What this calculator does
PayPal fees are charged as a percentage of the payment plus a small fixed amount, deducted before the money lands in your account. This calculator works out the fee and the amount you actually receive from a payment, or runs the sum in reverse to find what you need to charge so a target amount lands in your account after fees.
The two inputs that matter are the percentage rate and the fixed fee, and both are editable here rather than baked in, because PayPal changes them from time to time and the rate itself depends on the transaction: domestic payments in Australia are typically charged a lower percentage than international ones, and a personal payment between friends is often fee-free entirely. Check PayPal's own published fee schedule for the exact current rate before relying on a figure for anything time-critical.
The formula
The fee is the payment amount multiplied by the percentage rate, plus the fixed fee, and the amount received is the payment minus that fee. Working the other way, the amount to charge so a target net amount lands in your account is the target plus the fixed fee, divided by one minus the percentage rate as a decimal, since the percentage fee itself scales with whatever the final charged amount turns out to be.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Percentage fee | The share of the payment PayPal takes, commonly around 1.75% to 2.6% for domestic Australian payments and higher, often near 3.6%, for international ones. |
| Fixed fee | A flat amount charged per transaction on top of the percentage, commonly a small fixed dollar figure for domestic payments. |
| Net amount received | The amount that actually lands in your PayPal balance after both fee components are deducted. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| What are you working out | Choose whether you already know the payment amount and want the fee, or you know what you need to net and want to know what to charge. |
| Amount (payment received, or target net amount) ($) | The payment amount received (in fee mode), or the amount you want left over after fees (in gross-up mode). |
| PayPal fee percentage (%) | The percentage fee PayPal charges on this type of transaction. Check your PayPal fee schedule; Australian domestic commercial payments and international payments are charged at different rates. |
| PayPal fixed fee per transaction ($) | The flat fixed fee PayPal charges per transaction, on top of the percentage. |
When to use it
Checking what a customer payment will net you
Before relying on a sale price to cover costs, running it through the fee calculator shows the actual amount that will land in the account, not the amount the customer paid.
Pricing an invoice to cover PayPal fees
Switching to the gross-up mode works out what to charge so a specific target amount, such as the cost of goods plus a margin, still lands after PayPal takes its cut.
Comparing domestic and international payment costs
Australian sellers who take both local and overseas payments can see the fee difference directly by swapping the percentage rate between the domestic and international figures PayPal publishes.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
What do PayPal fees look like on a range of payment amounts?
The same fee structure applied to payments of different sizes.
| Payment amount | Amount you receive | Total PayPal fee |
|---|---|---|
| $50 | $48.40 | $1.60 |
| $100 | $97.10 | $2.90 |
| $250 | $243.20 | $6.80 |
| $500 | $486.70 | $13.30 |
| $1,000 | $973.70 | $26.30 |
| $2,000 | $1,947.70 | $52.30 |
| $5,000 | $4,869.70 | $130.30 |
How does the percentage rate change what you receive on a $500 payment?
The same $500 payment at rates spanning a typical Australian domestic rate up to a typical international rate.
| Fee percentage | Amount you receive | Total PayPal fee |
|---|---|---|
| 2.6% | $486.70 | $13.30 |
| 2.9% | $485.20 | $14.80 |
| 3.2% | $483.70 | $16.30 |
| 3.6% | $481.70 | $18.30 |
Questions
What are typical PayPal fees in Australia?
PayPal Australia typically charges a lower percentage on domestic commercial payments than on international ones, plus a small fixed fee per transaction, though the exact figures vary by account type and have changed over time. Enter your own confirmed rate from PayPal's current fee schedule rather than relying on a remembered figure.
Why is there a fixed fee as well as a percentage?
The fixed fee covers the roughly constant cost of processing any transaction regardless of size, while the percentage scales with the value being moved and the associated risk. Together they mean small payments are proportionally more expensive to receive than large ones.
Do PayPal fees change for international payments?
Yes. Cross-border payments are typically charged a higher percentage than domestic ones, on top of any currency conversion margin if the payment involves converting currency, which is a separate cost again.
How do I make sure a customer payment covers the fee?
Use the gross-up mode: enter the amount you actually need to keep as the target, and the calculator works out what to charge so that amount is still left over once PayPal's fee is deducted.
For a currency conversion that also strips out a provider spread and fixed fee, see the currency conversion with fees calculator.