PayPal
- In-person rate
- Limited in AU
- Online rate
- 2.9% + 30c
- Monthly fee
- Free
- Terminal cost
- Online focus
- Contract length
- No lock-in
- Settlement time
- Standard payouts
- Est. monthly cost
- —
PayPal
Global online payments brand with strong consumer recognition and built-in BNPL.
- In-person rate
- Limited in AU
- Online rate
- 2.9% + 30c
- Monthly fee
- Free
- Contract
- No lock-in
Best for
Online stores that need a recognisable consumer-facing checkout brand alongside other payment methods.
Pricing breakdown
Every fee we track, grouped by where it applies.
In-person payments
EFTPOS terminal and tap-to-pay transactions.
- Transaction rate
- Limited in AU
Zettle reader available in some markets. PayPal AU focus is online.
- Monthly fee
- Free
Website Payments Pro hosted solution is $25/mo.
- Terminal cost
- Online focus
- Setup fee
- Free
Online payments
Online checkout and keyed-in card transactions.
- Transaction rate
- 2.9% + 30c
Standard commercial rate. Advanced Card Payments 1.5% + 30c. QR 1.2%.
- Monthly fee
- Free
Website Payments Pro hosted solution is $25/mo.
- Setup fee
- Free
Other fees
- Chargeback fee
- $15
Verified from AU merchant fees page.
- AMEX rate
- 2.9% + 30c
Same as domestic Visa/Mastercard standard rate.
- International card surcharge
- +2.1%
International rate adds 2.1%; currency conversion 3 to 4% on top.
- Early termination fee
- None
No lock-in contracts.
- Instant payout fee
- Limited in AU
- Refund fee
- Free
Original transaction fee not returned (industry standard).
- PCI compliance fee
- Free
PCI bundled with PayPal Hosted Checkout.
Contract terms
- Contract length
- No lock-in
- Settlement time
- Standard payouts
- Least-cost routing
- No
- Recurring billing
- Yes
Via PayPal Subscriptions.
Last verified 14 May 2026.
Accepted payment methods
Cards, wallets, and other methods supported by PayPal for Australian merchants.
Cards
- Visa
- Mastercard
- AMEX
Digital wallets
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
Other
- PayID
Strengths and trade-offs
Pros
- Universal consumer recognition
- Built-in chargeback and buyer protection
- Pay in 4 BNPL included at no extra cost
- Plug-and-play integration with major e-commerce platforms
Cons
- Standard 2.9% rate higher than dedicated card processors
- Focused on online; in-person offering is limited in Australia
About PayPal
PayPal offers Australian merchants online checkout, Pay in 4 buy-now-pay-later, and a virtual terminal. Standard commercial rate is 2.9% plus 30c for domestic transactions; lower rates apply to Advanced Card Payments and QR-code transactions.
PayPal was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Jose, USA.
How PayPal compares
Side-by-side with the closest alternatives by estimated monthly cost.
Zeller
$633/mo est.
- In-person rate
- 1.4%
- Online rate
- 1.7% + $0.25
- Monthly fee
- Free
- Terminal cost
- From $99
- Contract length
- No lock-in
- Settlement time
- Next business day
- Est. monthly cost
- $633/mo
Stripe
$723/mo est.
- In-person rate
- 1.7% + $0.30
- Online rate
- 1.7% + $0.30
- Monthly fee
- Free
- Terminal cost
- Hardware quoted
- Contract length
- No lock-in
- Settlement time
- Standard payouts
- Est. monthly cost
- $723/mo
Square
$757/mo est.
- In-person rate
- 1.6%
- Online rate
- 2.2%
- Monthly fee
- Free
- Terminal cost
- $65
- Contract length
- No lock-in
- Settlement time
- Next day
- Est. monthly cost
- $757/mo
Common questions about PayPal
The same questions Australian merchants ask before signing up.
PayPal charges in-person transactions at Limited in AU and online transactions at 2.9% + 30c for Australian merchants. Compare these rates against other providers on our payment-providers comparison page.
PayPal does not require a lock-in contract for Australian merchants. You can switch providers at any time without an exit fee.
PayPal settles funds on a standard payouts schedule for Australian merchants. Settlement timing can be a deciding factor for cash flow, see how it compares on our payment-providers comparison page.
PayPal accepts AMEX in Australia at 2.9% + 30c. Some providers price AMEX higher than Visa and Mastercard, so check the comparison before signing on.
PayPal does not advertise least-cost routing for Australian merchants. If you take a lot of contactless debit, compare against providers that do support it on our comparison page.
PayPal is best suited to online stores that need a recognisable consumer-facing checkout brand alongside other payment methods. To see how it stacks up for your specific volume and card mix, try our free fee calculator.
We may earn a commission when you click through to PayPal and sign up, where a commercial arrangement is in place. This never affects ranking, the data we publish, or the comparisons we make on this page. Read our terms for the full picture.
Compare PayPal
Compare PayPal against every other Australian provider on price, contract terms, and features.