Free tool
PayPal fee calculator for Canada
PayPal takes CA$3.20 from a CA$100 Canadian sale at the commercial rate and you keep CA$96.80. Check any amount and buyer location.
- Fee
- CA$3.20
- You keep
- CA$96.80
- Charge to keep the full amount
- CA$103.30Fee on that charge: CA$3.30
- Share lost to the fee
- 3.2%
- You keep: CA$96.80
- PayPal fee: CA$3.20
How this was worked out
- Commercial transactions is 2.9% + CA$0.30.
- The percentage part: 2.9% of CA$100.00 is CA$2.90, rounded half up to the smallest unit.
- Add the fixed fee: CA$2.90 + CA$0.30 = CA$3.20.
- The fee is CA$3.20, so you keep CA$100.00 - CA$3.20 = CA$96.80.
- To keep the full CA$100.00, charge CA$103.30: the fee on that is CA$3.30, which leaves CA$100.00.
How a Canadian PayPal fee adds up
PayPal charges a Canadian seller a percentage of the sale and a fixed amount in cents. For an ordinary commercial payment that is 2.9% + CA$0.30. A CA$100 sale therefore costs CA$3.20; the tool rounds the percentage part to the nearest cent, adds the fixed fee, and shows what is left.
The formula, written out:
fee = round(amount x (rate + buyer surcharge + conversion)) + fixed
net = amount - fee
target = smallest charge c with c - fee(c) >= goalThe buyer country changes the rate
PayPal groups Canada's international buyers into two: the United States at +0.8% and every other country at +1%. The surcharge applies to commercial, QR code and advanced card payments. Here is the same CA$100 sale with each surcharge.
| Payment type | Canadian buyer | US buyer | Other country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial transactions | CA$3.20 | CA$4.00 | CA$4.20 |
| QR code payment, CA$10.01 and above | CA$2.00 | CA$2.80 | CA$3.00 |
| Advanced credit and debit card payments | CA$3.00 | CA$3.80 | CA$4.00 |
Fee for each payment type on CA$40 and CA$400
| Payment type | Rate | Fee on CA$40 | Fee on CA$400 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial transactions | 2.9% + CA$0.30 | CA$1.46 | CA$11.90 |
| PayPal Pay Later options | 4.9% + CA$0.30 | CA$2.26 | CA$19.90 |
| QR code payment, CA$10.01 and above | 1.9% + CA$0.10 | CA$0.86 | CA$7.70 |
| QR code payment, CA$10.00 and below | 2.4% + CA$0.05 | CA$1.01 | CA$9.65 |
| Advanced credit and debit card payments | 2.7% + CA$0.30 | CA$1.38 | CA$11.10 |
| Micropayments, Canada and US | 5% + CA$0.05 | CA$2.05 | CA$20.05 |
| Micropayments, other international | 6% + CA$0.05 | CA$2.45 | CA$24.05 |
The cost of small orders in Canadian dollars
A flat CA$0.30 is a large slice of a CA$3 order and a rounding error on CA$400. The commercial rate and the micropayments rate are shown side by side because the second was built for exactly this range.
| Sale | Commercial fee | Share lost | Micropayments fee | Share lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA$3.00 | CA$0.39 | 13.0% | CA$0.20 | 6.7% |
| CA$8.00 | CA$0.53 | 6.6% | CA$0.45 | 5.6% |
| CA$15.00 | CA$0.74 | 4.9% | CA$0.80 | 5.3% |
| CA$40.00 | CA$1.46 | 3.7% | CA$2.05 | 5.1% |
| CA$100.00 | CA$3.20 | 3.2% | CA$5.05 | 5.1% |
| CA$400.00 | CA$11.90 | 3.0% | CA$20.05 | 5.0% |
The two lines cross at CA$12.10: below it micropayments are cheaper, from there the commercial rate wins.
QR code sales split at CA$10
Two QR bands apply: 2.4% + CA$0.05 at CA$10.00 and below, and 1.9% + CA$0.10 from CA$10.01. On CA$10.00 the fee is CA$0.29; on CA$10.01 it is CA$0.29, so the edge itself barely moves the fee and the lower percentage pays off on larger sales.
Three Canadian worked examples
| Case | Fee | You keep | Charge to keep the full amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA$1,200 advanced card payment from a US buyer | CA$42.30 | CA$1,157.70 | CA$1,243.83 |
| CA$65 order paid with Pay Later | CA$3.49 | CA$61.51 | CA$68.66 |
| CA$20 QR payment from an overseas buyer, converted | CA$1.48 | CA$18.52 | CA$21.59 |
The last case stacks three parts: the QR rate of 1.9%, the overseas surcharge of 1% and the conversion rate of 4%, which together make 6.9% plus CA$0.10.
Limits of this tool
- Pay Later has no surcharge row on PayPal's Canadian table, so the buyer location option leaves it out and the tool says so in its steps.
- American Express card payments have their own advanced card rate, which is not modelled here.
- Donations, charity rates, payouts and withdrawals use different tables from the ones in this tool.
- Looking at another market? See the PayPal fees for UK and PayPal fees for Australia pages.
Questions
What does PayPal keep from a CA$100 sale in Canada?
With a Canadian buyer on the commercial rate of 2.9% + CA$0.30, PayPal keeps CA$3.20 and you receive CA$96.80. To end up with the whole CA$100 you would charge CA$103.30.
How much more does a customer in the United States cost me?
A US buyer adds 0.8% to the percentage. On CA$100 at the commercial rate the fee becomes CA$4.00 instead of CA$3.20. A buyer in any other country adds 1% and the fee is CA$4.20.
Is the advanced card product cheaper than the commercial rate?
The percentage is lower, 2.7% against 2.9%, and the fixed fee is the same CA$0.30. On CA$100 the advanced card fee is CA$3.00 against CA$3.20. It is a separate product you apply for, and American Express cards are priced differently, so the tool leaves them out.
When do micropayments beat the standard rate in Canada?
The micropayments rate of 5% + CA$0.05 wins on small sales. It is cheaper up to CA$12.09, and from CA$12.10 the commercial rate of 2.9% + CA$0.30 is cheaper. PayPal sets it by application, for Canada and US payments at 5%.
What does Pay Later cost on a CA$65 order?
Pay Later is 4.9% + CA$0.30, so a CA$65 order loses CA$3.49 and you keep CA$61.51. The same order on the commercial rate costs CA$2.19.
How is a currency conversion priced?
PayPal sets a conversion floor of 4% when a payment arrives in another currency. Turning the option on for a CA$100 commercial payment raises the percentage to 6.9% and the fee to CA$7.20.
What is the fee when a buyer disputes a card payment?
For card chargebacks that do not pass through a PayPal account or guest checkout, PayPal assesses a settlement fee of CA$20.00. It is charged in addition to the loss of the sale.
Related tools
The US PayPal fee calculator covers the American table, and PayPal fees for UK and PayPal fees for Australia show the other markets. To weigh other processors, try the Stripe fee calculator or the Square fee calculator.
Sources
- PayPal merchant fees, Canada: read on 19 Oct 2026. PayPal prints "Last Updated: 13 October 2026" on the page.