $2.48 | $97.52 |