How much does PayPal take from a sale?

The rates, by how the buyer pays

PayPal does not charge one fee. It charges a percentage of the sale plus a fixed amount, and the percentage changes with the payment method. For a domestic commercial payment:

• PayPal Checkout, Venmo or Guest Checkout3.49% + $0.49
• Standard credit and debit card payments2.99% + $0.49
• PayPal Pay Later options4.99% + $0.49

The $0.49 is the fixed fee for payments received in US dollars. The buyer decides which row applies, not you, so the fee on a given sale is not something you can fully predict.

What that costs on three sales

The fee is the percentage of the sale plus the fixed amount. The figure in brackets is the fee as a share of the sale.

A $10 sale

• Standard card payment$0.79 (7.9%)
• PayPal Checkout$0.84 (8.4%)
• Pay Later$0.99 (9.9%)

A $50 sale

• Standard card payment$1.99 (4.0%)
• PayPal Checkout$2.24 (4.5%)
• Pay Later$2.99 (6.0%)

A $200 sale

• Standard card payment$6.47 (3.2%)
• PayPal Checkout$7.47 (3.7%)
• Pay Later$10.47 (5.2%)

The fixed fee is what hurts on small sales: $0.49 is 4.9% of a $10 sale and 0.25% of a $200 one. Fees are rounded to the cent here, so your statement can differ by a cent.

Invoices cost the same, except for one option

If you send an invoice and the customer pays it, PayPal calls that an invoicing transaction. The percentages match the table above: 3.49% for PayPal, Venmo or Guest Checkout, 2.99% for a card, Apple Pay or another wallet, and 4.99% for Pay Later, each plus a fixed fee of $0.49.

The exception is paying by bank (ACH). PayPal lists it at 1%, capped at $10 per transaction, with no separate fixed fee beside it. On a $500 invoice that is $5. On $2,000 it is the $10 cap, which is half a percent. If your customers are businesses paying large invoices, that option is worth offering.

Costs that come on top

• International buyers. PayPal adds 1.50% to the domestic rate when the buyer is in another market. A $50 Checkout sale from abroad is 4.99% + $0.49, which is $2.99.
• Currency conversion. If PayPal converts the money into another currency, the exchange rate includes a spread. The page gives 3.00% for most transactions and 4.00% in a few cases, "or such other amount as may be disclosed" during the transaction.
• Refunds. It costs nothing to issue a refund, but the fees you paid to receive the payment are not returned to you. A fully refunded $50 Checkout sale gives the $50 back and still costs you the $2.24.
• Disputes. PayPal may charge a dispute fee when a buyer files a claim or chargeback. For US dollars the page lists $15.00 for the standard fee and $30.00 for the high-volume one. A separate chargeback fee of $20.00 applies to card chargebacks that did not go through the buyer's PayPal account or guest checkout.
• Taking the money out. A standard transfer to an eligible linked bank account has no fee when no currency conversion is involved. An instant transfer costs 1.50% of the amount, with a minimum that depends on the currency.

PayPal also offers a micropayments rate of 4.99% plus a fixed fee for low-priced items, by application. Check the fixed fee on the page before you decide it suits you.

What to charge to receive an exact amount

Adding the fee to the price does not work, because the percentage applies to the larger total as well. The charge that leaves you a target is that target plus the fixed fee, divided by one minus the percentage. To receive $50 on a Checkout payment: ($50 + $0.49) ÷ (1 − 0.0349) = $52.32. Check: 3.49% of $52.32 is $1.83, plus $0.49 is $2.32, and $52.32 minus $2.32 leaves $50.00.

If you price for the most expensive payment method, you are safe whichever one the buyer picks. If you price for the cheapest, you eat the difference every time someone uses Pay Later.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Quoting one number. A single headline percentage hides the rest. The real fee depends on the payment method, the country and whether an invoice is involved.
2. Forgetting the fixed fee. On anything under about $15 it matters more than the percentage.
3. Counting a refund as free. The fee on the original sale stays with PayPal.
4. Using the rate from your own head. Your account can have different terms, so check your own PayPal account and the fees page before you rely on any of these.