PayPal & Stripe Fee Calculator
See what PayPal takes from a payment, what you receive and what to ask for, with Stripe's fee for the same payment side by side.
Shows what to ask for so this much is left after fees.
Adds monthly and yearly totals.
Replaces the standard % and fixed fee. International and conversion fees are still added.
PayPal and Stripe rates (United States)
How your PayPal fee is worked out
Fee = amount × % rate + fixed fee. You receive the amount minus the fee.
- 1
Percentage fee
$100.00 × 3.49%= $3.49
- 2
Add the fixed fee
$3.49 + $0.49= $3.98 fee
- 3
What you receive
$100.00 − $3.98= $96.02
- 4
Stripe compared
Stripe: $3.20$0.78 less
Read more: the formula, a worked example, international and currency fees, and the rate tables
PayPal and Stripe both charge a percentage of the payment plus a small fixed fee. Extra percentages are added when the buyer is in another country, and a conversion charge applies when the money is changed into another currency. The rates depend on the country your account is in, so pick it first.
The formula
fee = amount × (rate % + international %) + fixed fee
you receive = amount − fee − conversion
PayPal conversion = (amount − fee) × spread %
Stripe conversion = amount × conversion %
ask for (PayPal) = (target ÷ (1 − spread %) + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − rate %)
ask for (Stripe) = (target + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − rate % − conversion %)
monthly fees = fee × payments kept + fixed fee × payments refunded (PayPal)
Worked example
A US seller is paid $100 through PayPal Checkout by a buyer in the US. The rate is 3.49% + $0.49, so the fee is $100 × 3.49% = $3.49, plus $0.49 = $3.98, and the seller receives $100 − $3.98 = $96.02. To be left with a full $100, ask for ($100 + $0.49) ÷ (1 − 0.0349) = $100.49 ÷ 0.9651 = $104.12.
Stripe's standard US card rate is 2.9% + 30¢: $2.90 + $0.30 = $3.20, leaving $96.80, which is $0.78 less in fees. To receive $100 with Stripe, ask for $100.30 ÷ 0.971 = $103.30.
International buyers and other currencies
If the same $100 comes from a buyer outside the US, PayPal adds 1.5%: $100 × 4.99% + $0.49 = $5.48. Stripe charges 4.4% + 30¢ for international cards, $4.70.
If the buyer pays €100 and the US seller converts it to dollars, PayPal's fixed fee is €0.39, so the fee is €3.88, and the 3% conversion spread on the €96.12 left costs about €2.88. The seller gets dollars worth about €93.24. Keep the euros in a euro balance and there is no spread. Stripe adds 1% to convert (€1.00).
A month of payments and refunds
Ten $100 payments a month with one refunded: PayPal keeps its fee on the nine kept payments (9 × $3.98 = $35.82) and its $0.49 fixed fee on the refund, $36.31 in all. Stripe keeps its whole fee on refunds too: 10 × $3.20 = $32.00.
The rate tables above list where each figure comes from and whether it has been checked against that page. Fees change and some depend on your business (volume discounts, charities, special plans), so confirm on PayPal's and Stripe's own pricing pages before you rely on them. Stripe's fixed fee is charged in your payout currency; when the buyer pays in another currency it is converted here at a rough rate. Taxes on fees (such as GST or VAT in some countries) are not included.
Common questions
How much does PayPal charge to receive $100 in the US?
For a US business account paid through PayPal Checkout, the fee is 3.49% + $0.49. On $100 that is $3.49 + $0.49 = $3.98, so you receive $96.02. If the buyer is outside the US, PayPal adds 1.5%, making the fee $5.48. Card payments through PayPal cost 2.99% + $0.49 instead.
How do I work out what to charge so I get a set amount after PayPal fees?
Add the fixed fee to the amount you want, then divide by 1 minus the % rate. To receive $100 with a US rate of 3.49% + $0.49: ($100 + $0.49) ÷ 0.9651 = $104.12. Ask for $104.12 and PayPal takes $4.12, leaving you $100.
Is Stripe cheaper than PayPal?
For standard card payments it usually is. In the US Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ against PayPal Checkout's 3.49% + $0.49, so on $100 Stripe takes $3.20 and PayPal $3.98. In the UK Stripe charges 1.5% + 20p for UK cards. Rates differ by country and change over time, so check both providers' own pages.
What fees does PayPal charge on international payments?
PayPal adds a percentage when the buyer is in another country: 1.5% for US accounts. If the money is in another currency and you convert it, PayPal also takes a conversion spread, 3% for US business payments. On a €100 payment to a US account, the fee is €3.88 and converting the rest costs about €2.88 more.
Does PayPal refund its fee when I refund a buyer?
PayPal gives back the percentage part of the fee but keeps the fixed fee, so refunding a $100 US Checkout payment still costs you $0.49. Stripe keeps its whole fee on a refund. Use the refunds box in Advanced mode to see what refunds cost you each month.
Related calculators
Made by Zulu Calculator, part of AlphaZulu LLC. Formulas are shown in full and rule figures are checked against official sources; see how we build calculators.