💳 How to Calculate Stripe and PayPal Fees (and Set Your Freelance Rate)
Every payment you receive through Stripe or PayPal loses a slice to processing fees. For a $100 invoice, Stripe keeps about $3.20 and PayPal keeps about $3.98 — small per transaction, but 3–4% of everything you earn over a year. This calculator shows exactly what each gateway takes, what lands in your account, and the invoice amount you need to send so your net payout matches your target. A second tab reverse-calculates the hourly rate that produces a desired monthly or annual income.
How the Payment Fee Calculator works
The calculator applies the standard US pricing for both gateways: Stripe at 2.9% + $0.30 per successful charge and PayPal Commercial at 3.49% + $0.49. It supports two directions:
- 1.I charge X — enter the gross amount you invoice. The tool shows the fee and the net amount you receive.
- 2.I want to receive X — enter your target net payout. The tool solves the gross invoice required so that, after fees, exactly X lands in your account.