How to use the payment fee calculator
- 1Choose whether you want the fee on a payment or the amount to charge so you receive a set figure.
- 2Pick a preset as a starting point, or type your own percentage and fixed fee from your processor’s pricing page or a recent statement.
- 3Add an extra percentage if the payment uses an international card or a currency conversion.
- 4Enter the payment amount, or the amount you want to receive.
- 5Read the fee, what you receive, and the effective rate. Change any number and the result updates straight away.
How payment processing fees are worked out
Most online processors charge a percentage of each payment plus a small fixed amount per transaction. On a $100 payment at 2.9% + $0.30, the fee is $2.90 plus $0.30, so $3.20, and you receive $96.80.
The fixed part matters most on small payments. On a $5 sale the same pricing takes about $0.45, close to 9% of the payment. If you sell many low-priced items, compare the fixed fee between providers as well as the percentage.
Extra charges are usually added as more percentage points. A card issued in another country, or a payment in a different currency from your payout, often adds 1% to 2% or more on top of the standard rate.
Fee = Amount × (Rate % + Extra %) ÷ 100 + Fixed fee You receive = Amount − Fee
What to charge so you receive an exact amount
Adding the fee on top of your price does not quite cover it, because the processor also takes a percentage of the fee you added. To receive a set amount, add the fixed fee and then divide by one minus the rate.
To receive $100 at 2.9% + $0.30, charge ($100 + $0.30) ÷ 0.971 = $103.30. The fee on $103.30 is $3.30, which leaves exactly $100.
Before passing fees on to customers as a surcharge, check the rules where you sell. Card networks and some US states, Canadian provinces and the UK and EU limit or ban surcharging on card payments for consumers. Building the cost into your prices is always allowed.
Charge = (Amount to receive + Fixed fee) ÷ (1 − Total rate % ÷ 100)
About the presets (checked November 2026)
The presets are examples of standard published US rates for online card payments, taken from each provider’s pricing as reported in November 2026: Stripe US online cards at 2.9% + $0.30 (Stripe pricing page), PayPal US Checkout at 3.49% + $0.49 (PayPal Merchant Fees page), and Square US online payments on the Free plan at 3.3% + $0.30 (Square pricing page). Verify them before you rely on them.
Rates vary by country, card type (debit, credit, premium, corporate), how the card is taken (online, in person, keyed in), your plan and your sales volume. Providers also change their prices. The figure on your own statement or account pricing page is the one to use, and every field here can be edited.
The fixed fee in each preset is in US dollars. If you sell in another currency, replace it with the fixed fee your provider charges in that currency, for example a fee in pence or euro cents.
Worked example
A US freelancer is paid $100 online by card through Stripe at the standard 2.9% + $0.30, then works out what to invoice to receive a full $100.
| Payment amount | $100.00 |
| Fee (2.9% + $0.30) | $3.20 |
| You receive | $96.80 |
| Effective rate | 3.2% |
| Charge to receive $100 | $103.30 |
| Fee on $103.30 | $3.30 |
The $100 payment costs $3.20 in fees. Charging $103.30 instead leaves exactly $100 after the processor takes its cut.