PayPal international fees

[stiofan]

I'm trying to make sense of PayPal's international fees, and wondering if anyone who's familiar with int'l payments could shed some light. I've used PayPal a lot over the years (mostly for work I used to do as a freelance editor), but can't seem to figure out the international payment fee structure. I'm in the process of selling an item (whistle) to someone in Europe (Poland) and am trying to determine what fees I'll incur (I'm in the US) so I can include them in the final price. According to PayPal's info, there's a cross border fee, currency conversion fee, and possibly a "fixed fee(?)". So, my question is: what fees will I as seller expect to be charged for the transaction? I've pored over the PayPay site, including the PayPal Community, and C&F threads, but am still not clear about which fees and how much will be assessed. Appreciate any help, explanations, or advice!

[kkrell]

I don't think you can figure it out exactly, as it depends on the transaction.

The base rate for fees on a merchandise sale (standard PayPal, not PRO), is $0.30 (30 cents) per transaction PLUS 2.2% of the total.

For an international sale, where currency conversion occurs, you're correct, the PayPal site is not clear. They state their currency conversion rate (which is not the best rate, mind you) can end up with PayPal taking 3% of the total (not to exceed 3.7%, depends on the transaction).

I'll now give you an actual case, with the International Traditional Music Society actual #s, which seemed to come in somewhat lower. PayPal does not break down the fees for me in any detail, but this appears to be:

US DOMESTIC:
$42 sale (Wooden Flute Obsession volumes 1, 2 & 3) including shipping, to a US destination:

$42.00 (Amount paid by customer).
- $00.30 (PayPal transaction fee)
=======
= $41.70
- $ 0.92 (2.2% of $42 total)
=======
= $40.78 (amount I actually receive from PayPal)

************************************************************

INTERNATIONAL SALE:
$57 sale (Wooden Flute Obsession volumes 1, 2 & 3) including shipping, to a non-US destination:

$57.00 (Amount paid by customer).
- $00.30 (PayPal transaction fee)
=======
= $56.70
- $ 1.25 (2.2% of $57 total)
=======
= $55.45
- $00.86 (seems to be 1.5% of $57 total)
=======
= $54.59 (amount I actually receive from PayPal)

I suspect that the 1.5% is possibly the cross-border transaction fee (due from me, for the "convenience" of accepting a foreign payment). I believe some of my personal credit cards charge a foreign transaction fee (flat rate of $1.00, or sometimes maybe 1% hit for conversion) when I buy from abroad. I think the buyer usually pays the currency conversion fee. I know I do when purchasing CDs from Custy's in Ireland. The buyer is usually the one paying in what to them is a foreign currency. I receive the $57 USD requested for the sale, less the fee deductions I've shown above.

Hope this helps guide you.

And just in case any one is inclined to bitch, shipping those 3 CDs (actually 6 CDs in 3 volumes, 12 ounces with jewel cases) to an international destination costs me $24 + materials.

[stiofan]

Thanks Kevin - that helps quite a bit. I'm just trying to make sure I'm not losing too much money (or preferably, any) on fees, since I'm adding them onto the purchase price. And 3%+ of several hundred dollars is enough to think twice about. You know, I would think that the fee business with PayPal would be more straightforward for an organization like the ITMS that does consistent retail sales, but apparently not. I use PayPal reluctantly for all these reasons, but don't know of a reliable alternative for individuals like myself selling things, especially overseas. Anyway, appreciate your feedback and suggestions.
Cheers,
Stephen