On a $100 payment via PayPal Standard (card), the fee is $3.49 (3.49%): - 2.99% of $100 = $2.99 - Fixed fee = $0.49 (for USD domestic) - Total fee = $3.48 | You receive = $96.52
For PayPal Checkout (the newer flow): $3.98 fee | $96.02 net
For PayPal Goods & Services (Friends & Family is for personal use only — using it for business violates PayPal's TOS): $3.48 fee.
$100 comparison: PayPal vs Stripe vs Square
| Processor | $100 fee | Net received |
|---|---|---|
| PayPal Standard | $3.49 | $96.52 |
| PayPal Checkout | $3.98 | $96.02 |
| Stripe (domestic) | $3.20 | $96.80 |
| Square (online) | $3.20 | $96.80 |
Stripe and Square are $0.29–0.78 cheaper per $100 transaction. At 100 transactions/month, that's $29–78/month saved by switching. At $1M/year volume, the difference is $2,900–7,800 annually.
To receive exactly $100 net from PayPal
Charge $103.59 to receive exactly $100 after PayPal Standard fees: ($100 + $0.49) / (1 - 0.0299) = $103.59.