Calculators / Stripe and PayPal fee

Stripe and PayPal fee calculator

Enter a payment amount to see what Stripe and PayPal each take, what lands in your account, and what to charge if you want to receive the whole amount.

Your numbers

$

Stripe

%
$

PayPal

%
$

On this payment

Stripe

Fee
You receive
Charge to receive the full amount

PayPal

Fee
You receive
Charge to receive the full amount

Where the rates come from. Stripe: stripe.com/pricing, checked October 9, 2026. PayPal: paypal.com/us/business/paypal-business-fees, checked October 9, 2026. PayPal's page says it was last updated October 1, 2026. Every rate is filled in for you but can be changed, in case your account is on a different deal.

The formulas

Fee = amount × rate + fixed fee
You receive = amount − fee
Charge to receive X = (X + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − rate)

Extras such as an international card add to the percentage, not to the fixed fee. A US card through Stripe is 2.9%; the same payment from a card issued abroad is4.4%.

Worked example

A customer in the US pays $100.00.

Stripe100 × 0.029 + 0.30 = $3.20, you receive $96.80
PayPal Checkout100 × 0.0349 + 0.49 = $3.98, you receive $96.02
Receive $100 via PayPal(100 + 0.49) ÷ 0.9651 = $104.13

The fixed fee is what hurts on small orders. On a $10 sale, PayPal Checkout takes $0.84, which is 8.4% of the sale.

Things that change the fee

Cards from other countries

Both add 1.5% for international payments. If you sell abroad a lot, use your real mix of domestic and international orders when you work out your average fee.

Refunds

Refunding a payment does not always return the processing fee. Check your provider's current refund policy, and count the lost fee as part of what a return costs you.

Selling through a platform

Shopify and Etsy have their own payment processing with their own rates. If you sell there, use the Shopify fees or Etsy feecalculator instead.

Read more

Formula and examples last checked October 9, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which is cheaper, Stripe or PayPal?

For a normal US card payment, Stripe's standard rate (2.9% + $0.30) is lower than PayPal Checkout (3.49% + $0.49). PayPal's own card processing rates are closer to Stripe's. The bigger question is often which one your customers want to use: some shoppers only check out if they see a PayPal button.

How do I charge enough to receive the full amount?

Add the fixed fee to the amount you want, then divide by 1 minus the percentage fee. To receive $100 through PayPal Checkout: (100 + 0.49) ÷ (1 − 0.0349) = $104.13. The calculator does this for you on the last line of each result.

Can I pass the fee on to the customer?

It depends on where you and your customer are, the card networks' rules and the payment provider's terms. Some US states restrict credit card surcharges and the rules change, so check before you add a fee at checkout. Building the cost into your prices avoids the question.

Why is the fee in my dashboard different?

Your account may be on a custom rate, the card may have been international or entered by hand, or there may have been a currency conversion. Use the options and the editable rates above to match what your dashboard shows.

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