Check all your PayPal orders at once
Download your sales file from PayPal, drop it here, and see the fees and profit on every order, with the worst orders first. No retyping and no spreadsheet work.Your file stays in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or sent to us.
1 Get your PayPal activity report
- In PayPal, open Activity, then All reports (Business accounts), then the Activity report.
- Choose the transaction type, dates and a CSV format. Add the Gross and Fee fields if asked.
- Download the CSV, then upload it here.
Steps from PayPal’s guide to downloading reports. Menu names differ between personal and business accounts, so check yours.
2 Drop the file you downloaded
Check the match
We matched your columns automatically. Change any that look wrong. Anything not in your file counts as 0.
3 Your results
Something not matching your file? Email the first three rows, with names and addresses removed, tosupport@styrofoamworld.com and we will fix it.
No export from PayPal? Use your own spreadsheet
Most sellers should upload the file PayPal gives them, above. If you keep your own sheet, give it a header row and one order per row, with columns such as the sale price, item cost and shipping. We will match them by name..
What goes in each box?
Not sure what to type? Use this guide. If you do not have a number yet, use the example value and change it later.
| Box | What it means | Where to find it | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| How the customer pays | PayPal’s rate depends on the payment type: Checkout (PayPal, Venmo or guest), cards, goods and services, Pay Later, QR code, an invoice paid by bank, or donations. | The transaction details in your PayPal Activity show how it was paid. Checkout buttons use the Checkout rate. | PayPal Checkout |
| International add-on | Tick if the buyer is in a different country from you. PayPal adds 1.5% to the domestic rate. | The buyer’s country is shown in the transaction details in your Activity. | Unticked |
| Amount you charge the customer | The total the customer pays, including shipping and any tax you collect. | Your checkout total, invoice, or the transaction amount in your PayPal Activity. | $60 |
| Item cost | What you paid to get or make the item. | Your receipt, invoice or bank statement. Enter 0 if you only want to see the PayPal fee. | $20 |
| Your shipping cost | What you pay to send the parcel. | Your shipping label or carrier receipt. Enter 0 if you do not ship. | $6 |
| Instant Transfer | Tick if you move the money to your bank with Instant Transfer, which costs 1.5% (minimum $0.50). A standard transfer to a linked bank is free. | You choose standard or instant when you withdraw your balance. | Unticked |
How to check you entered the right numbers
Check the result against a real payment. Open the transaction in your PayPal Activity and look at the fee and net amount shown. Compare the fee with the “PayPal fee” line in the calculator. If they match, your inputs are right.
PayPal merchant fees for US sellers
PayPal charges a percentage plus a fixed fee on each payment you receive. The rate depends on how the customer pays. The fixed fee for US dollars is $0.49 on most payment types.
| Fee | Rate | Charged on |
|---|---|---|
| PayPal Checkout, Pay with Venmo, Guest Checkout | 3.5% + $0.49 | per commercial transaction received |
| Standard credit and debit card payments | 3% + $0.49 | per commercial transaction received |
| Send/receive money for goods and services | 2.99% (no fixed fee) | per transaction received |
| PayPal Pay Later options | 5% + $0.49 | per commercial transaction received |
| QR code transactions | 2.3% + $0.09 | per transaction received |
| Invoice paid by bank (ACH) | 1%, capped at $10 | per invoice transaction |
| Donations | 2.9% + $0.49 | per donation received |
| International transactions (add-on) | + 1.5% | added to the domestic rate |
| Instant Transfer to bank or debit card | 1.5%, minimum $0.50 | of the amount transferred; standard transfers to a linked bank are $0 |
Source: PayPal Merchant Fees (US), page marked last updated November 4, 2026. Verified on 2026-11-08.
- PayPal’s fee page lists the fixed fee for US dollars as $0.49 and does not spell out whether the percentage applies to the total including tax and shipping. The calculator applies it to the total amount you receive.
- A currency conversion spread of 3% to 4% applies when PayPal converts currency. It is not included in the calculator.
- PayPal may raise the percentage part of your fees (up to 5%) for accounts with a high level of risk, after 30 days’ notice. The calculator uses the standard rates.
- Charity rates, micropayments, PayPal Online Payment Services, Point of Sale, Payouts and Hyperwallet have their own rates and are not included.
How PayPal fees work in practice
For most online sellers the number to know is 3.49% plus $0.49 per sale. The fixed$0.49 is large next to Stripe’s or Square’s 30¢, so it takes a bigger bite out of small sales. On a $10 sale the PayPal Checkout fee is $0.84, or 8.39% of the sale. On $60.00 it is $2.58.
Card payments through PayPal are a little cheaper at 2.99% + $0.49, and QR code payments cheaper again at 2.29% + $0.09. Pay Later options cost more at4.99% + $0.49, so offering them can raise your fees on some orders.
International buyers cost more. PayPal adds 1.5% to the domestic rate. A $100.00 card payment from abroad costs $4.98 instead of $3.48, so you receive $95.02. If PayPal converts currency too, there is an extra currency conversion spread that is not part of this calculator.
If you need to be paid a set amount, do not just add the fee percentage to your price. To receive exactly$100.00 through PayPal Checkout you need to request $104.12, because PayPal takes its percentage from the bigger total. The reverse mode in the calculator does that sum for you.
Two more costs sit after the sale. Refunds are free to issue, but PayPal does not return the fees you paid when you received the payment. And moving money out is free to a linked bank with a standard transfer, but Instant Transfer costs 1.5% with a $0.50 minimum. Tick the Instant Transfer box if you use it.
These are PayPal’s standard US rates for receiving payments. Disputes, chargebacks, currency conversion and high-risk account adjustments are separate. Your own fees can differ if PayPal has agreed custom pricing with you.
Three worked examples
1. A $60 PayPal Checkout sale
The fee is 3.49% of $60.00 plus $0.49, which is $2.58. You receive $57.42.
2. A $100 card payment from abroad
The rate is 4.49% (2.99% + 1.5%) plus $0.49, so the fee is $4.98. You receive $95.02. A domestic card would have cost $3.48.
3. A $20 sale: Checkout versus goods and services
PayPal Checkout takes $1.19. Goods and services at 2.99% takes $0.60, because there is no fixed fee. The fixed fee is why small sales cost more on Checkout.
Questions sellers ask
How much does PayPal charge to receive a payment in the US?
For most online sales it is 3.49% + $0.49 with PayPal Checkout, Pay with Venmo or Guest Checkout, and 2.99% + $0.49 for standard card payments. These are PayPal’s published US merchant rates.
Is there an extra fee for international payments?
Yes. PayPal adds 1.5% on top of the domestic rate for international commercial transactions. If PayPal also converts the currency, a separate currency conversion spread applies, which this calculator does not include.
Why is goods and services only 2.99%?
PayPal lists “send/receive money for goods and services” at 2.99% with no fixed fee, while Checkout is 3.49% + $0.49. On a $20.00 sale that is $0.60 against $1.19. The two options are offered in different ways, so you may not be able to choose which one a buyer uses.
Do I get the fee back if I refund?
No. PayPal says there is no fee to make a refund, but the fees you originally paid to receive the payment are not returned. That applies to full and partial refunds.
What does a dispute or chargeback cost?
PayPal lists a standard dispute fee of $15.00 ($30 high volume), and a chargeback fee of $20.00 for card transactions that do not go through a buyer’s PayPal account. These depend on what happens after the sale, so the calculator does not include them.
What does it cost to move my money out of PayPal?
A standard transfer to a linked bank account is free when no currency conversion is involved. Instant Transfer to a bank or debit card costs 1.5% with a $0.50 minimum.
Compare with other platforms
Selling in more than one place? See how PayPal's fees compare with these.
Stripe fee calculator
Compare Stripe's card rate and smaller fixed fee.
Open calculator →Square fee calculator
Compare Square's rates and plan finder.
Open calculator →Shopify fee calculator
Using PayPal on Shopify? See the third-party fee.
Open calculator →Mercari fee calculator
Selling secondhand? See a marketplace's single fee.
Open calculator →Or see all 9 calculators and thefee comparison on a $50 sale.
Change log
- 2026-11-08: Initial data recorded from PayPal’s US merchant fee page (marked updated November 4, 2026): Checkout 3.49% + 49¢, cards 2.99% + 49¢, goods and services 2.99%, Pay Later 4.99% + 49¢, QR 2.29% + 9¢, invoice ACH 1% capped at $10, donations 2.89% + 49¢, international +1.5%, Instant Transfer 1.5% (min $0.50).
Disclaimer: this calculator gives estimates based on the fees PayPal publishes, not financial or tax advice. Fees can change, so check PayPal’s current fee page before relying on a number. SellSmartDesk is not affiliated with PayPal.