Payment app fees for sellers who sell direct (2026)
On a $25 sale paid to you directly, a PayPal or Venmo goods and services payment costs $0.75, a Venmo business profile $0.58, Stripe $1.03 and Square Free $1.13 online; on $100, $2.99, $2.00, $3.20 and $3.60. Cash App's terms list no fee on Earn in P2P sales for sole proprietors, and Zelle lists no fee of its own.
Every rate is from the company's own fee page, terms or help page, checked Oct 23, 2026. Each service's page has the rules in its own words, the edge cases and a calculator.
Rates verified on
Fees at $25 and $100
| Service | How you get paid | Rate | $25 | $100 | $50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash App | Earn in P2P (sole proprietors) | no fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Venmo | Business profile | 1.9% + $0.10 | $0.58 | $2.00 | $1.05 |
| PayPal | Card in person (PayPal Point of Sale) | 2.29% + $0.09 | $0.66 | $2.38 | $1.24 |
| Stripe | In person (Terminal) | 2.7% + $0.05 | $0.73 | $2.75 | $1.40 |
| PayPal | Goods and services payment | 2.99% | $0.75 | $2.99 | $1.50 |
| Venmo | Personal account, goods and services | 2.99% | $0.75 | $2.99 | $1.50 |
| Square | In person, Square Free | 2.6% + $0.15 | $0.80 | $2.75 | $1.45 |
| Square | Online or invoice, Square Plus or Premium | 2.9% + $0.30 | $1.03 | $3.20 | $1.75 |
| Stripe | Card online or payment link | 2.9% + $0.30 | $1.03 | $3.20 | $1.75 |
| Square | Online or invoice, Square Free | 3.3% + $0.30 | $1.13 | $3.60 | $1.95 |
| PayPal | Card through PayPal's card processing | 2.99% + $0.49 | $1.24 | $3.48 | $1.99 |
| PayPal | PayPal Checkout or invoice, paid with PayPal | 3.49% + $0.49 | $1.36 | $3.98 | $2.24 |
- Cash App Business Account: its terms say the processing fee is disclosed when you open, use or switch to the account (Cash App fees).
- Zelle: for a small business account, Zelle says to check with your bank for fees; 99.40% of consumer accounts in its Q1 2026 survey charged none. Of three banks' business Zelle pages we read, Chase and Wells Fargo list no Zelle fee and Southern First Bank charges $1.00 per payment. Zelle says it offers no purchase protection (Zelle fees).
- Venmo Tap to Pay: 2.29% + $0.09 on Venmo's fees page, 2.29% + $0.10 and 2.9% + $0.09 on two other Venmo pages (Venmo fees).
- How the fees are worked out: the rate's percentage of the whole payment, rounded to the nearest cent, plus its fixed fee. Most of these companies don't publish their rounding, so a fee you're charged can differ by a cent. Cash App's terms say it uses banker's rounding (an exact half cent goes to the even cent) on Instant Transfer fees, and its Business Terms say the same of a Business Account's percentage fees.
- On top of these: international payments (PayPal adds 1.5% when the buyer is in another country; Square and Stripe add 1.5% for a card issued abroad), typed-in cards, buy now, pay later options, disputes and chargebacks. Each service's page lists them.
Instant transfer fees at $25 and $100
What it costs to move the money to your bank or debit card right away instead of waiting for the standard transfer, which PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, Square and Stripe list as free.
| Service | Transfer | Rate | $25 | $100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PayPal | Instant transfer from a business account | 1.5%, $0.50 min | $0.50 | $1.50 |
| PayPal | Instant transfer from a personal account | 1.75%, $0.25 min, $25.00 cap | $0.44 | $1.75 |
| Venmo | Instant Transfer | 1.75%, $0.25 min, $25.00 cap | $0.44 | $1.75 |
| Cash App | Instant Transfer | 0.5%-2.5% ($0.25-$1.00 min, $75.00 max) | $0.25-$1.00 | $0.50-$2.50 |
| Square | Instant transfer | 1.95% | $0.49 | $1.95 |
| Stripe | Instant Payout | 1.5%, $0.50 min | $0.50 | $1.50 |
Dispute and chargeback fees
What each service lists as its own fee when a buyer disputes a payment. Losing a dispute also costs the sale itself.
| Service | Fee | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| PayPal | Standard Dispute fee (claim on a payment through a PayPal account or Guest Checkout) | $15.00 |
| PayPal | High Volume Dispute fee | $30.00 |
| PayPal | Chargeback fee (card payment not through a PayPal account or Guest Checkout) | $20.00 |
| Stripe | Dispute received fee | $15.00 |
| Stripe | Dispute countered fee (returned if you win) | $15.00 |
| Square | Chargebacks and dispute management | $0.00 |
| Venmo | Chargeback fee on a card-funded sale ("may assess") | amount not listed |
| Cash App | Lost chargeback: the amount plus any associated fees | amount not listed |
| Zelle | Zelle says its payments "cannot be reversed" | none listed |
Each service, in detail
- PayPal fees for sellers
Goods and services payment: 2.99%, $0.75 on $25
- Venmo fees for sellers
Personal account, goods and services: 2.99%, $0.75 on $25
- Cash App fees for sellers
Earn in P2P (sole proprietors): no fee, $0.00 on $25
- Square fees for sellers
Online or invoice, Square Free: 3.3% + $0.30, $1.13 on $25
- Stripe fees for sellers
Card online or payment link: 2.9% + $0.30, $1.03 on $25
- Zelle fees for sellers
No fee listed by Zelle; your bank decides
Form 1099-K
The IRS says: "A payment app or online marketplace is required to send you a Form 1099-K if the payments you received for goods or services total over $20,000 in more than 200 transactions." "However, they may send you a Form 1099-K with lower amounts and/or transactions." For card payments: "If your customers or clients pay you directly by credit, debit or gift card, you'll get a Form 1099-K from your payment card processor no matter how many payments you got or how much they were for." And: "Whether or not you receive a Form 1099-K, you must still report any income on your tax return." (IRS: Understanding your Form 1099-K, Page Last Reviewed or Updated: 28-Jun-2026.)
More in 1099-K for resellers. General information, not tax advice; check with a tax professional about your own return.
Questions
Which payment option has the lowest fee on a small sale?
In this table, Cash App's Earn in P2P (sole proprietors only) lists no fee. Of the rest, the lowest fee on a $25 sale is Venmo's business profile at $0.58. Zelle lists no fee but says it offers no purchase protection; see Zelle fees.
Do PayPal and Venmo charge the same for goods and services?
Yes, 2.99% each with no fixed fee: $0.75 on $25 and $2.99 on $100. A Venmo business profile is 1.9% + $0.10 instead (Venmo fees).
Can I charge the buyer extra to cover the fee?
Not on PayPal. Its user agreement says: "You agree that you will not impose a surcharge or any other fee for accepting PayPal as a payment method." Venmo's terms for Tap to Pay say you agree not to "apply a price threshold, higher price or additional fees for a purchase with a card (unless permitted by applicable law)". You can still set one price that covers the fee for everyone; each service's page shows the price that keeps a target amount.
Do I pay the fee on the shipping I charge?
Yes, when the shipping is part of the same payment: every rate here is a share of what the buyer pays you. Square says its fees come out of the total amount, tax and tip included (Square fees).
Do I get the fee back if I refund the buyer?
Not from PayPal, Venmo, Square or Stripe: each one's own terms, fee page or help article says the fee on the original payment isn't returned, and PayPal and Square say so for partial refunds too. Refund a $25 sale in full and you are out $0.75 on a PayPal goods and services payment, $1.03 on Stripe and $1.13 on Square Free online. Cash App's Business Terms say the opposite for a Business Account: "The fees are also refunded by the Company, so the full purchase amount is always returned to your customer." Each service's page quotes its rule.
What does it cost to get the money out the same day?
PayPal, Venmo, Cash App and Stripe list their standard transfers as free, and Square says its next-business-day transfer is free. Instant transfers cost PayPal 1.5%, $0.50 min (business account); PayPal 1.75%, $0.25 min, $25.00 cap (personal account); Venmo 1.75%, $0.25 min, $25.00 cap; Cash App 0.5%-2.5% ($0.25-$1.00 min, $75.00 max); Square 1.95%; Stripe 1.5%, $0.50 min.
How long does the free transfer to my bank take?
Venmo says its free standard transfer typically takes 1-3 business days to a bank account (about 48 hours to a debit card), and Cash App says 1-3 business days. Square says payments taken before 5 PM PT (8 PM ET) are in your bank the next business day, and later ones by the second. Each instant option costs the fee above; Venmo and Cash App say an instant transfer typically arrives in minutes.
Which of these protect me if a buyer files a claim?
PayPal's Seller Protection and Venmo's Purchase Protection can cover a seller whose sale meets their requirements; PayPal decides eligibility case by case. PayPal's include shipping to the address on the payment's Transaction Details page with tracking that shows "delivered" there, and a local pickup counts only if the buyer paid in person with your goods and services QR code. Venmo's include a payment marked goods and services or sent to a business profile, and shipping within 7 days unless the buyer agrees otherwise in writing; Tap to Pay payments aren't covered. Zelle says it offers no purchase protection. Each service's page quotes its rules (PayPal, Venmo, Zelle).
Do payment apps send a Form 1099-K?
The IRS says: "A payment app or online marketplace is required to send you a Form 1099-K if the payments you received for goods or services total over $20,000 in more than 200 transactions." "However, they may send you a Form 1099-K with lower amounts and/or transactions." Card payments are different: you get one from your payment card processor at any amount, it says. Zelle says it doesn't report its payments to the IRS. More in 1099-K for resellers.
Sources
Rates verified on from each official page below.
- PayPal Merchant Fees (US) (Last Updated: October 1, 2026)
- PayPal Consumer Fees (US) (Last Updated: May 19, 2026)
- PayPal User Agreement (US) (Last updated on September 14, 2026)
- PayPal's Seller Protection Program (US) (Last updated on January 26, 2026)
- PayPal Policy Updates (US) (Last updated on September 28, 2026)
- Venmo: Fees with your Venmo Account
- Venmo User Agreement (effective as of August 24, 2026)
- Venmo Help Center: Business Profile Transaction Fees
- Venmo for Business: Business profiles
- Venmo Purchase Protection
- Cash App Terms of Service (Last Updated: September 11, 2026)
- Cash App Business Terms (Last Updated: August 25, 2025)
- Square Payments: Our fees
- Square Support: Square fees
- Square Support: Transfer options with Square
- Square: Processing fees, plans and software pricing
- Square press release: New Unified Plans & Pricing (Oct 06, 2025)
- Square Support: Switch to the new Square subscription plans
- Square press release: Square Policy and Pricing Updates (Mar 01, 2023)
- Square Support: Manage customer refunds
- Stripe: Pricing (US)
- Stripe: Payment Links
- Stripe: Invoicing pricing
- Zelle FAQ: Using Zelle
- Zelle FAQ: Using Zelle with a Small Business Account
- Zelle: Send and receive money directly to and from your bank account
- Chase for Business: Zelle support
- Wells Fargo: Zelle for Your Business FAQs
- Southern First Bank: Zelle for Small Business FAQs
- IRS: Understanding your Form 1099-K (Page Last Reviewed or Updated: 28-Jun-2026)
Free 1-page Reseller Cheat Sheet: fees on 8 platforms, Media Mail and stamp prices
What each platform takes from a $10, $25 and $50 sale, Media Mail 1-10 lb, Ground Advantage to Zones 1, 5 and 8, and the Forever stamp, on one printable page. The link appears as soon as you sign up.