PayPal Payments
Take PayPal, Venmo and card payments with no monthly fee: 2.99% + 49¢ for a card online, 2.29% + 9¢ in person
Rates verified October 14, 2026See pricingThe Bottom Line
- In-person card rate
- 2.29% + 9¢ (verified Oct 14, 2026). All rates and fees
Key facts
- No monthly fee: 2.99% + 49¢ for a card online, 3.49% + 49¢ when the customer pays from a PayPal or Venmo account.
- In person, a card-present payment costs 2.29% + 9¢, and a card typed in on the virtual terminal costs 3.39% + 29¢.
- Refunds do not return the fee, a card chargeback costs $20, and new sellers can have payments held for up to 21 days.
Pros
- No monthly or setup fee on standard checkout
- Customers can pay with PayPal, Venmo, Pay Later or a card
- Closing your account costs nothing
- Sales reach your PayPal business account within minutes
Cons
- A fixed 49¢ is added to every online and invoice payment
- PayPal does not return the fee when you refund a sale, and it charges $20 for a card chargeback and $15 for a dispute
- Payments can be held for up to 21 days, and PayPal can place a reserve
- Payments from customers outside the US add 1.5%
At a glance
Rates verified October 14, 2026- Pricing model
- Flat rate
- In-person card rate
- 2.29% + 9¢ (PayPal Point of Sale, card-present payments)
- Online card rate
- 2.99% + 49¢ (PayPal Checkout, credit and debit cards; 3.49% + 49¢ when the customer pays from a PayPal or Venmo account)
- Keyed-in rate
- 3.39% + 29¢ (Virtual terminal; 3.49% + 9¢ for a card typed in on PayPal Point of Sale)
- Monthly fee
- $0 a month
- Free plan
- Yes
- PCI fee
- No PCI fee is listed on the fee schedule. PayPal says it is PCI compliant and charges no monthly or setup fee on standard checkout.
- Chargeback fee
- $20
- Bank (ACH) payments
- 1%, capped at $10
- Refunds
- No fee to make a refund, but the fees you originally paid to receive the payment are not returned.
- Payout speed
- Sales are available within minutes in your PayPal business account. A standard transfer to your bank is free; an instant transfer to a bank or debit card costs 1.5% (minimum 50¢).
- Contract
- No contract: you can close your PayPal account at any time without cost.
- Early termination
- No cost to close your account at any time
- Holds and reserves
- PayPal says it can hold payments if, in its sole discretion, it sees a high level of risk. Risk-based holds generally last up to 21 days from the date the payment was received, a payment under dispute can be held until the matter is resolved but no longer than 180 days, and a new seller's initial payments are held for up to 21 days, with a monthly review for earlier release. PayPal can also place a rolling reserve (a percentage of each day's sales held and released later, for example 10% for 90 days) or a minimum reserve on a business account. The money stays yours but you cannot use or withdraw it for now.
- Card reader
- $29 (PayPal Card Reader, first reader (standard price $79))
- Terminal
- $199 (PayPal Terminal)
- Best for
- Online sellers, Mobile and pop-up sellers
- Other fees to know
- PayPal or Venmo payment online: 3.49% + 49¢; Pay Later online: 4.99% + 49¢; Expanded Checkout, cards (application required): 2.89% + 29¢; QR code payment: 2.29% + 9¢; Card typed in on PayPal Point of Sale: 3.49% + 9¢; Invoice paid with PayPal or Venmo / Pay Later / card: 3.49% + 49¢ / 4.99% + 49¢ / 2.99% + 49¢; ACH Services (application required): 0.80%, capped at $5; Payments from customers outside the US: +1.50%; Currency conversion: 3.00% spread; Instant transfer to bank or debit card: 1.50%, minimum 50¢; Dispute fee: $15 standard, $30 high volume; Chargeback Protection (optional): +0.40% per transaction; Payments Advanced / Payments Pro (application required): $5 / $30 a month
- Countries
- PayPal's user agreement says it applies to U.S. PayPal accounts only; the business must be organized in, operating in, or a resident of the United States or one of its territories.
Sources: paypal.com/us/business/paypal-business-fees, paypal.com/us/business/accept-payments/checkout, read October 14, 2026
Is it worth it?
About $244 in person, or $381 online a month in fees on $10,000 of card sales
A business taking $10,000 a month in card payments, in about 167 sales of $60, would pay about $244 if every sale is in person (Standard plan at 2.29% + 9¢, with no monthly fee), and about $381 if every sale is online (Standard plan at 2.99% + 49¢, with no monthly fee). Hardware, PCI fees, chargebacks and other fees are not included, and rates change, so the date above matters.
Read this before you sign up
- PayPal can hold payments for up to 21 days on a risk decision, and says it holds a new seller's initial payments for up to 21 days. A payment under dispute can be held up to 180 days.
- PayPal can place a rolling or minimum reserve on a business account. Its example is 10% of each day's sales held for 90 days.
- On card payment services, PayPal may raise the percentage part of your fees, by up to 5.00% per transaction, with 30 days' notice if it sees a serious level of risk.
- PayPal does not return the fee when you refund a sale, charges $20 for a card chargeback and a $15 dispute fee ($30 for high volume).
- A fixed 49¢ is added to every online and invoice payment, and payments from customers outside the US add 1.5%.
- Seller Protection covers only eligible unauthorized transaction and item-not-received claims on PayPal Checkout.
Where these numbers come from
Every rate and price on this page was read from the vendor's own pages on the dates below. Vendors change prices without notice, so check the current figure on their site before you decide.
- Online, in-person, virtual terminal and invoice rates, fixed fees in US dollars, ACH, chargeback and dispute fees, refunds, instant transfer, international fee (fee page last updated October 1, 2026) Vendor page (2026-10-14)
- Online checkout rates by payment type and no monthly or setup fees Vendor page (2026-10-14)
- Invoice rates and ACH cap Vendor page (2026-10-14)
- QR code rate Vendor page (2026-10-14)
- Virtual terminal rate and $0 monthly fee Vendor page (2026-10-14)
- Tap to Pay rate and payout timing Vendor page (2026-10-14)
- Point of Sale rates and hardware prices Vendor page (2026-10-14)
- Reserves Vendor page (2026-10-14)
- Holds on a new seller's payments Vendor page (2026-10-14)
- Risk-based holds, closing an account at no cost, US accounts only Vendor page (2026-10-14)
What is PayPal Payments?
PayPal Payments is PayPal's processing for US businesses. It suits small shops and service businesses whose customers already use PayPal or Venmo, and it also covers cards online, invoices, QR codes, a virtual terminal and Tap to Pay on a phone. There is no monthly or setup fee on the standard checkout: you pay when you get paid.
The price depends on how the customer pays. Online, a card costs 2.99% + 49¢ and a payment from a PayPal or Venmo account costs 3.49% + 49¢. In person, a card-present payment costs 2.29% + 9¢, and a card typed in on the virtual terminal costs 3.39% + 29¢. Invoices cost 3.49% + 49¢ for PayPal payments and 2.99% + 49¢ for cards, or 1% capped at $10 for a bank payment. Payments from customers outside the US add 1.5%. A transfer from your PayPal balance to your bank is free, and an instant transfer costs 1.5%.
One thing to know: PayPal keeps the fee when you refund a sale, charges $20 for a card chargeback, and can hold payments for up to 21 days, or set aside part of your sales in a reserve, if it sees risk. For a new seller, PayPal says it holds the initial payments for up to 21 days.
Key details
No monthly or setup fee on standard checkout: you pay when you get paidPayPal, Venmo, Pay Later and cards in one checkoutInvoices that accept cards, PayPal and bank (ACH) paymentsQR code payments at 2.29% + 9¢Virtual terminal at $0 a month for payments you type inTap to Pay on iPhone and Android, no reader neededSeller Protection on eligible PayPal transactions
Explore more
PayPal Payments FAQ
How much does PayPal charge per card payment online?
A card payment on PayPal Checkout costs 2.99% + 49¢. A payment made from a PayPal or Venmo account costs 3.49% + 49¢, and Pay Later costs 4.99% + 49¢. With Expanded Checkout, which needs an application, cards cost 2.89% + 29¢. Payments from customers outside the US add 1.5%. Checked on PayPal's business fees page on October 14, 2026.
Does PayPal charge a monthly fee?
Not on standard checkout: PayPal says there are no monthly or setup fees and you only pay when you get paid. The virtual terminal has a $0 monthly fee too. Checked on PayPal's checkout and virtual terminal pages on October 14, 2026.
What does PayPal charge for in-person payments?
A card-present payment costs 2.29% + 9¢ and a QR code payment costs 2.29% + 9¢. A card typed in costs 3.49% + 9¢ on PayPal's point of sale and 3.39% + 29¢ on the virtual terminal. The first card reader is $29 (standard price $79) and the Terminal is $199. Checked on PayPal's business fees page on October 14, 2026.
What does a PayPal invoice cost?
3.49% + 49¢ for a payment made with PayPal or Venmo, 2.99% + 49¢ for cards, Apple Pay and other wallets, 4.99% + 49¢ for Pay Later, and 1% capped at $10 for a bank (ACH) payment. Checked on PayPal's business fees page on October 14, 2026.
What does a chargeback or dispute cost on PayPal?
$20 for a card chargeback on a payment that did not go through a PayPal account or guest checkout. A dispute fee of $15 ($30 for high volume) applies when a buyer files a dispute or chargeback on a payment made through a PayPal account or PayPal checkout. Checked on PayPal's business fees page on October 14, 2026.
Does PayPal give back the fee when I refund a sale?
No. PayPal says there are no fees to make the refund, but the fees you originally paid to receive the payment are not returned to you. Checked on PayPal's business fees page on October 14, 2026.
How fast do I get my money from PayPal?
Funds from your sales are available within minutes in your PayPal business account. A standard transfer to your linked bank account has no fee when no currency conversion is involved, and an instant transfer to a bank or debit card costs 1.5% with a 50¢ minimum. Checked on PayPal's business fees page on October 14, 2026.
Can PayPal hold my money?
Yes, in some cases. PayPal says risk-based holds generally last up to 21 days from the date a payment was received, and it says it holds a new seller's initial payments for up to 21 days. It can also place a rolling or minimum reserve on a business account, for example a percentage of each day's sales held for 90 days. Checked in PayPal's user agreement and help center on October 14, 2026.
Source: paypal.com