PayPal
PayPal · Finance & Accounting
The consumer + business payments network with 400M+ active accounts globally. Positioned as the trusted-name alternative to Stripe for merchants selling to buyers who want the PayPal 'Buy Now' checkout familiarity. Distinctive for its 20+ year buyer/seller protection reputation and cross-border reach (200+ markets, 100+ currencies). Priced as pure transaction fees (no monthly subscription for Standard/Checkout); PayPal Advanced at $30/mo unlocks virtual terminal + customization. Owns Braintree (developer-focused payments) and Venmo (consumer P2P) — sold as separate products. Publicly traded (NASDAQ: PYPL). Global market share behind Stripe on developer-first SaaS but ahead in mainstream e-commerce brand recognition.
In other words, PayPal is worth it for e-commerce sellers whose buyers explicitly prefer or trust the PayPal checkout brand — particularly for cross-border consumer sales where buyer protection matters. PayPal Standard is free to set up (3.49% + $0.49 US cards); Checkout offers slightly cheaper rates (2.99% + fixed fee) with buyer-approved checkout button; Advanced ($30/mo) adds virtual terminal for phone/mail orders. Extremely easy setup. Native integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, QuickBooks, and every major e-commerce platform. Downside: higher fees than Stripe on typical online-card volume (2.99% + fixed vs Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30), and merchant accounts can be frozen for unusual activity with slow appeals process.
Pricing summary
No monthly fees
Pay as you go
Varies by usage
No separate trial
Developer-first payments infrastructure? Pick Stripe (or Braintree — PayPal-owned). B2B invoicing with fee-based? Wise (formerly TransferWise) or Airwallex. E-commerce physical goods checkout? Shopify Payments (built-in). Digital products only + MoR? Paddle or Lemon Squeezy.
All plans
See a plain-English answer to “How much does PayPal cost?” →
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Key limit |
|---|---|---|---|
PayPal Standard | Free | Free | 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction (US card payments), no monthly fee, includes Buyer Protection |
PayPal Checkout | Free | Free | 2.99% + fixed fee per transaction (US, standard checkout), no monthly fee |
PayPal Advanced (Pro)Entry tier | $30 | $30 | $30/mo subscription; 2.89% + fixed fee on cards, adds virtual terminal + advanced checkout customization |
All tier prices verified August 12, 2026 · View source →
Price history
Price tracking is just getting started for PayPal. Full history will build as we log changes. See what we have so far →
Common questions about PayPal
- How much does PayPal cost in 2026?
- Does PayPal have a free plan?
- How often does PayPal change prices?
- What are the best PayPal alternatives in 2026?
- Is PayPal worth it?
- PayPal is worth it for e-commerce sellers whose buyers explicitly prefer or trust the PayPal checkout brand — particularly for cross-border consumer sales where buyer protection matters. 99% + fixed fee) with buyer-approved checkout button; Advanced ($30/mo) adds virtual terminal for phone/mail orders.
- What are the pricing tiers of PayPal?
- PayPal has 3 plans: PayPal Standard (free), PayPal Checkout (free), PayPal Advanced (Pro) ($30/mo).
Frequently asked questions
About PayPal pricing.
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At a glance
- Key limit metric
- Transactions
- Pricing transparency
- Public
Integrates and connects
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