Does PayPal charge monthly fees

Question

Accepted Answer

No, PayPal does not charge monthly fees to keep a standard personal or business account open. Opening an account and downloading the PayPal app are also free.

PayPal earns its revenue from fees on particular transactions instead of an ongoing account charge. The main situations where fees apply are:

Receiving payments: Fees are charged when you receive money for selling goods or services.
International transfers: Sending or receiving money between different countries adds extra costs.
Currency conversion: Converting money from one currency to another includes a percentage markup above the base exchange rate.
Card-funded payments: Sending a personal payment using a credit or debit card incurs a fee.

Because there is no subscription cost, what you pay on PayPal depends on how you use the account. A personal account used occasionally may cost nothing, while an account that regularly receives business payments from abroad in another currency can pick up several fees on the same transaction.

PayPal lists its charges on the fee pages of its official website, including its Consumer Fees page and its Help Center article on account fees. A PayPal overview that explains these transaction charges can help you estimate the real cost of receiving payments before you rely on the account for regular income.