paypal fee calculator.
domestic, international, invoice, goods & services
transaction type
- paypal fee
- $3.98
- net received
- $96.02
- effective rate
- 3.98%
- rate applied
- 3.49% + $0.49
- type
- goods services
> worked example
You invoice a client $100 via PayPal goods & services. The calculator shows a $3.98 fee (3.49% × $100 + $0.49), leaving $96.02 in your account. Flip to reverse mode: to net exactly $100 you need to invoice $104.14. Switch the type to international and the rate jumps to 4.99% + $0.49, the fee becomes $5.48, netting $94.52.
takeaway, Invoice gross-up or you quietly eat 3–5% on every PayPal transaction.
> when operators reach for this
- Freelancers invoicing clients via PayPal who want to know whether to gross up the invoice or absorb the fee.
- Small merchants comparing PayPal goods & services vs micropayments for low-value digital products under $5.
- International sellers pricing cross-border transactions where the 1.5% international surcharge stacks on top of the base rate.
- Shopify store owners deciding between PayPal and Stripe as a secondary gateway for customer preference.
- Finance teams reconciling monthly PayPal statements and forecasting net revenue from pending invoices.
> the calculation
- paypal g&s fee
amount × 3.49% + $0.49 - paypal international fee
amount × 4.99% + $0.49 (base 3.49% + 1.5% cross-border) - paypal micropayments fee
amount × 4.99% + $0.09 - gross needed to net a target
(target + $0.49) ÷ (1 − 3.49%)Fees as of 2026 approximate US rates; always verify against PayPal's current pricing page.