PayPal Fees: The Costs for PayPal Transactions [UK] 2024
PayPal is a huge global online shopping and digital payment provider, with a presence in almost every country in the world.
Thanks to its convenience, many people use it when making purchases abroad, transferring money overseas, or receiving payments from other countries.
However, PayPal's handling fees can be high compared to other providers. If you want to reduce the cost of spending and sending money overseas, there are other alternatives such as Wise or OFX, that can offer cheaper and more transparent fees.
In this article we’ll explain everything you need to know about PayPal fees, how they compare to alternative provide, and we’ll share some useful tips to help you avoid some of the fees that PayPal charges.
PayPal fees: an overview
If you’re spending online with a retailer based here in the UK there’s no fee as long as no currency conversion is needed.
If you’re sending a payment domestically in GBP, there is an option to avoid PayPal fees entirely. Simply pay with your PayPal balance or a linked bank account.
Where PayPal fees become unavoidable - and on the high side - is when you’re converting currencies or moving money across borders. Here’s what you’ll pay in this case:
| Payment type/fee | Send a personal PayPal payment overseas | Shop online internationally |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-border transaction fee | 5% (Minimum fee 0.99 GBP, maximum fee 2.99 GBP) | No fee |
| Exchange rate | 3% on top of the base rate | 3% on top of the base rate |
The exact charges you pay when using PayPal may vary depending on how your account is set up, and your location. Check your account terms and conditions to learn more before you get started.
Once you add up all the PayPal fees that apply to your international transaction, you may be surprised by how much it pushes up your overall costs.
We’ll dive into this a little more later - and look at a comparison with alternative providers like Wise and OFX, which may present a cheaper alternative for your payment.
PayPal fees: a comparison
Choosing an international payment specialist like PayPal is almost certainly cheaper than sending money using your bank. However, some providers might offer more competitive fees and rates.
Let’s look at how a few different payments from PayPal compare to other well-established providers in the market: Wise and OFX.
| Payment/provider | With PayPal recipient gets: | With Wise recipient gets: | With OFX recipient gets: | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 GBP to EUR | 1,082.96 EUR | 1,129.32 EUR | 1,121.84 EUR | Wise |
| 5,000 GBP to EUR | 5,429.34 EUR | 5,648.11 EUR | 5,610.58 EUR | Wise |
| 1,000 GBP to USD | 1,164.43 USD | 1,202.84 USD | 1,197.40 USD | Wise |
| 5,000 GBP to USD | 5,773.53 USD | 6,015.47 USD | 5,086.76 USD | Wise |
*Fees and rates correct at time of research - 27 December 2022
As you can see in our comparison, Wise and OFX are both cheaper options to send money abroad compared to PayPal.
Specialist services like these also tend to offer their own specific competitive advantages. For example, Wise also has a multi-currency account and the Wise card which you can use to hold and exchange 50+ currencies with the mid-market exchange rate, and spend in 170+ countries around the world. OFX on the other hand offers currency risk management solutions to individuals and businesses with a 24/7 phone service when you need support or advice.
PayPal currency conversion fee
PayPal adds a 3% markup fee to the conversion rate used to switch your pounds to the currency you need whenever you send a payment overseas or shop with an international retailer.
What this means is that PayPal takes the wholesale or mid-market exchange rates on the day of conversion or the previous business day, and adds this markup to calculate the rate used for your transaction. This makes it difficult for the user to see the full costs of the transfer, whether these are charged to their own bank account or to that of the beneficiary.
You can check the PayPal exchange rate of the day by following these steps:
Go to "Wallet"
Open the menu to the right of any currency balance and select "Convert Currency"
Select the desired currency and click "Next"
Enter the remittance amount to check the exchange rate
PayPal transaction fees
The transaction fee applies when you sell products and services in-store or online.
There are different rates for each type of transaction. You might also hear this fee described as a payment processing fee, or seller fee. The exact fees you pay will depend on whether the transaction is considered domestic or international, and the payment method.
There are lots of different ways to get paid as a seller with PayPal, so you’ll need to check out the full details online if you’re looking to compare all the alternatives - but here are the standard PayPal transaction fees for some of the most popular types of payment method:
| Payment type | Domestic UK | International |
|---|---|---|
| QR Code Transactions | 1.5% - 2% + fixed fee | 1.29% for EEA, 1.99% for rest of the world |
| Receive money for goods/services | 2.9% + fixed fee | 1.29% for EEA, 1.99% for rest of the world |
| Receive payments by credit or debit card* | 1.2% + fixed fee. 3.5% for AmEx | 1.2% + fixed fee + international fee |
| Website Payments | 2.9% + fixed fee | 1.2% + fixed fee + international fee |
| Virtual Terminal | 2.9% + fixed fee | 1.2% + fixed fee + international fee |
| Pay with Alternative Payment Methods* | 1.2% + fixed fee | 1.2% + fixed fee |
| Micropayments | 5% + fixed fee | 6% + fixed fee |
* Includes Apple Pay, AliPay, PayU and more. Visit the website for complete list
**Micropayments are transactions under 5 GBP
PayPal withdrawal fees
Once you have money in your PayPal account you may want to withdraw it to your regular UK bank account or card. There may be a fee for this service, depending on exactly how you want to process the withdrawal. Here are the PayPal UK withdrawal fees for consumer accounts:
| Withdrawal type | PayPal Consumer & Merchant fees |
|---|---|
| Standard withdrawal to local bank account | No fee as long as no currency conversion required |
| Withdraw to a linked card | No fee in UK as long as no currency conversion required |
| US bank account | 3% in UK as long as no currency conversion is required |
| Currency conversion fee | 3% |
Other PayPal fees
In addition to the fees mentioned in the table above, PayPal also applies certain fees to business accounts for online card payment and services, like Chargeback Fees or Dispute Fees.
Chargeback Protection - may be charged when a customer files a chargebacks on certain transactions payments, 14 GBP
Dispute fees - may be charged when a customer files a dispute against their account or payment method, from 12 GBP
How to avoid PayPal fees?
Let’s look at some tips on how to help lower the cost when using PayPal to send payments or shop internationally.
If you send money internationally with PayPal, the fee minimum and maximum caps make this a better value option if you send one single payment versus several smaller ones
Try to avoid using your credit or debit card with PayPal where possible as this often means extra fees to pay
Look at your PayPal currency conversion options carefully - the charge varies depending on the transaction type, so you may find it’s cheaper to switch currency within your account before making your payment for example
PayPal merchant transaction fees vary according to the way your customers pay - check out which works best for your business as you may be able to minimise fees here
Consider using alternative ways to process your payments like Wise or OFX
Conclusion: is PayPal a good deal?
PayPal is easy for both business customers and personal customers to use. It’s also extremely commonly used and globally accepted.
If you’re a merchant or business customer, the benefits of offering PayPal payments may outweigh the fees you pay, at least for domestic transactions. But if you’re making or receiving regular international transactions for business or personal use, you may want to compare PayPal to a few other providers which could offer lower fees and better exchange rates, with just as convenient and quick a service.
On our Exiap comparison page, you’ll find the best deals to send your money abroad depending on the currency and amount that you need to exchange.
FAQ
PayPal fees vary depending on your account type and the specific transaction.
Domestic fees are often low, with many transactions completely fee free to personal customers. However, international payments can be more costly: sending money overseas has a charge of 5% (Minimum fee £0.99, maximum fee £2.99) + conversion fee of 3% on top of the base rate.
Cut the costs of using PayPal domestically by sticking to GBP payments funded from your bank account or PayPal balance. To avoid PayPal’s fees when sending money internationally, pick an alternative provider which offers lower charges and a better exchange rate.
PayPal seller fees vary based on the type of transaction. Usually you’ll find costs of 1.2% to 6% + international fee if the payment is made from abroad.
Send domestic PayPal payments from your linked bank account or PayPal balance fee free. For international payments you’ll need to pick a different provider to avoid PayPal fees, as charges apply to all payment methods.
Avoid PayPal conversion fees by sticking to local GBP transactions only - or pick a different provider like Wise or OFX when you need to send or spend in a foreign currency.
No. Sending money overseas with PayPal has a charge of 5% (Minimum fee £0.99, maximum fee £2.99) + conversion fee of 3% on top of the base rate.
Pick a different provider like Wise or OFX when you’re sending payments internationally or spending in foreign currencies. Otherwise you’re likely to find that conversion and international transaction fees apply.