Free PayPal Fee Calculator (US, 2026): What You Keep
PayPal takes a percentage plus a fixed fee from most business payments, and the rate depends on how the customer pays. Enter an amount to see the fee, what lands in your account, and what you'd need to charge to receive the full amount.
It runs in your browser. Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere. The numbers filled in below are a made-up example; change them to yours. Rates are PayPal's published US rates (last updated by PayPal Oct 1, 2026) and can change; check your account for your actual rate.
How the math works
- Fee = amount × rate + fixed fee, rounded to the cent. Payments from outside the US add 1.5% to the rate.
- To receive a set amount: charge = (amount + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − rate), then the lowest charge in cents that still leaves you the full amount after PayPal rounds its fee.
- PayPal invoices paid with a PayPal account or Venmo use 3.49% + $0.49; paid by card, 2.99% + $0.49.
- If you refund a payment, PayPal doesn't return the fee you paid.
Example (made up): a $100 invoice paid through PayPal Checkout costs $3.49 + $0.49 = $3.98 in fees, so you keep $96.02. To receive the full $100, you'd charge $104.12.
Before adding a fee to what a customer pays, check PayPal's terms and your state's rules on surcharges. Many sellers build the fee into their price instead. This is an estimate for planning, not tax or legal advice.
Track what each client actually paid
The Freelancer Invoice Tracker ($9) is a printable invoice plus a client and payment tracker in one spreadsheet: the invoice log marks each invoice Paid, Open or Overdue with days late and totals what each client has paid. It doesn't send invoices or take payments. Works in Excel and Google Sheets.
Get the spreadsheet on Gumroad – $9
This template is also in the Self-Employed & Small Business Bundle (what's inside): all 9 business tools for $29 (about $80 if bought one by one).
We make this template, so take that into account. The calculator above is free to use either way.
Related free guides
- How to Track Freelance Invoices So Clients Pay on Time
- What to Put on a Freelance Invoice (Checklist + Example)
- Invoice Payment Terms Explained: Net 15, Net 30 and More
- Etsy Fees Explained: How to Calculate Profit per Sale
More free tools: all calculators.
See all Cedar & Ledger templates