Payment Fee Calculator
PayPal Fee Calculator for Freelancers
Calculate PayPal transaction fees for freelancers. See exactly what you need to invoice to receive your full desired amount.
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Fee breakdown
Stripe fee reference
Current processing rates for Stripe. Fees are calculated as (amount × 2.9%) + $0.30.
| Amount | Fee | You receive |
|---|---|---|
| $100.00 | −$3.20 | $96.80 |
| $250.00 | −$7.55 | $242.45 |
| $500.00 | −$14.80 | $485.20 |
| $1,000.00 | −$29.30 | $970.70 |
| $2,500.00 | −$72.80 | $2,427.20 |
| $5,000.00 | −$145.30 | $4,854.70 |
| $10,000.00 | −$290.30 | $9,709.70 |
How payment processing fees work
Every time you accept a payment through Stripe, PayPal, or Square, the processor deducts a fee before depositing the money in your account. These fees follow a simple formula: a percentage of the transaction amount plus a small fixed charge.
For example, Stripe's domestic rate is 2.9% + $0.30. On a $100 invoice, you'd pay ($100 × 0.029) + $0.30 = $3.20 in fees, and receive $96.80.
The tricky part is the reverse calculation: if you want to walk away with exactly $1,000, you can't just add 2.9% and $0.30 to $1,000, because the fee applies to the gross amount, not the net. Instead, the correct formula is:
Gross = (Desired Net + Fixed Fee) ÷ (1 − Percentage / 100)
For a $1,000 net on Stripe domestic: ($1,000 + $0.30) ÷ (1 − 0.029) = $1,030.03. Invoice $1,030.03, and you'll receive exactly $1,000 after fees.
Domestic vs international fees
All three processors charge higher fees for international transactions. This covers cross-border processing, currency conversion, and additional risk. If your client is in a different country, always use the international rate to calculate your fees — otherwise you'll undercharge.
PayPal's international rate of 4.4% + $0.30 is the highest among the three. For large international invoices, Stripe at 3.9% + $0.30 or Square at 3.3% + $0.10 may save you significant money.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I calculate what to charge so I receive a specific amount after Stripe fees?
- Use the reverse calculator above: type the amount you want to receive in the 'I want to receive exactly' field, and it will tell you the gross invoice amount. The formula is: Invoice = (Desired Net + Fixed Fee) / (1 - Percentage Fee).
- What are Stripe's current processing fees?
- Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 per domestic transaction and 3.9% + $0.30 for international transactions. These rates apply to most standard cards in the United States.
- What are PayPal's current processing fees?
- PayPal charges 2.9% + $0.30 per domestic transaction and 4.4% + $0.30 for international transactions. Cross-border payments may also incur a currency conversion fee of up to 4%.
- What are Square's current processing fees?
- Square charges 2.6% + $0.10 per domestic transaction and 3.3% + $0.10 for international transactions. Square's rates are slightly lower than Stripe and PayPal for domestic payments.
- Why is the effective fee rate higher than the percentage shown?
- The percentage fee (e.g., 2.9%) is only part of the cost. The fixed fee ($0.30 per transaction) adds a larger percentage on small amounts. For example, on a $10 charge, the effective rate is (2.9% of $10 + $0.30) / $10 = 5.9%. On larger amounts, the fixed fee becomes less significant.
- Is this fee calculator free to use?
- Yes, this tool is 100% free. All calculations happen in your browser — no data is sent to any server. You can use it as many times as you need.