How to Price After Payment Fees
To receive a target net after percent-plus-fixed fees, charge (desiredNet + fixed) ÷ (1 − percent). For Stripe US at 2.9% + $0.30 to net $100, charge about $103.30. PayPal US Goods & Services at 2.99% (no fixed fee) needs about $103.08; PayPal Checkout at 3.49% + $0.49 needs about $104.14. Always verify your live rate on the official pricing page before you publish quotes.
Key takeaways
- Reverse formula: charge = (net + fixed) ÷ (1 − percent).
- Stripe US to net $100 ≈ $103.30; PayPal G&S (2.99%) ≈ $103.08; Checkout ≈ $104.14.
- Re-run reverse math per ticket size — fixed fees do not scale linearly.
Calculate with Stripe →Calculate with PayPal →
Why reverse pricing matters
If you set prices at your cost floor and then lose a percent plus a fixed fee, thin margins disappear on every invoice. Reverse pricing builds the processor take into the customer-facing price before you publish a rate card, product page, or proposal.
Freelancers often quote a round number like $500, then feel surprised when roughly $484–$485 lands after Stripe or PayPal. Building fees into the quote avoids awkward change orders and protects your effective hourly rate. The same idea applies to digital products: a $29 Gumroad list price is not a $29 payout when blended platform and processing fees approach the teens.
Reverse math also keeps team rate cards honest. When three people quote the same deliverable, they should use the same schedule version and the same target net. Document the processor, country, and fee data date next to every quote so audits stay simple.
This guide walks through the formula, worked examples at $100 and other ticket sizes, comparison tables you can reuse, and practical tips for rounding, tax, and multi-rail checkout. Use the free calculators at /tools/stripe-fee-calculator/, /tools/paypal-fee-calculator/, and /tools/compare-payment-fees/ to confirm every number against your schedule.
How to calculate (forward and reverse)
Forward fee math answers “what do I keep if the customer pays X?” For a percent p and fixed fee f on charge amount C: fee = C × p + f, and net = C − fee. Stripe US list pricing uses p = 0.029 and f = 0.30. On a $100 charge: fee = $2.90 + $0.30 = $3.20, net = $96.80.
Reverse fee math answers “what should I charge so I keep N?” Rearrange: C = (N + f) ÷ (1 − p). For Stripe to net $100: C = (100 + 0.30) ÷ (1 − 0.029) ≈ 100.30 ÷ 0.971 ≈ $103.30. For PayPal US Goods & Services (2.99%, no fixed): C = 100 ÷ (1 − 0.0299) ≈ $103.08. For PayPal Checkout (3.49% + $0.49): C = (100 + 0.49) ÷ (1 − 0.0349) ≈ $104.14.
Fixed fees break naive scaling. Doubling the desired net does not exactly double the charge when a fixed component exists. Re-run the calculator for each target instead of multiplying a $100 result by ten. That mistake underprices small invoices and overprices large ones relative to the fixed fee’s true impact.
- Decide the net you need after processing (and platform) fees—before tax.
- Select the correct country and channel schedule (US online card vs in-person vs international).
- Run reverse mode in the matching calculator and note the suggested charge.
- Round up to a marketable price; never round down into a shortfall.
- Re-check if you add sales tax on top, absorb tax, or stack instant-payout fees.
- Record the schedule source URL and as-of date next to the quote.
Worked example
Scenario: you need $100 net after US online card processing. Stripe at 2.9% + $0.30 suggests a charge near $103.30. PayPal Goods & Services at 2.99% suggests about $103.08; PayPal Checkout at 3.49% + $0.49 suggests about $104.14. Square Free-plan online at 3.3% + $0.30 (Plus/API often 2.9% + $0.30) differs from Stripe’s shape on the same target. Confirm each figure in /tools/stripe-fee-calculator/, /tools/paypal-fee-calculator/, and /tools/square-fee-calculator/.
Forward check on Stripe: charge $103.30 → percent fee ≈ $3.00 → plus $0.30 fixed → total fee ≈ $3.30 → net ≈ $100.00 (rounding pennies may shift by a cent). Forward check on PayPal G&S: charge $103.08 → fee ≈ $3.08 → net ≈ $100.00. Forward check on PayPal Checkout: charge $104.14 → fee ≈ $4.12 → net ≈ $100.02.
Creator example: if you need $1,000 per month net on a Patreon Pro blended estimate near 11% + $0.10, reverse-calculate the pledge total, then divide by expected patron count to see the required average pledge. Gumroad direct sales at a blended ~12.9% + $0.80 need a larger list price still—run /tools/gumroad-fee-calculator/ rather than guessing.
P2P example: Venmo Business at 1.9% + $0.10 to net $250 → charge ≈ (250 + 0.10) ÷ (1 − 0.019) ≈ $255.05. If you also instant-transfer out at 1.75%, model that second fee separately on the amount you withdraw. Instant rails are a second cut, not a substitute for the first.
Fee comparison at a glance
The table below uses public US list schedules as of 2026-10-24 for planning. Your negotiated rate, card brand mix, or regional schedule can differ. Always re-check official pages linked in Sources.
At volume, small gaps compound. A ~$0.78 difference between Stripe and PayPal G&S on a $100 charge becomes hundreds of dollars per month at $50,000 processed—before disputes, FX, or instant payouts. Compare with your real average order value in /tools/compare-payment-fees/, not only the $100 demo.
Rounding, psychology, and tax
Customers prefer clean prices. After reverse math, round up to a marketable number ($103.30 → $105 or $109) rather than rounding down and eating the gap. For subscriptions, tiny monthly shortfalls compound across every billing cycle—prefer a slightly higher list price over “close enough” nets.
A $0.30–$0.49 fixed fee is 3–5% on a $10 invoice but minor on a $500 invoice. Bundle work or set minimum invoices when fixed fees dominate effective take rates. If you sell many micro-transactions, processor choice and batching matter as much as the headline percent.
These calculator figures do not include sales tax or VAT. Tax collection is a separate layer. Decide whether tax is added on top of the fee-inclusive price or whether you absorb tax into margin—then re-run reverse math so the post-fee, post-tax net still hits your target.
Card-network and local rules restrict surcharging in many places. Building fees into prices is usually simpler and safer than adding a checkout surcharge. See our guide on passing fees to customers for compliance framing, and treat legal advice as out of scope for this article.
- Round up after reverse math; protect margin, then market the clean number.
- Set invoice minimums when fixed fees crush small tickets.
- Separate tax policy from fee policy in your books.
- Prefer fee-inclusive list prices over surprise surcharges where rules are unclear.
When to choose which pricing approach
Use reverse pricing whenever you care about a fixed net: freelance day rates, retainers, digital downloads with thin margins, and creator memberships with platform cuts. Use forward pricing when the customer-facing price is fixed by the market and you only need to forecast take-home.
Choose Stripe-shaped online rates (2.9% + $0.30) when you control checkout and want predictable US card economics—model them in /tools/stripe-fee-calculator/. Choose PayPal when buyer trust or wallet login conversion outweighs the higher G&S take—model both rails in /tools/compare-payment-fees/. Choose creator platforms when discovery and membership tooling matter more than the lowest possible cut, then reverse-price through /tools/gumroad-fee-calculator/ or Patreon/Ko-fi tools.
If clients insist on Venmo, Cash App, or Zelle, price the correct rail and the correct risk. Zelle is often $0 at participating banks but usually lacks merchant-style buyer protection. Business profiles on Venmo and Cash App carry their own percents. Pair this guide with hidden payment fees and Venmo vs Cash App vs Zelle for P2P pitfalls.
Custom processor pricing beats public list rates for many growing accounts. Start with the closest public schedule, then adjust percent and fixed to match your contract. Re-verify when your processor emails a rate change—stale reverse prices silently erode margin.
Practical tips checklist
Keep a one-page internal cheat sheet: processor, schedule name, percent, fixed, source URL, last verified date, and reverse charge for your three most common nets ($100, $500, $2,000). Update it when fees.ts or official pricing pages change.
Share calculator links with mode, rate, and amount in the query string so teammates reproduce the same quote. Canonical SEO URLs stay clean; share links are for humans and ops, not for ranking.
Watch stacked fees: platform commission + card processing + instant payout + FX. Each layer needs its own line in the model. Gumroad and Patreon blended schedules already fold platform and processing for planning—still confirm against live invoices.
- Bookmark /tools/stripe-fee-calculator/ and /tools/paypal-fee-calculator/ in reverse mode for your default nets.
- Re-run math after any plan change (Shopify Basic → Grow/Advanced, Patreon legacy → 10% standard, Ko-fi Free → Standard/Gold).
- Exclude dispute and chargeback costs from day-to-day pricing, but reserve margin for them if your category is risky.
- Link related reading: passing fees to customers, hidden payment fees, and Stripe vs PayPal fees.
| Processor / schedule | Rate used | Charge to net $100 | Fee on $100 charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe US online | 2.9% + $0.30 | ~$103.30 | $3.20 (net $96.80) |
| PayPal US G&S | 2.99% | ~$103.08 | $2.99 (net $97.01) |
| PayPal US Checkout | 3.49% + $0.49 | ~$104.14 | ~$3.98 (net ~$96.02) |
| Square US online | 2.9% + $0.30 | ~$103.30 | $3.20 (net $96.80) |
| Gumroad direct (blended est.) | ~12.9% + $0.80 | Use Gumroad calculator | Higher take—model per sale |
Sources
- Stripe pricing (as of 2026-10-24)
- PayPal US business fees (as of 2026-10-24)
- Square pricing (as of 2026-10-24)
- Gumroad pricing (as of 2026-10-24)
FAQ
Should I show fees as a surcharge on the invoice?
Card-network and local rules restrict surcharging in many jurisdictions. Building fees into the list price is usually simpler than adding a checkout surcharge. When you do disclose a fee pass-through, confirm it is allowed for your location, card brands, and processor agreement—and still run reverse math so the net lands correctly.
Do creator platforms use the same reverse formula?
Yes for planning. You still solve charge = (net + fixed) ÷ (1 − percent) when the take is a percent plus fixed. Blended platform-plus-processing estimates (Patreon, Gumroad, Ko-fi) may differ from exact invoice lines, so treat calculator output as a planning figure and spot-check against a real payout.
What if my processor gave me custom pricing?
Use the closest public schedule, then substitute your contracted percent and fixed fee in the same formula. Custom rates often beat published list rates. Keep the contract PDF and the date you verified the rate next to your rate card.
Do these numbers include sales tax?
No. Tax collection is separate from processor fees. Decide whether tax is added on top of a fee-inclusive price or absorbed, then re-run reverse mode so post-fee net still matches your target.
How much should I charge to receive exactly $100?
Approximate US list figures as of 2026-10-24: Stripe ≈ $103.30; PayPal G&S ≈ $103.08; PayPal Checkout ≈ $104.14; Square Plus/API online ≈ $103.30; Free-plan online is higher. Confirm in each calculator and on official pricing pages before you publish.
Can I bookmark a pre-filled calculator?
Yes. Share links can include mode, rate, and amount. Canonical tags still point at the clean tool URL for SEO, while the query string helps teammates reproduce the quote.