Calculate exact merchant fees and real net payouts across Stripe, PayPal, and Shopify Payments. Never lose profit on international card fees or unexpected gateway cuts.
Estimated Net Payout (Deposit into Your Account)
$96.80
Effective Total Fee Rate: 3.20%
Amount to bill customer to net exactly $100.00:
$103.30
Percentage Fee
-$2.90
Fixed Transaction Fee
-$0.30
Total Processing Fee
-$3.20
Complete Guide to Merchant Payment Processing Fees (2026)
Accepting credit cards online is essential for modern business, but transaction fees can consume 3% to 6% of your gross margins if not monitored carefully. Understanding fixed fees, variable rates, and cross-border surcharges allows you to price your products accurately.
1. Standard Rates Comparison
Payment Gateway
US Domestic
International Cards
Currency Conversion
Stripe
2.9% + $0.30
+1.5% surcharge
+1.0%
PayPal Commerce
3.49% + $0.49
+1.5% surcharge
3.0% ~ 4.0%
Shopify Payments
2.4% ~ 2.9% + $0.30
+1.0% surcharge
1.5% ~ 2.0%
2. Why You Must Use Reverse Calculation on Invoices
If your consulting fee is $1,000 and you invoice $1,000 via Stripe, you only receive $970.70. Across 12 invoices a year, you forfeit nearly $350 in unrecovered fees. By utilizing the reverse fee formula (Target + Fixed) / (1 - Rate), you can bill $1,030.18 and ensure your full desired amount lands in your account.
3. Chargeback and Dispute Protection
When a customer files a chargeback dispute, Stripe debits a non-refundable $15 fee ($20 on PayPal) regardless of whether you win the case. Enable Stripe Radar rules, require CVV verification, and enable 3D Secure (3DS) for high-value orders to qualify for liability shift.
How the payment fee calculator works
Total fee = amount × fee rate + fixed fee
Net payout = amount − total fee
Invoice to charge = (amount you want to receive + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − fee rate)
Worked example
A $100 payment with a US domestic card on Stripe costs 100 × 2.9% + $0.30 = $3.20, leaving $96.80. To receive exactly $100 after fees, you would charge (100 + 0.30) ÷ (1 − 0.029) = about $103.30.
Where the default rates come from
Stripe: US domestic cards 2.9% + $0.30, international cards +1.5%, currency conversion +1%. Checked on Stripe's official pricing page on 2026-10-14.
PayPal: standard checkout 3.49% + $0.49, international +1.5%, currency conversion spread 3–4% (this tool uses the lower 3%). Checked on PayPal's official fees page on 2026-10-14.
Shopify Payments: varies by plan, so the values here are reference only.
Fees vary by country, business type and negotiated pricing, and can change. If you know your own rate, enter it in the custom fee fields. Dispute fees, payout fees and taxes are not included.