PayPal Fee Calculator for Payments & Transactions

By Jeff Cobb.  Last Updated on September 9, 2026
PayPal Fee Calculator | Learning Revolution
Free Tool — by Jeff Cobb

PayPal Fee Calculator

Find what PayPal actually takes from a sale, or work backward from the amount you want to land in your account. A meaningful share of course buyers still pay with PayPal specifically — worth knowing the real number before you price around it.

Standard commonly-cited US commercial rates as of this writing — always confirm current pricing in your own PayPal account, since PayPal’s fee schedule varies by account type, country, currency, and volume, and has changed more than once in recent years.
PayPal fee
$0
You receive
$0
Effective rate
0%
Fee reference at common course price points
Sale pricePayPal feeYou receive

How PayPal’s standard fee works

Fee = (Sale amount × 3.49%) + $0.49
You receive = Sale amount − Fee

The commonly published standard rate for a US commercial transaction through PayPal Checkout is around 3.49% + $0.49 — noticeably higher than Stripe’s commonly cited 2.9% + $0.30 on the percentage side, and higher again on the flat fee. On a typical course-priced sale, that difference is a real, measurable dollar amount, not a rounding error, which is exactly why the reference table above is worth checking against your actual price points rather than assuming the two processors are roughly equivalent.

Two other rate structures worth knowing

Micropayments rate
Higher % + smaller flat fee
An alternative fee structure aimed at low-price items — a higher percentage but a much smaller flat fee, which can work out cheaper for anything under roughly $10 (a mini-course, a single lesson, a low-cost digital download).
International payment
+1.5% (commonly cited)
Applies when the payment originates from outside your account’s home country — relevant for a course business with an international audience, which describes most of them.

Toggle the micropayments option above to compare it directly against the standard rate at your price point — for a $7 mini-course, the micropayments structure will typically net you more even though its percentage looks higher on paper, because the flat fee matters more at that price.

PayPal vs. Stripe: which is actually cheaper?

PayPal tends to win when…

  • You’re selling very low-priced items and use the micropayments rate
  • Your buyers specifically prefer or trust PayPal’s checkout, which can lift conversion enough to outweigh the fee gap

Stripe tends to win when…

  • You’re selling mid-to-high-ticket courses at standard published rates
  • You want ACH/bank transfer as a lower-cost option for high-ticket sales — see the ACH note in our Stripe Fee Calculator

The honest answer for most course sellers is that both processing options belong on your checkout page — PayPal for buyers who trust and prefer it, Stripe (or a similar processor) as the default — since the conversion lift from offering a familiar payment option often outweighs a percentage point of fee difference.

Frequently asked questions

What is PayPal’s standard fee for a business transaction?
The commonly published US commercial rate is around 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction through PayPal Checkout, though this varies by account type, country, and whether a transaction qualifies for a different rate structure like micropayments.
Is there a cheaper PayPal rate for small transactions?
Yes — PayPal offers a micropayments fee structure aimed at low-price items, with a higher percentage but a much smaller flat fee. It typically becomes the cheaper option somewhere around the $10 mark and below, and the standard rate is cheaper above that.
Does PayPal charge extra for international payments?
Commonly yes — an additional percentage is typically added for cross-border transactions on top of the standard processing rate. This matters for course sellers with an international audience, which is most of them.
How do I calculate what to charge to net a specific amount after PayPal fees?
Use “I know what I want to net” mode above. The formula is: Charge amount = (Target net + flat fee) ÷ (1 − fee rate). Useful when you want the fee absorbed by the buyer rather than coming out of your payout.
Are PayPal’s fees the same worldwide?
No — rates and fee structures vary by country and currency. A rate that applies to a US-based seller receiving USD is not necessarily the rate that applies elsewhere, so confirm the schedule that applies to your specific account.
Comparing processors before you decide?

Check the Stripe Fee Calculator side by side, then see your full margin picture — fees, refunds, and platform costs together — in the Gross Profit Calculator.

Find my margin → See all free tools

Related guides:

Head shot of Learning Revolution Founder Jeff Cobb

Jeff Cobb, Founder of Learning Revolution

Jeff Cobb is an expert in online education and the business of adult lifelong learning. Over the past 20+ years he has built a thriving career based on that expertise – as an entrepreneur, a consultant, an author, and a speaker. Learning Revolution is a place where Jeff curates tips, insights, and resources to help you build a thriving expertise-based business. Learn more about Jeff Cobb here.

Scroll to Top