A $100 sale through PayPal Checkout costs you $3.98 in fees, so you keep $96.02. If the buyer pays by card through PayPal, it's $3.48. If the buyer is overseas, it's at least $5.48, and the currency conversion can add about $3 more.
PayPal has several rates, and the one you pay depends on how the buyer pays. Here is what each costs.
These are US rates from PayPal's merchant fees page, which I read on 20 October 2026. The page says it was last updated on 1 October 2026. Rates vary by country, so check yours.
What are the rates?
| How the buyer pays | Rate |
|---|---|
| PayPal Checkout, Pay with Venmo | 3.49% + $0.49 |
| Standard credit and debit cards | 2.99% + $0.49 |
| QR code transactions | 2.29% + $0.09 |
| Invoice paid with PayPal Pay Later | 4.99% + $0.49 |
| Invoice paid by bank (ACH) | 1%, capped at $10 per transaction |
On a $100 sale, the first row costs $3.98, the card rate costs $3.48, and the QR rate costs $2.38. That's 4.0%, 3.5% and 2.4% of the sale. The fixed part matters most on small sales, which I cover in my guide on fixed fees on small orders.
What if the buyer is in another country?
PayPal adds 1.50% to international commercial and invoicing transactions, on top of the domestic rate. A $100 international sale through Checkout costs 3.49% + 1.50% + $0.49, which is $5.48. You'd keep $94.52.
Currency conversion is on top of that. The page lists a spread of 3.00% for most conversions and 4.00% when you pay in a currency other than the one listed, or send money so the recipient gets a different currency. The spread is built into the exchange rate, so it won't appear as a fee line. On $100 converted, 3% is roughly $3, which would bring the total near $8.48.
What happens to the fees when I refund?
PayPal's page says refunds carry no fee to make, but the fees you originally paid to receive the payment are not returned to you. That includes the fixed fee. So if you refund the $100 sale, you've lost the $3.98 on top of the refund itself.
If you refund a lot, treat that as a cost. I show how in the pricing checklist.
What do disputes cost?
- Standard dispute fee: $15.
- High volume dispute fee: $30.
- Chargeback fee: $20, for transactions not processed through a buyer's PayPal account or guest checkout.
Is there a monthly fee?
The page lists no monthly fee for a standard merchant account. It does list $14.99 a month for the Invoice Subscription Service, and other monthly fees for optional services, such as $25 for Payflow Pro.
How does it compare with Stripe?
On the standard US rates I read, Stripe costs less on every order size I tried. The comparison, including a $10 and a $500 sale, is in my guide on Stripe vs PayPal fees. If you want to charge enough to receive an exact amount, see how much to charge.
How do I run my own numbers?
- Open the Stripe and PayPal calculator.
- Choose the PayPal Goods & Services preset, or the international one.
- Set the price and, if the rate differs, change the percentage and fixed fee.
- Add the international percentage if the buyer is overseas.
Who is writing this?
I'm Saqib, the developer behind PayoutCalc. I haven't run a shop on PayPal, so I rely on its published rates and arithmetic. If a rate is out of date, tell me.