PayPal International Transfer Fees (2026)
PayPal charges two things when you send money to someone in another country: an international fee of 5 percent, capped at $4.99 from the US or £2.99 from the UK, and a currency conversion fee built into the exchange rate. The second one costs far more, and it never appears as a line on the receipt.
On 5 November 2026, $1,000 sent through PayPal to a euro account cost $46.10 once the rate was counted, and £1,000 cost £45.20. The same transfers cost $5.47 and £3.81 with Wise. That gap is what this guide is about.
Below we set out how much PayPal charges for international money transfers from the US and the UK, how the PayPal currency conversion fee is applied and who pays it, what cards, receiving and withdrawals add, and what Xoom, PayPal's own remittance service, costs. For domestic charges and selling fees, see our guide to PayPal fees in general.
Compare PayPal's Price Before You Send
PayPal's rate moves every day, and so do the specialists' prices. Enter the amount you want to send and where it is going to see what Wise, Remitly and Xe would deliver today, then set that against the PayPal international transfer fee and the spread explained below.
How Much Does PayPal Charge for International Transfers?
For a personal payment to someone in another country, PayPal charges an international fee of 5 percent, at least $0.99 and at most $4.99 from the US, or £0.99 to £2.99 from the UK. If your recipient gets a different currency, PayPal also takes a conversion spread of about 4 percent through the exchange rate.
Charge | US account | UK account |
|---|---|---|
International fee on a personal payment | 5%, minimum $0.99, maximum $4.99 | 5%, minimum £0.99, maximum £2.99 |
Extra for paying by card | 2.90% plus a fixed fee, such as $0.30 when the recipient gets dollars | None listed |
Conversion spread when the recipient gets another currency | 4.00% | Not published, PayPal's own transaction rate applies |
Conversion in all other cases, such as converting a balance | 3.00% | Not published for personal accounts, 3% above the base rate for business accounts |
Standard withdrawal to your own bank | Free when no conversion is involved | Free when no conversion is involved, 3% to a US bank account |
From PayPal's US consumer fee page (last updated 19 May 2026) and UK consumer fee page (last updated 22 January 2026), both checked 5 November 2026.
What Is the Fee for International PayPal Money Transfers From the US and UK?
The PayPal international fee is 5 percent with a floor and a ceiling. From a US account the floor is $0.99 and the ceiling $4.99, so the fee stops growing at $99.80: send $50 and you pay $2.50, send $100 or $10,000 and you pay $4.99. From a UK account the ceiling is £2.99, reached at £59.80, and anything under £19.80 pays the £0.99 minimum.
A payment counts as international when PayPal has the sender and the recipient registered in different markets, not when the money changes currency. The UK schedule treats payments between the UK, Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man as domestic. Both schedules also say PayPal is temporarily waiving some fees on payments to and from Ukrainian accounts.
One quirk: PayPal collects the fee in the currency it is listed in, so if you pay from a balance in another currency, it converts the PayPal international fee first and charges its spread on that too.
Why the PayPal Exchange Rate Fee Costs More Than the Transfer Fee
The cap makes the fee look small, and on any amount above about $125 the PayPal exchange rate fee is the bigger cost. The US schedule sets the spread at 4.00 percent whenever a friend or family member receives a different currency from the one you pay in, or such other amount as PayPal discloses during the transaction.
The UK schedule publishes no percentage for personal payments. It points to the user agreement, which says conversions happen at the transaction exchange rate PayPal sets, and to a currency converter. On our 5 November quotes, PayPal's rates sat about 4 percent below the mid-market rate on dollar routes and 4.2 to 4.7 percent below on pound routes.
Put the two together and the cap stops mattering. On $1,000 the fee is $4.99 and the spread about $41, so roughly nine tenths of what PayPal charges sits in the rate rather than on the receipt.
Does PayPal Charge to Send Money Abroad in the Same Currency?
Yes. The PayPal international fee applies whenever the sender and the recipient are in different markets, even if no currency changes hands. Send $500 from a US account to a friend in Canada who accepts US dollars and you pay $4.99, with no spread, because PayPal converts nothing on your side. The conversion simply moves to the other end. If your friend later converts those dollars or withdraws them to a bank in another currency, their own account's conversion charge applies. Sending in your own currency avoids the PayPal currency conversion fee for you, not for the money. Our guide to sending money abroad with PayPal walks through each step of the payment itself.
How the PayPal Currency Conversion Fee Works and Who Pays It
The PayPal currency conversion fee is a spread built into the exchange rate, not a separate charge. PayPal takes a base rate, adds its spread and converts your money at the result. Whoever's account performs the conversion pays it: the sender when the recipient gets another currency, the recipient when they convert the money later.
How the Spread Is Built Into the Rate
PayPal's US user agreement describes its transaction exchange rate as a base exchange rate with a currency conversion spread applied and retained by PayPal. You see one rate on the screen, and the spread is already inside it. That is why the PayPal exchange rate fee never shows up as its own line.
Here is how it worked on 5 November 2026 on $1,000 sent from the US to a euro account. The mid-market rate was 0.8883 euros to the dollar, so the money was worth €888.26. PayPal took its $4.99 fee, converted the remaining $995.01 at 0.8516, and the recipient got €847.31.
At the mid-market rate, €847.31 is worth $953.90. The other $46.10 went to PayPal: $4.99 in the fee and $41.11 in the rate, a gap of 4.1 percent between PayPal's rate and the mid-market exchange rate. The fee was the small part.
When the Sender Pays the Conversion
If your recipient is to receive their own currency, PayPal converts on your side and you pay the spread. The US schedule lists three cases at 4.00 percent: money sent to a friend or family member who receives a different currency, goods or services priced in another currency, and payouts that arrive in another currency.
This is the usual case when money goes home to family. PayPal shows the rate and the amount the recipient will get before you confirm, so check it against the mid-market rate at that moment.
When the Recipient Pays the Conversion
If you send in your own currency instead, the recipient's account does the converting and their schedule sets the price. On a US account, converting a balance or withdrawing in another currency falls under all other transactions at 3.00 percent. A UK personal account uses PayPal's transaction exchange rate with no published percentage, while UK business accounts pay 3 percent above the base rate.
That can work out cheaper. Send £1,000 in pounds to a friend with a US account and you pay £2.99. If they convert it at a 3 percent spread they lose about £30, so the total is about £33, against £49.49 when PayPal converted pounds to dollars on the sender's side on 5 November. The catch is that the recipient has to accept a foreign currency and convert it themselves.
Paying a Seller Abroad: PayPal or Your Card Issuer?
The same spread applies when you buy something priced in another currency, and here you sometimes get a choice. When a card funds the payment, PayPal's user agreement says you may have the right to have your card issuer convert instead, depending on the issuer and the card network. PayPal always converts when the money comes from your balance or bank account.
If your card charges no foreign transaction fee, letting the issuer convert usually beats PayPal's 4 percent. If your card adds around 3 percent, the gap all but disappears, so check its terms before you change the setting.
PayPal International Transfer Fees by Payment Method
From a US account, paying by card adds PayPal's domestic card fee of 2.90 percent plus a fixed fee, on top of the 5 percent international fee and the spread. Paying from your PayPal balance, a bank account or Amex Send avoids that surcharge. The UK schedule lists no card surcharge on personal payments at all.
PayPal Balance or Bank Account
A balance or a linked bank account is the cheapest way to pay a PayPal international transfer fee. The US schedule charges no domestic fee on a personal payment funded this way, so you pay only the international fee and, if the money changes currency, the spread. The PayPal Debit Card counts as your balance.
Bank funding can add a delay while PayPal pulls the money from your account, and our guide to why PayPal transfers take so long explains the holds. On price, it is the method to use if you use PayPal at all.
How Much Does PayPal Charge to Send Money Overseas by Card?
From the US, a card adds 2.90 percent plus a fixed fee that depends on the currency received: $0.30 for dollars, €0.35 for euros, £0.20 for pounds and MXN 4.00 for pesos. On $1,000 to a euro account that is $29.00 plus about $0.40, on top of the $4.99 PayPal international fee and the spread.
Added up, a card-funded $1,000 to euros cost about $75, or 7.5 percent, against $46.10 from a bank account. Wise is not cheap by card either: on 5 November it charged $16.05 by debit card and $55.92 to $65.03 by credit card on the same transfer, against $5.47 by bank debit.
Your card issuer may add its own cost. Xoom's calculator warns that a credit card company may charge a cash advance fee on a transfer paid by credit card, which usually brings interest from the first day too. Our guide to transferring money with a credit card covers when that happens and how to avoid it.
Does PayPal Charge International Transaction Fees on Cards?
PayPal's own cards can. The UK PayPal Credit Mastercard charges a 2.5 percent cross-border fee on card transactions in a currency other than pounds. A purchase paid through a PayPal account in a foreign currency carries PayPal's conversion spread instead, which is 4 percent on the US schedule.
PayPal charges international fees in more than one form. A personal payment across a border carries the 5 percent international fee, a foreign currency purchase carries the spread, and the UK credit card adds its own 2.5 percent. Amex Send, a funding option on US accounts, carries no domestic fee but the same international fee.
PayPal Fees for Receiving and Withdrawing Money From Abroad
Receiving a personal payment from another country is free on both the US and UK schedules when no conversion is involved. The costs come afterwards: 3 percent to convert a foreign currency balance on a US account, 1.75 percent for an instant withdrawal, and from a UK account, 3 percent to withdraw to a US bank.
Receiving a Personal Payment From Abroad
The sender pays the international fee, so a friend or relative abroad who sends you money in your own currency costs you nothing. If they send a different currency, PayPal either converts it on their side at their spread or credits it to you in that currency, leaving you to convert it at yours. Our guide to receiving money on PayPal covers the settings that decide which happens.
Payments for goods and services work differently, and the seller pays. A US seller pays 2.99 percent on a goods and services payment plus 1.50 percent when the buyer is abroad, 4.49 percent in all plus a fixed fee. A UK seller pays 2.9 percent plus a fixed fee, plus 1.29 percent when the buyer is in the EEA or 1.99 percent elsewhere.
Withdrawing to a Bank in Another Currency
A standard withdrawal to your own linked bank account is free on both schedules when no conversion is involved. If your balance is in another currency, PayPal converts it first: at 3.00 percent on a US account, and at its transaction exchange rate on a UK account. On a balance worth $1,000, that is about $30 gone before the money reaches your bank. Two other charges are worth knowing. A US instant transfer to a bank account or an eligible debit card costs 1.75 percent, with a minimum of $0.25 and a maximum of $25. A UK account withdrawing to a US bank account pays 3 percent even when no conversion is involved. Our guide to moving money from PayPal to a bank account covers each route.
How Much Does PayPal Charge to Send Money Abroad? Worked Examples in USD and GBP
On 5 November 2026, PayPal cost $45 to $46 on $1,000 sent from the US and £45 to £49 on £1,000 sent from the UK, once its fee and spread were counted. The same transfers cost $5 to $8 or £4 to £5 with Wise, and $2 to $19 or £8 to £19 with Remitly and Xe.
$1,000 From the US to a Euro Account
A US sender pays from a bank account to send $1,000 to a friend's account in Germany. The mid-market rate was 0.8883 euros to the dollar, so the money was worth €888.26 before any costs.
Provider | Fee | Exchange rate | Recipient gets | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
PayPal | $4.99 | 0.8516 | €847.31 | $46.10 (4.6%) |
Wise, ACH bank debit | $5.47 | 0.8882 (mid-market) | €883.36 | $5.47 (0.5%) |
Remitly | $0.99 | 0.8809 | €880.07 | $9.22 (0.9%) |
Xe, standard rate | $0 | 0.8715 | €871.50 | $18.87 (1.9%) |
Quotes collected 5 November 2026 for $1,000 to a bank account in Germany. Wise from its own pricing for an ACH bank debit, Xe from its own calculator at its standard rate, PayPal and Remitly from the price comparison Wise publishes. Total cost is the fee plus the gap to the mid-market rate.
PayPal's $4.99 fee was lower than Wise's $5.47, and PayPal was still the most expensive way to send by a distance. Its rate delivered €36.05 less than Wise on the same dollars.
£1,000 From the UK to a Euro Account
A UK sender sends £1,000 from a bank account to a euro account. At the mid-market rate of 1.1984 euros to the pound, the money was worth €1,198.39.
Provider | Fee | Exchange rate | Recipient gets | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
PayPal | £2.99 | 1.1477 | €1,144.22 | £45.20 (4.5%) |
Wise, bank transfer | £3.81 | 1.1984 (mid-market) | €1,193.82 | £3.81 (0.4%) |
Remitly | £1.99 | 1.1882 | €1,185.80 | £10.51 (1.1%) |
Xe, standard rate | £0 | 1.1884 | €1,188.40 | £8.34 (0.8%) |
Quotes collected 5 November 2026 for £1,000 to a euro bank account, by the same method as the dollar table. First-transfer offers excluded.
The pattern is the same from the UK. PayPal's £2.99 fee was lower than Wise's £3.81, and its rate took another £42.21. The recipient got €49.60 less than with Wise.
PayPal Against Wise, Remitly and Xe on Three More Routes
The two examples are not outliers. On every route we priced, PayPal's rate sat about 4 to 4.7 percent below mid-market, so its total barely moved with the currency, while the specialists' prices did.
Route, 1,000 sent | PayPal | Wise | Remitly | Xe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
US dollars to Mexican pesos | $45.18 | $7.67 | $11.06 | $6.17 |
US dollars to British pounds | $46.37 | $5.89 | $1.84 | $18.63 |
Pounds to US dollars | £49.49 | £4.60 | £18.96 | £8.23 |
Total cost of sending 1,000 to a bank account, meaning the fee plus the gap to the mid-market rate, collected 5 November 2026 by the same method as the tables above. Rates move daily.
Across all five routes, the cheapest specialist beat PayPal by $39 to $45 or £41 to £45 on a single transfer. Which one was cheapest changed with the route: Wise on euros and on pounds to dollars, Remitly on dollars to pounds, Xe on Mexican pesos. Our PayPal vs Wise comparison runs the head to head in more detail.
How Much PayPal Charges for International Money Transfers From $50 to $10,000
Because the fee is capped and the spread is not, PayPal's cost as a share of the transfer falls only a little as the amount grows. This table applies the US schedule, a 5 percent fee between $0.99 and $4.99 plus a spread of about 4 percent, to a bank-funded payment that the recipient gets in another currency.
Amount sent | International fee | Spread at about 4% | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|
$50 | $2.50 | $2.00 | $4.50 (9.0%) |
$100 | $4.99 | $4.00 | $8.99 (9.0%) |
$500 | $4.99 | $20.00 | $24.99 (5.0%) |
$1,000 | $4.99 | $40.00 | $44.99 (4.5%) |
$10,000 | $4.99 | $400.00 | $404.99 (4.0%) |
Estimated from PayPal's US consumer fee page, checked 5 November 2026. Real quotes run slightly higher because PayPal's rate sat a little more than 4 percent below mid-market.
At $10,000 the gap to a specialist is hard to ignore. On our quotes, $10,000 to euros cost $417.89 with PayPal against $46.68 with Wise, and $10,000 to Mexico cost $408.72 against $16.44 with Xe. From the UK, £10,000 to euros cost £426.21 with PayPal against £33.41 with Wise.
What the Gap Adds Up to Over a Year
Send $1,000 a month to Mexico through PayPal and the fee and spread cost about $542 a year, against about $74 with Xe or $92 with Wise at the same prices. From the UK, £1,000 a month to a euro account costs about £542 a year with PayPal and £46 with Wise.
That is the real price of convenience. If the person you are paying already uses PayPal and the amount is small, it may be worth paying. For regular transfers home it rarely is, because the spread is charged again on every single payment.
Check Today's Price on Your Route
These prices come from one day. Enter your own amount and destination to compare live quotes from Wise, Remitly and Xe, then hold them against the PayPal fee and spread above.
What Wise, Remitly and Xe Charge Instead
PayPal charges around 3 to 4 percent above the mid-market rate. Wise charges a small fixed fee with no markup. Remitly and Xe usually charge little or no fee and take a far narrower margin than PayPal, so on our routes all three cost a fraction of PayPal's price on the same transfer.
Wise
Wise9.5Wise converts at the mid-market rate and charges one visible fee, the most direct contrast to PayPal's model. From the US, $1,000 to euros by ACH bank debit cost $5.47 on 5 November 2026. From the UK, £1,000 to euros by bank transfer cost £3.81, made up of 0.33 percent plus 52p.
Its price barely moved across routes, between 0.4 and 0.8 percent in total on every corridor we priced, and it discounts its fee automatically above $25,000 or £20,000. It does not offer cash pickup, and paying by card costs more. Our Wise review covers the account, the card and its customer service record.
Remitly
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Remitly8.5Remitly is built for money sent home to family, and it pays out to bank accounts, cash pickup points and mobile wallets in more than 170 countries. That puts it up against Xoom rather than PayPal's person to person payments, and on the big remittance routes its prices were the sharpest we found.
On 5 November, $1,000 to British pounds cost $1.84 with Remitly, the cheapest we found, and £1,000 to Indian rupees about 64p. It was weaker on euros, at $9.22 on $1,000 from the US and £10.51 on £1,000 from the UK, still around a fifth of PayPal's price. Our Remitly review has its fees route by route.
Xe
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Xe charges no transfer fee on $1,000 or £1,000 and makes its money in the rate, which narrows as the amount grows. On our quotes it was the cheapest option of all on Mexican pesos: $6.17 on $1,000 against $45.18 through PayPal, and $16.44 on $10,000.
Its weak spot is euros. Xe's standard rate on $1,000 to euros sat 1.89 percent below mid-market, a total of $18.87, although that is still well under half of PayPal's price. New customers are offered a better welcome rate when they start. Our Xe review covers its limits and the rate tools it offers for large amounts.
Xoom Fees and Exchange Rates: PayPal's Remittance Service
Xoom is PayPal's service for sending money to bank accounts, cash pickup points and mobile wallets abroad. It charges a fee that depends on the destination, amount and payment method, and it makes money on the exchange rate. On 5 November 2026 its standard rates sat 1.1 to 3.6 percent below mid-market on the routes we checked.
How Xoom Prices a Transfer
Xoom sends from countries including the US, Canada, the UK, the European Economic Area and Australia, and you can log in with your PayPal details or open a Xoom account. You can pay from a bank account, your PayPal balance, a debit card or a credit card, and the recipient can collect cash, receive a bank deposit or get the money in a mobile wallet.
Its user agreement lists two costs: a transaction fee that varies by destination, payment method, amount and currencies, and an exchange rate on which Xoom makes money, with a spread that its calculator says varies per transaction. Xoom also changed some of its US transaction fees from 3 November 2026.
Xoom Fees by Payment Method
The payment method changes the fee, not the rate. From the US, paying from a bank account or a PayPal balance was free or cheapest. A debit card cost $11.19 on $1,000 to euros and $29.19 on $1,000 to pounds, and a credit card $62.89 and $30.09. From the UK the fee was the same whatever the payment method.
Route, 1,000 sent | Fee by bank | Fee by credit card | Rate below mid-market | Total by bank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
US dollars to euros, bank deposit | $0 | $62.89 | 3.6% | $35.62 |
US dollars to pounds, bank deposit | $0 | $30.09 | 2.7% | $27.27 |
US dollars to Mexican pesos, cash pickup | $15.59 | $64.09 | 1.5% | $30.16 |
Pounds to euros, bank deposit | £1.99 | £1.99 | 3.6% | £38.03 |
Pounds to Indian rupees, bank deposit | £0 | £0 | 1.1% | £10.87 |
From Xoom's own fee and exchange rate calculator, checked 5 November 2026, against the mid-market rate at the same time. Xoom showed a promotional first-time rate for new customers on bank deposits to Mexico and India, so Mexico is shown at its standard cash pickup rate.
Is Xoom Cheaper Than a PayPal Payment?
Usually, but not by enough to matter against a specialist. On $1,000 to euros, Xoom cost $35.62 against $46.10 for a PayPal personal payment, and on £1,000 to euros £38.03 against £45.20. Wise cost $5.47 and £3.81 on the same routes, and Remitly cost 64p on £1,000 to rupees against Xoom's £10.87.
Xoom's spread also widens on small amounts and on cash. On $200 to euros its rate sat 7.9 percent below mid-market, and on £200 to euros 5.8 percent plus a 99p fee. A $1,000 cash pickup in Germany carried a rate 6.2 percent below mid-market. If your family collects cash, compare Xoom with Remitly on the day, as our page on sending money from the US to Mexico does with live prices.
Is PayPal Worth Its International Fees?
PayPal international transfer fees are worth paying for small payments to people who already use it, and for sellers who take nothing else. For anything larger, and for regular money sent home, a spread of about 4 percent makes PayPal one of the most expensive ways to send money abroad, often eight times a specialist's price or more.
PayPal: Our Rating
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PayPal6.0Our rating reflects what this guide shows. PayPal scores well on safety and reach: it is widely accepted, and PayPal UK Ltd is authorised by the FCA as an electronic money institution. It scores low on cost for international transfers, because the spread is wide and the fee is only the visible part. Our PayPal review explains each score.
When the PayPal International Fee Is Worth Paying
PayPal earns its fee in three cases. The first is a small payment to someone who already has PayPal, where the capped PayPal international transfer fee and a few dollars of spread cost less than setting up something new. The second is a payment in the same currency, where you pay only the PayPal international fee. The third is a seller who accepts nothing else. In the first two, pay from your balance or bank account, never a US card.
Ways to Pay Less When You Do Use PayPal
Fund payments from your balance or bank, not a card. Send in your own currency when the recipient can convert more cheaply, as a US account can at 3 percent, and let your card issuer convert foreign purchases if your card has no foreign transaction fee. Our guide on how to avoid PayPal fees covers each setting step by step.
Above about $125, where the spread overtakes the fee, check a specialist before you send. Our roundup of PayPal alternatives for international payments compares the other services in more depth.
Bottom Line
The PayPal international transfer fee looks small: 5 percent capped at $4.99 or £2.99. The real cost is the currency conversion spread, 4 percent on the US schedule and 4.2 to 4.7 percent on our UK quotes, which took about $46 out of $1,000 and £45 to £49 out of £1,000 on 5 November 2026. A US card adds almost 3 percent more.
Use PayPal for small payments to people who already have it, ideally in the same currency. For anything else, compare the amount the recipient gets with Wise, Remitly or Xe, which cost $2 to $19 or £4 to £19 on the same transfers. Xoom, PayPal's own remittance service, sat in between.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does PayPal charge for international transfers?
The PayPal international transfer fee on a personal payment to someone in another country is 5 percent, with a minimum of $0.99 and a maximum of $4.99 from the US, or £0.99 to £2.99 from the UK. If the recipient gets a different currency, PayPal adds a conversion spread to the exchange rate, 4 percent on its US schedule. On 5 November 2026 that made $1,000 to a euro account cost $46.10 in all. Paying by card from a US account adds 2.90 percent plus a fixed fee.
Does PayPal charge to send money abroad if no currency conversion is needed?
Yes. The international fee applies whenever the sender and the recipient are registered in different markets, whatever the currency. Sending $500 in US dollars to a friend in Canada who accepts dollars costs $4.99, with no spread. If your friend later converts the dollars, their own account's conversion charge applies at that point.
What is the PayPal currency conversion fee?
The PayPal currency conversion fee is a spread PayPal adds to a base exchange rate, so it sits inside the rate you are shown rather than appearing as a separate charge. The US schedule sets it at 4 percent when a recipient gets a different currency or you pay for something priced in another currency, and 3 percent for other conversions such as converting a balance. PayPal UK publishes no fixed percentage for personal payments. On our quotes, PayPal's rates sat about 4 to 4.7 percent below the mid-market rate.
Who pays the PayPal currency conversion fee, the sender or the recipient?
Whoever's account does the conversion pays it. If your recipient is to get their own currency, PayPal converts on your side and you pay the spread. If you send in your own currency and the recipient converts it later, their account's spread applies instead, which is 3 percent on a US account. Sending £1,000 in pounds to a US account holder who converts at 3 percent costs about £33 in all, against £49.49 when PayPal converted on the sender's side.
How much does PayPal charge to send money abroad from the UK?
From a UK account, PayPal charges 5 percent of a personal payment abroad, at least £0.99 and at most £2.99, and the cap applies from £59.80. Payments to Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man count as domestic. If the money changes currency, PayPal converts at its own transaction exchange rate, which on 5 November 2026 sat 4.2 to 4.7 percent below mid-market. £1,000 to a euro account cost £45.20 in all, against £3.81 with Wise.
How much does PayPal charge to send money overseas with a credit card?
From a US account, a card-funded international payment costs the domestic card fee of 2.90 percent plus a fixed fee, the 5 percent international fee up to $4.99, and the conversion spread if the recipient gets another currency. On $1,000 to a euro account that came to about $75, against $46.10 from a bank account. Your card issuer may also treat the payment as a cash advance and charge a fee and interest. The UK schedule lists no card surcharge for personal payments.
What is the fee for international PayPal money transfers under $100?
From a US account, the international fee on a payment under $99.80 is 5 percent with a minimum of $0.99, so $20 costs $1.00 and $50 costs $2.50. The spread of about 4 percent still applies if the money changes currency, which makes the total on $50 about $4.50, or 9 percent. From a UK account the minimum is £0.99 and the fee caps at £2.99 from £59.80. Small payments are where PayPal is easiest to justify, and its most expensive in percentage terms.
Does PayPal charge international transaction fees?
PayPal charges international fees in a few forms. A personal payment to someone in another market carries the 5 percent international fee. A purchase in a foreign currency carries PayPal's conversion spread, 4 percent on the US schedule, unless your card issuer converts it. The UK PayPal Credit Mastercard charges a 2.5 percent cross-border fee on card transactions in a currency other than pounds. Sellers receiving payments from abroad pay an extra 1.50 percent in the US, or 1.29 to 1.99 percent in the UK.
Is Xoom cheaper than PayPal for sending money abroad?
Usually, on the routes we checked. On 5 November 2026, Xoom cost $35.62 on $1,000 to a euro bank account against $46.10 for a PayPal personal payment, and £38.03 against £45.20 on £1,000 to euros. Xoom's fee depends on the destination, amount and payment method, and its standard rates sat 1.1 to 3.6 percent below mid-market. Specialists were cheaper again: Wise cost $5.47 and £3.81 on the same transfers.
Is PayPal cheaper than Wise for international transfers?
Not on any route we priced. The PayPal international fee is sometimes lower than Wise's fee, for example £2.99 against £3.81 on £1,000 to euros, but its rate sits about 4 percent below mid-market while Wise uses the mid-market rate. That made PayPal cost £45.20 against £3.81 on that transfer, and $46.10 against $5.47 on $1,000 to euros. Wise also beat PayPal when paying by card.
Sources
- PayPal: US consumer fees
- PayPal: UK consumer fees
- PayPal: US merchant and business fees
- PayPal: UK merchant and business fees
- PayPal: US user agreement, currency conversion
- PayPal: UK user agreement, currency conversion
- Xoom: fee and exchange rate calculator
- Xoom: send money to Mexico, sending countries and delivery options
- Xoom: user agreement, fees and exchange rates
- Xoom: zero transfer fee terms
- Xoom: first-time rate offer terms
- Wise: pricing for sending money from the US
- Wise: pricing for sending money from the UK
- Wise: price comparison of banks and providers
- Wise Group plc: Q2 FY27 results, quarter to 30 September 2026
- Remitly: sending limits and on-time delivery promise
- Xe: send money online
- Xe: large money transfers, limits and forward orders
- FCA: financial services register
Mo is the founder of MoneyTransferStore. As an expat who has experienced the challenges of sending money across borders himself, he set out to help others like him avoid hidden fees and unfair exchange rates on international transfers. With a background spanning fintech, payments, and Web3, Mo brings years of practical experience to building a platform focused on transparency and trust.