What does PayPal or Stripe take from a payment, and what should you charge to end up with a set amount? Enter the amount and pick the payment method. The calculator shows the fee, your payout and the effective fee %, compares every method side by side, and solves for the price to charge to net $X. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere.

Rates are the US standard rates as of Oct 20, 2026 (sources below). Every rate box can be edited, so you can plug in your own pricing if it’s different.


Picking a method fills in its standard rate. Edit the boxes if your rate is different. The international extra (1.5% for PayPal) is added to the percentage only when the box is ticked; for Stripe, enter whatever extra percentage applies to your account.

Fee$0.00
You receive (payout)$0.00
Effective fee0%
Rate used-
Price to charge to net $100.00$0.00
Fee at that price$0.00

Every method for this amount

MethodFeePayoutEffectivePrice to net target

Uses the international box and extra % above, but the standard rate for each method (not your edited rate).

Doing this math in a spreadsheet? Seller Fee Formulas for Google Sheets ($9) adds custom functions such as STRIPEFEE, PAYPALFEE, ETSYFEE and GUMROADFEE, plus price solvers that find the price you need for a target profit. Every rate is an optional argument, and they work on a whole column at once. Disclosure: this is our own paid product, and we earn the sale price if you buy it.

Want the rates explained with worked examples? Read PayPal & Stripe fees explained (2026).

Selling on Gumroad or Etsy too? See the free Gumroad fee calculator and the Etsy fee & profit calculator.

Rates used (US, as of Oct 20, 2026)

Method Fee
Stripe, domestic card 2.9% + $0.30
PayPal Checkout and Guest Checkout 3.49% + $0.49
PayPal, Pay with Venmo 3.49% + $0.49
PayPal, standard credit and debit card payments 2.99% + $0.49
PayPal, send/receive money for goods and services 2.99%
PayPal Pay Later 4.99% + $0.49
PayPal, all other commercial transactions 3.49% + $0.49
PayPal, international commercial payments add 1.50%

Sources: Stripe pricing and PayPal merchant fees (US), checked Oct 20, 2026 (PayPal’s page was last updated Oct 1, 2026). Rates change, negotiated and volume pricing differ, and currency conversion, disputes, chargebacks, instant transfers and other extras are not included. Check your own account before you rely on a number.

How the numbers are worked out

fee              = amount x (percentage + international extra) + fixed fee, rounded to the cent
payout           = amount - fee
effective fee %  = fee / amount
price to net X   = (X + fixed fee) / (1 - percentage), rounded up to the cent

Example: a $50 Stripe card payment costs $50 x 2.9% + $0.30 = $1.75, so you keep $48.25 (3.5% effective). The same $50 through PayPal Checkout costs $50 x 3.49% + $0.49 = $2.24 and you keep $47.76; from an international buyer it’s 4.99% + $0.49 = $2.99. To net $100 through Stripe, charge ($100 + $0.30) / 0.971 = $103.30.

FAQ

Is Stripe or PayPal cheaper?

At standard US rates, a Stripe card payment (2.9% + $0.30) costs less than PayPal Checkout (3.49% + $0.49) on every amount. PayPal’s goods and services rate (2.99%, no fixed fee) is cheaper than both on small amounts. Buyers sometimes convert better with PayPal, so the cheaper fee isn’t always the better choice.

Why does the fixed fee matter so much on small sales?

On a $5 sale, PayPal Checkout’s $0.49 fixed fee alone is almost 10%. The effective fee % column shows how quickly the fixed part fades as the price goes up.

Can I just add the fee percentage to my price?

Not quite. Adding 2.9% to $100 gives $102.90, but the fee is charged on $102.90, not $100, so you’d come up short. Divide by (1 - percentage) instead, as the “price to charge” box does.

Selling on a platform instead? Compare them all in the Seller fee comparison calculator (2026).

More tools and guides: all guides and free tools. Not affiliated with PayPal or Stripe. Not tax or financial advice.