Why $100 Turns Into $96.02: PayPal Fees in the Virgin Islands
You send an invoice for $100. Your customer pays. Then you open PayPal and see $96.02. If that has ever made you stop and do math in your head, this one is for you.
I put this guide together for business owners here in the Virgin Islands who take payments through PayPal, whether you have a website or not. You'll see what PayPal actually takes, how to price so the fee doesn't come out of your pocket, why some local payments get an "international" fee, and how to get paid without a card machine.
What PayPal takes from a $100 sale
These are PayPal's U.S. rates for business payments, checked against PayPal's own fee page (last updated October 1, 2026). Here's what you keep from $100:
PayPal button or Venmo at checkout: 3.49% + $0.49. You keep $96.02.
A card paid through PayPal's checkout: 2.99% + $0.49. You keep $96.52.
PayPal QR code, or Tap to Pay in person: 2.29% + $0.09. You keep $97.62.
An invoice your customer pays from a U.S. bank account: 1%, capped at $10. You keep $99.00.
Pay Later (Pay in 4 or Pay Monthly): 4.99% + $0.49. You keep $94.52.
PayPal can change these, and some accounts have custom rates, so check a recent payment in your own PayPal activity before you lock in your prices.
Why adding 3.49% doesn't cover the fee
Here's the mistake I see most. You want $100, so you add 3.49% and charge $103.49. But PayPal takes its percentage from the whole $103.49, including the part you added, plus the 49 cents. You end up with $99.39. Short again.
The fix is a different formula: price to charge = (what you want + the fixed fee) ÷ (1 minus the percentage). For the PayPal button, that means charging $104.12 to keep a full $100.
You don't have to do that math yourself. That's exactly why I built the calculator.
How to use the PayPal Fee Calculator, step by step
Open the PayPal Fee Calculator and choose I'm charging to see what you keep, or I want to keep to get the exact price to charge.
Type your price, for example 100 or 249.99.
Tick any box that applies to you: a payment PayPal counts as international, being paid in another currency, or moving money to your bank instantly.
Look at the purple box for the cheapest way to get paid, then scroll the full list. Tap any row to compare it.
Tap Copy this breakdown to save the numbers for your price list or your notes.
Run it once for each service or product you sell, then round up to a price that feels right. That's your new price list.
The international fee mystery here in the Virgin Islands
If you're in the Virgin Islands, you may have noticed this: some local customers' payments come with an extra 1.50% "international" fee, and others don't. Same island, same service. I've seen it on my own payments, and my clients have seen it on theirs.
Here's what PayPal's fee page actually says: a payment is domestic when you and your customer are "registered with or identified by PayPal as residents of the same market." When you're in different markets, the 1.50% applies. PayPal doesn't say whether a U.S. Virgin Islands account counts as the same market as a mainland U.S. account.
From what I can see so far, it seems to depend on how your customer's PayPal account or card is set up, not where they live. Some customers are registered as "United States" and others as "U.S. Virgin Islands," and cards from local banks may be treated differently from mainland cards. I haven't been able to confirm the exact rule yet, so here's what I do instead.
Open a few recent payments in your PayPal activity and look for an international fee. If you see it, tick PayPal counts this payment as international in the calculator, so your price covers it. On a $100 PayPal button payment, that fee takes you from $96.02 down to $94.52.
No website or card machine? You can still get paid
You don't need a card reader, or even a website, to take payments today:
Send an invoice. Your customer pays from the link by PayPal or card. If they pay from a U.S. bank account, it's the cheapest way to get paid online. Here's my tutorial on creating invoices from your phone.
Show a PayPal QR code at your booth, table or counter. Your customer scans it and pays on their phone.
Use PayPal's Tap to Pay on your phone, so customers can tap their card or phone to pay. Check in the PayPal app that your phone is eligible.
These are great for getting paid face to face, one customer at a time. When you're ready for customers to find you, book and pay without you sending anything, that's where a website comes in.
Let customers pay you online, without a card machine
I build websites where your customers can pay you with PayPal, or by debit or credit card without needing a PayPal account. Bookings, invoices and checkout all work from their phone, and your prices are set with the calculator, so the fee is built into your price.
Which card options you can offer depends on the payment providers available for your business. I'll confirm what works for you on the call.
Want a professional email to match, like you@yourbusiness.com? I can set up your business email too.
Already have a website, or still deciding? My free 10-Minute Google Visibility Check walks you through seven quick questions about your business information and how customers reach you.
Before you set your prices, watch for these
Friends and family payments are not for sales. They skip the seller fee, but they're against PayPal's rules for goods and services, and neither of you gets purchase protection.
Disputes cost money. PayPal charges $15 for a standard dispute and $20 for a card chargeback, even before it decides who's right.
Pay Later costs you the most: 4.99% plus 49 cents. It can still be worth it if it helps a customer say yes to a bigger package.
Instant transfers cost extra: 1.50% from a business account, at least 50 cents. Standard transfers to your bank are free.
Keep reading
Your turn
Which way do your customers pay you most: PayPal, card or bank? Tell me in the comments. Please leave account details and customer information out. And if this helped, share it with a business owner who's been losing money to fees without knowing it.
Getting paid is one piece of running your business. If you also need a website, event coverage, branding or training, you can see everything I offer and book online.
About Flo
I’m Latesha “Flo” Isaac, the St. Thomas creator behind Flo Dynasty. I film and photograph Virgin Islands culture and events, and I help local businesses show up online. I bring 20+ years in IT to my web and education work. Learn more about me.
Want to know when I share more money and business guides like this one? Follow my WhatsApp channel for new posts and practical Virgin Islands updates.
Rates come from PayPal's U.S. Merchant Fees page (last updated October 1, 2026) and Consumer Fees page. PayPal can change them at any time, and some accounts have custom rates.
This guide is general information, not financial or tax advice. For your own prices or taxes, check your PayPal account and talk with your tax preparer.
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Remember... Just Go with the Flo.
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