UK fees checked Oct 12, 2026
PayPal Fee Calculator UK
Enter an amount to see PayPal's fee and what lands in your account, or flip the calculator around to find what to charge so you receive an exact amount. Uses PayPal's current UK rates for every payment type.
PayPal charges UK sellers 2.9% + 30p per domestic commercial transaction in 2026, so a £100 sale costs £3.20 and you keep £96.80. Buyers in the EEA add a 1.29% surcharge, buyers elsewhere add 1.99%, and converting currency costs 3%. This calculator covers every payment type, with a reverse mode that tells you exactly what to charge to receive a target amount.
How PayPal fees work in the UK in 2026
UK sellers pay a flat 2.9% + 30p on domestic commercial transactions. That is the headline PayPal percentage fee in Britain: unlike the US, the UK does not split rates by wallet versus card for standard checkout. Two payment types are cheaper. A card payment from a buyer who checks out without a PayPal account costs 1.2% + 30p. QR code payments at a physical counter cost 1.5% + 10p on amounts over £10.01, or 2% + 5p on £10.00 and under. Buy Now Pay Later costs 3.9% + 30p.
International sales add a surcharge on top of the domestic rate: 1.29% when the buyer's account is in the EEA, 1.99% for buyers anywhere else, including the US. If you then convert the money into pounds from another currency, PayPal adds 3% above the base exchange rate. Businesses doing over £4,000 a month can apply for PayPal's tiered plan, which cuts the domestic rate to 2.4% (or 2.1% over £8,000).
The formulas
- Fee = amount × rate + fixed fee, where rate = 2.9% domestic (+1.29% EEA / +1.99% elsewhere if international).
- You receive = amount − fee (− 3% of what is left if you convert currency).
- Amount to charge to receive a target = (target + £0.30) ÷ (1 − rate). This is why you cannot simply add 2.9% to your price: the fee is also charged on the extra you add.
Worked examples
A UK customer pays £100 through PayPal Checkout. The fee is £100 × 2.9% + £0.30 = £3.20, so you receive £96.80. If the same buyer is in the US, the rate becomes 4.89% and the fee rises to £5.19.
To receive exactly £100, charge (£100 + £0.30) ÷ (1 − 0.029) = £103.30. PayPal keeps £3.30 and you get £100.00.
An £8 sale paid by QR code at your counter costs £8 × 2% + £0.05 = £0.21, the cheapest way to take a small in-person payment.
Ways to pay less
A guest card checkout at 1.2% + 30p is the cheapest way to take a card payment in the UK, so it is worth enabling guest checkout on your site. If most of your sales are under about £12, apply for micropayments pricing at 5% + 5p. High-volume sellers should apply for the tiered rate plan (2.4% over £4,000/month, 2.1% over £8,000). Receiving in pounds avoids the 3% conversion spread, and EEA buyers cost only 1.29% extra instead of 1.99% for buyers elsewhere.
PayPal fee calculators for other countries
PayPal fees differ by country. Work out the fee where your account is based: /paypal-fee-calculator/ (US, USD), /paypal-fee-calculator-canada/ (Canada, CAD), /paypal-fee-calculator-australia/ (Australia, AUD).
Limitations
Rates are PayPal's standard published UK merchant rates for accounts registered in the UK, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man. Businesses on negotiated or tiered pricing pay less. Chargebacks (£14), disputes (from £12), and fees kept on refunds are not included. This tool covers UK accounts only.
Sources
PayPal merchant fees (UK), checked October 12, 2026.
Planning estimate only. Results use the list prices shown and may differ from your actual bill. Terms
Frequently asked questions
How much is the PayPal fee on £100 in the UK?
£3.20 on a domestic PayPal Checkout payment (2.9% + 30p), so you receive £96.80. A card payment from a guest checkout costs £1.50, and Buy Now Pay Later costs £4.20.
What is the PayPal percentage fee in the UK?
2.9% + a 30p fixed fee per domestic commercial transaction. That is the standard UK rate for 2026; cheaper rates apply to guest card checkouts (1.2%), QR codes and micropayments.
How much does PayPal take from a UK sale?
On a £50 UK sale through PayPal Checkout, £1.75 (2.9% + 30p), leaving £48.25. The effective rate falls as the sale gets bigger, because the 30p fixed fee matters less.
What is PayPal's international fee in the UK?
An extra 1.29% when the buyer is in the EEA, or 1.99% for buyers anywhere else, added to the 2.9% + 30p domestic rate. So a £100 sale to a US buyer costs £5.19 in fees.
How much does PayPal charge for currency conversion in the UK?
3% above the base exchange rate when you convert a balance or bear the conversion on a received payment.
Are PayPal friends-and-family payments free in the UK?
Personal payments between friends and family funded by a PayPal balance or bank account are generally free in the UK, but they must not be used for sales: they carry no purchase protection and misusing them breaks PayPal's terms.
What is PayPal's micropayments fee in the UK?
5% + 5p per domestic transaction for accounts approved for micropayments pricing. It wins when most of your sales are under about £12.
What is the PayPal QR code fee in the UK?
1.5% + 10p on payments over £10.01, or 2% + 5p on £10.00 and under. On an £8 in-person sale the fee is just 21p.
How do I add PayPal fees to an invoice in the UK?
Use the 'find what to charge' mode: (target + £0.30) ÷ (1 − rate). Note that UK rules ban passing card surcharges on to consumers, so check the rules before adding fees to an invoice.
What is PayPal's chargeback fee in the UK?
£14 per chargeback. There is also a dispute fee from £12 when a buyer opens a dispute through PayPal.
Does PayPal refund its fee if I refund the buyer?
No. If you refund a commercial transaction there are no fees to make the refund, but the fees you originally paid to receive the payment are not returned to you.
What is the guest-checkout card rate in the UK?
1.2% + 30p when a buyer pays by card without a PayPal account. It is the cheapest way to take a card payment in the UK, so it is worth enabling guest checkout.