You want exactly $100 to land in your account. If you charge $100, Stripe takes $3.20 and you receive $96.80. If you add the fee to the price, 2.9% plus 30 cents, you charge $103.20 and receive $99.91. That is 9 cents short.
The right charge is $103.30. Here is why, and how to work it out for any amount.
What is the formula?
Stripe takes its percentage from the whole charge, including the part you added to cover the fee. So you have to divide, not add.
Charge = (Amount you want + Fixed fee) / (1 - Percentage fee)
For $100 at Stripe's US rate of 2.9% + $0.30: (100 + 0.30) / (1 - 0.029) = 100.30 / 0.971 = $103.30.
Check it. The fee on $103.30 is $3.00 for the percentage plus 30 cents, so $3.30. Take that off and you receive $100.00.
I read these rates on Stripe's pricing page on 20 October 2026. Rates change and vary by country, so check stripe.com/pricing for yours.
How far short does adding the fee fall?
Not by much on a single sale, but it never reaches the target. The shortfall grows with the amount.
| You want | Exact charge | Fee on it | Adding 2.9% + $0.30 gives | You receive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20 | $20.91 | $0.91 | $20.88 | $19.97 |
| $100 | $103.30 | $3.30 | $103.20 | $99.91 |
| $500 | $515.24 | $15.24 | $514.80 | $499.57 |
On a $500 invoice you'd be 43 cents short. It's small, but if you invoice a lot it adds up, and the formula costs nothing to use.
What about a very small sale?
The fixed 30 cents matters most here. To receive $5, you charge $5.46. The fee is 46 cents, which is 8.4% of the charge. If you sell small items, that fixed fee is where your money goes, and it's worth looking at the guide on Stripe vs PayPal fees for how it changes by sale size.
What if the card is from overseas?
Stripe's page lists an extra 1.5% for international cards and an extra 1% when currency conversion is needed. Add the percentages together under the line:
- International card only: 100.30 / (1 - 0.029 - 0.015) = $104.92.
- International card and conversion: 100.30 / (1 - 0.029 - 0.015 - 0.01) = $106.03.
So an overseas buyer needs a charge about $2.73 higher than a domestic one to leave you with the same $100.
Does the same method work for PayPal?
Yes. Use PayPal's rate instead. On the standard checkout rate of 3.49% + $0.49 (read on 20 October 2026, and PayPal's page says it was last updated on 1 October 2026), you charge (100 + 0.49) / (1 - 0.0349) = $104.12 to receive $100. With the extra 1.50% for an international transaction, it's $105.77.
That international figure leaves out PayPal's currency conversion spread, which is built into the exchange rate. It would push the number higher. Check PayPal's fee page for yours.
Can I just show the fee as a separate line?
That's a different question, and I'm not a lawyer. Card surcharges are regulated in some places and limited by card network rules, so check yours before you label a fee separately. Building the amount into the price is the simpler route, and it's what the formula does.
How do I do it in the calculator?
- Open the Stripe and PayPal calculator.
- Pick the Stripe or PayPal preset, or type your own rates.
- In the "Reverse mode" box, enter the amount you want to receive.
- Read the green box: "To receive $X charge: $Y".
What is the spreadsheet version?
Put the amount you want in A2, the percentage as a decimal in B2 (0.029 for 2.9%) and the fixed fee in C2 (0.30). The charge is:
=(A2+C2)/(1-B2)
For $100 that returns 103.30. For an overseas card, add the extra percentages into B2, so 0.029 + 0.015 + 0.01 = 0.054.
Who is writing this?
I'm Saqib, the developer behind PayoutCalc. I haven't run a shop on Stripe or PayPal. The rates come from their own pricing pages and the arithmetic is mine, checked against the calculator. If a rate is out of date, let me know.