Payment processor
PayPal (incl. PayPal Point of Sale) fees in 2026: what you actually pay
Updated · Checked against primary sources
The short answer
In the US, PayPal charges 2.99% + 49 cents for standard card payments online and on invoices, 3.49% + 49 cents for PayPal Checkout and Venmo, and 2.29% + 9 cents for card-present sales on PayPal Point of Sale, 3.49% + 9 cents keyed. Invoice ACH is 1% capped at $10, and instant transfers cost 1.5%.
US businesses that take PayPal, Venmo or card payments online, on PayPal invoices, or in person with PayPal Point of Sale (formerly Zettle).
PayPal (incl. PayPal Point of Sale) rates
| Payment type | Published rate |
|---|---|
| In person (tap, dip, swipe) | 2.29% + 9¢ |
| Online or invoice link | 2.99% + 49¢ |
| Keyed in | 3.49% + 9¢ |
| PayPal Checkout, Guest Checkout or Venmo | 3.49% + 49¢ |
| PayPal Pay Later | 4.99% + 49¢ |
| Send/receive money for goods and services | 2.99% |
| International commercial transactions (added) | 1.5% |
| Advanced card payments, Interchange Plus Plus (margin over interchange) | 0.49% |
| ACH / bank transfer | 1%, capped at $10 |
| Instant payout | 1.5% of the amount transferred (minimum fee applies) |
What PayPal (incl. PayPal Point of Sale) costs on your volume
Fee calculator
On PayPal (incl. PayPal Point of Sale): $924 a month, $11,088 a year (2.31% effective on cards).
| Same volume on | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| PayPal (incl. PayPal Point of Sale) | $924 | $11,088 |
| Clover | $929 | $11,147 |
| Square | $1,053 | $12,640 |
| Moneris | $1,069 | $12,827 |
| Stripe | $1,084 | $13,013 |
Uses each provider's published headline card rate and ACH terms only. Monthly software, hardware and per-feature fees are listed separately below and are not included.
Monthly and other fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Standard dispute fee | $15.00 per dispute (higher for high-volume dispute accounts) |
| Chargeback fee (card payments not through a PayPal account) | $20.00 |
| Standard withdrawal to bank | No fee (without currency conversion) |
PayPal (incl. PayPal Point of Sale) fee traps to check
- The 49 cent fixed fee on online and invoice card payments adds 4.9% to a $10 sale, so small online tickets cost far more than the headline rate suggests.
- Customers paying through PayPal Checkout or Venmo cost you 3.49% + 49 cents, more than a plain card at 2.99% + 49 cents.
- PayPal can raise the percentage part of your fees with 30 days' notice if your account draws a disproportionate number of complaints, reversals or chargebacks.
- Chargebacks on card payments cost $20 and disputes on PayPal-account payments cost $15, with higher fees for high-volume dispute accounts.
- Payment links sent from PayPal Point of Sale are billed at online rates (2.99% + 49 cents for cards, 3.49% + 49 cents for PayPal), not the 2.29% in-person rate.
How to lower your PayPal (incl. PayPal Point of Sale) fees
- Invoice large jobs with Pay by Bank: 1% capped at $10, versus $598.49 on a $20,000 card payment at 2.99% + 49 cents.
- Take in-person payments on PayPal Point of Sale (2.29% + 9 cents) rather than sending payment links.
- If you process meaningful card volume online, ask to activate Interchange Plus Plus pricing (interchange + 0.49% + a fixed fee) and compare it with the flat rate on your own transactions.
- Use free standard withdrawals to your bank instead of 1.5% instant transfers.
- Surcharge credit cards only where legal: Visa requires 30 days' notice to your acquirer, caps the surcharge at the lower of your merchant discount rate or 3%, bans it on debit and prepaid cards, and as of Feb 15, 2024 lists Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Puerto Rico as prohibiting it.
Can you pass the fee to customers?
Unclear. PayPal's US merchant fee page does not describe a surcharge or convenience-fee feature.
Contract and cancellation
Not published on the fee page; fees are governed by the PayPal User Agreement and, for in-person sales, the PayPal Point of Sale Terms.
PayPal (incl. PayPal Point of Sale) vs other payment processor options
| Provider | In person | Online | ACH |
|---|---|---|---|
| PayPal (incl. PayPal Point of Sale) | 2.29% + 9¢ | 2.99% + 49¢ | 1%, capped at $10 |
| Square | 2.6% + 15¢ | 3.3% + 30¢ | 1%, capped at $10 |
| Clover | 2.3% + 10¢ | Not published | Not published |
| Stripe | 2.7% + 5¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | 0.8%, capped at $5 |
| Helcim | Interchange + 0.4% + 8¢ | Interchange + 0.5% + 25¢ | 0.5% + $0.25, capped at $6 |
| Moneris | 2.65% + 10¢ | 2.85% + 30¢ | Not published |
Compare fees
- Payment processorSquare fees2.6% + 15¢ headline rate
- Payment processorClover fees2.3% + 10¢ headline rate
- Payment processorStripe fees2.7% + 5¢ headline rate
- Payment processorHelcim feesInterchange + 0.4% + 8¢ (interchange-plus)
- Payment processorMoneris fees2.65% + 10¢ headline rate
Frequently asked questions
- How much does PayPal charge a business to receive a payment?
- For US commercial transactions, 2.99% + 49 cents for standard card payments and 3.49% + 49 cents for PayPal Checkout or Venmo. International transactions add 1.5%.
- What are PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) fees?
- 2.29% + 9 cents for card-present and QR code payments and 3.49% + 9 cents for manually entered cards. Payment links from the app are billed at the online rates.
- Does PayPal charge for ACH on invoices?
- Yes. Pay by Bank on PayPal invoices costs 1%, capped at $10.00 per transaction, which is much cheaper than a card on a large invoice.
- How much is a PayPal instant transfer?
- 1.5% of the amount transferred, with a minimum fee. Standard withdrawals to an eligible bank account or debit card are free when no currency conversion is involved.
Where Pavado comes in
How Pavado finds the money your business is leaking
Want PayPal (incl. PayPal Point of Sale)'s charges checked against your own agreement? Pavado reviews statement and contract exports, then returns a written list of potential overpayments and questions for your provider. No account logins needed.
Send us the statements, contracts and bills you already have. We read the lines nobody reads and come back with a written list of what you are overpaying, what is about to renew and what you are owed.
- Fees you are overpaying. Processor, bank and platform charges checked line by line against what you agreed to.
- Contracts before they renew. Every renewal date and notice window we can see, so you can leave or renegotiate in time.
- Bills worth disputing. Insurance audit bills and lead charges with a dispute or credit window still open.
- Money you are owed. Unpaid invoices and holdback sorted by age and by the deadline that protects them.
- 1.Tell us what you pay for and send exports, not logins.
- 2.A person replies within one business day with what we need.
- 3.You get a written list: each item, what it looks to be worth and who acts on it.
The first conversation and a scoped proposal are free, and we will tell you early if we are not the right fit.
Go deeper
- GuideBest Payment Processing for Contractors: 8 ComparedCompare 8 contractor payment processors on large-invoice fees, ACH caps and workflow. Check the full cost before switching, or request a free fee review.
- GuideShould I Accept Credit Cards as a Contractor?At a 10% net margin, a 3% card fee eats roughly 30% of the profit on the job. Here is the math, the rules in Canada and the US, and when to say no.
- GuideMerchant Processor Holding Funds? What to DoWhy processors like Toast freeze deposits or set reserves, what the contract lets them do, how MATCH works, and how to escape a POS or card-machine lease.
- GuideHow to Collect a Contractor Deposit: 5 RulesMake the deposit due 3 to 5 business days before the start date, size it to your upfront spend, and check state caps: California's is $1,000, not $10,000.
Sources
Cite this page
Pavado, “PayPal (incl. PayPal Point of Sale) Fees 2026”, https://www.pavadotech.com/fees/paypal, updated 2026-09-24.