Payments
PayPal fees for merchants: what PayPal costs your webshop
Many shoppers want to pay with PayPal, so most webshops offer it. For you as the seller, every PayPal payment costs a percentage of the amount plus a fixed fee. This guide explains how PayPal charges merchants, lists the current rates in Germany as an example, shows what that means for a typical order and explains how to offer PayPal in a SitePack webshop.
In short
- PayPal charges the seller a percentage of each payment plus a fixed fee; buyers pay nothing extra for goods and services.
- In Germany a PayPal Checkout payment costs 2.99% plus 0.39 euro, according to PayPal's fee table updated on 7 September 2026.
- Payments from customers in the European Economic Area carry no cross-border surcharge; other countries do.
- On a 50 euro order you pay about 1.89 euro to PayPal, on a 20 euro order about 0.99 euro.
- Offer cheaper methods such as SEPA direct debit and Wero next to PayPal, so customers can choose.
How PayPal charges merchants
PayPal is free for the buyer when they pay for goods or services. The seller pays the fee. For each payment you receive, PayPal deducts a percentage of the amount and a fixed fee per transaction, before the money reaches your PayPal balance.
The exact rate depends on the country of your PayPal account, the type of transaction and where the buyer is. PayPal publishes the rates per country on its merchant fees page and updates them from time to time.
Good to know
The figures in this guide come from PayPal's merchant fee page for Germany, last updated on 7 September 2026. Fees differ per country and change over time, so always check the current page for your own country before you calculate.
PayPal fees in Germany
These are the rates PayPal lists for business accounts in Germany for payments received from buyers in the same country. The fixed fee for most business transactions is 0.39 euro.
Rates per transaction type
- PayPal Checkout in your webshop: 2.99% plus 0.39 euro
- Other business transactions: 2.99% plus 0.39 euro
- Sending or receiving money for goods and services: 2.49% plus 0.35 euro
- QR code payments: 0.90%
- Card payments through PayPal's advanced card processing: 2.99% plus 0.39 euro
- SEPA direct debit through PayPal: 0.35 euro per transaction
Payments from other countries
When the buyer is in another country, PayPal can add a percentage on top. According to PayPal, payments from buyers in the European Economic Area carry no extra percentage, and payments in euro within the EEA count as domestic. For other countries a surcharge applies.
- Buyer in the European Economic Area: no surcharge
- Buyer in the United Kingdom: plus 1.29%
- Buyer in other countries: plus 1.99%
What PayPal costs on a typical order
Two examples with the German PayPal Checkout rate of 2.99% plus 0.39 euro, for a buyer in the EEA. Because of the fixed fee, small orders cost relatively more.
An order of 50 euro: 2.99% is 1.50 euro, plus 0.39 euro makes 1.89 euro, about 3.8% of the order.
An order of 20 euro: 2.99% is 0.60 euro, plus 0.39 euro makes 0.99 euro, about 5% of the order.
Good to know
Add the costs of your shop platform or payment provider on top, if they charge per PayPal transaction.
Do you need a PayPal business account?
To accept PayPal in a webshop, you need a PayPal business account. With it you can connect PayPal to your checkout, see your payments and move your balance to your bank account. Check PayPal's own pages for the current conditions in your country, including any fees for inactive accounts or currency conversion.
How to keep payment costs down
You cannot negotiate the standard PayPal rate for a small shop, but you can influence what you pay overall.
- Offer cheaper methods next to PayPal, such as SEPA direct debit and Wero
- Show all payment methods clearly, so customers can choose
- Watch your average order value: the fixed fee weighs heavily on small orders
- Include payment costs when you set your prices and shipping thresholds
- Compare the full cost per order, not only the percentage
PayPal on SitePack
In a SitePack webshop you offer PayPal through SitePack Payments, next to cards, SEPA direct debit and Wero. Merchants connect their own PayPal business account. SitePack charges 0.15 euro per PayPal transaction on Starter and 0.13 euro on Grow, on top of PayPal's own fees. Merchants in the Netherlands and Belgium can also choose PayPal Collecting, where SitePack handles the PayPal payment for 0.55 euro plus 3.95% on Starter or 0.52 euro plus 3.85% on Grow, with no PayPal account of their own needed.
For comparison, a SEPA direct debit costs 0.45 euro on Starter and a Wero payment up to 50 euro costs 0.25 euro. All SitePack rates exclude VAT and are listed on the payments pricing page.
- PayPal through your own PayPal business account: 0.15 euro per transaction on Starter
- Visa and Mastercard from EU consumers: 0.25 euro plus 1.80% on Starter
- SEPA direct debit: 0.45 euro on Starter
- Wero up to 50 euro: 0.25 euro on Starter
Keep reading
- Payment rates per method Every method, on Starter and on Grow.
- Payment methods for your webshop All the methods you can accept.
- What a webshop costs Every cost of a webshop, explained.
- E-commerce platforms compared How to choose the platform for your shop.
- What is Wero? The European way to pay from your bank account.
- Try a webshop free for 14 days Build your shop before you pay anything.
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