As a freelancer or digital agency, losing revenue to payment processing fees is a frustrating reality. Whether you use PayPal, Stripe, Upwork, or Fiverr, these platforms take a cut of your hard-earned money.
Use this free Freelance Fee Calculator to instantly determine your net profit. We also calculate the “Reverse Fee”—telling you exactly how much to invoice your client so that the fees are covered by them, not you.
Calculate Your Net Income
Select your platform to see exactly what you will keep.
Freelance Fee Calculator
Understanding Platform Fees (2026 Guide)
Different platforms use different fee structures. Understanding these helps you price your services correctly.
1. PayPal & Stripe (Standard Processing)
Both of these giants typically charge 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction for domestic invoices.
- The 2.9% is applied to the total transaction amount.
- The $0.30 is a fixed fee, meaning it hurts more on small transactions ($5 or $10) than large ones.
2. Upwork
Upwork uses a “Service Fee” model. While it used to be a sliding scale (20%/10%/5%), many freelancers now operate on a flat 10% fee structure depending on their contract type. This is significantly higher than direct billing but covers the cost of finding clients.
3. Fiverr
Fiverr typically takes the largest cut, charging sellers a flat 20% on all earnings. If you sell a gig for $100, you only keep $80.
How to “Pass on the Fee”
If you want to receive exactly $500 in your bank account, you cannot just invoice $500. You must calculate the fee in reverse.
The Math Formula:
Invoice Total = (Goal Amount + Fixed Fee) ÷ (1 – Percentage Rate)
Our tool above calculates this automatically in the “To keep…” section. Use this number on your invoices to ensure your client covers the processing costs.
Why Use This Calculator?
- Project Budgeting: Know if a project is profitable before you accept it.
- Client Transparency: Explain to clients why your invoice is slightly higher than your quoted net rate.
- Platform Comparison: Switch the dropdown to see if moving a client from Upwork to direct Stripe billing is worth the effort.