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How to Accept International Donations With PayPal

Use PayPal’s Donate Button to collect donations online, but check the fee schedule for your organization’s account market and verify charity approval before estimating proceeds.
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To accept donations from supporters abroad, set up PayPal’s Donate Button, place it on your organization’s website, and confirm that your organization’s PayPal account can receive funds in its home market. Before promising a net amount, check the fee schedule for that market: PayPal’s international charges depend on both the recipient account market and the donor’s account market, and currency conversion can further affect proceeds.

Set up PayPal donations for your organization

  1. Identify the receiving account’s market. Use the country or region where the organization’s PayPal account is registered when looking up fees and receiving eligibility. PayPal says international transaction status is based on the sender’s and recipient’s registered or identified account markets; a donor’s apparent location alone may not determine the charge. Some markets may be grouped for fee purposes. See PayPal’s US setup guidance and the applicable market’s fee schedule.
  2. Create a Donate Button and add it to your website. PayPal’s US help page describes setting up the button and integrating it into a site. Donors complete payment on PayPal. The page also describes optional recurring monthly donations and a button optimized for mobile. PayPal says button payments have no monthly or setup fee; processing fees still apply when a donation is received.
  3. Complete charity confirmation, if applicable. PayPal’s US guidance says it may link a charity bank account or request evidence of legal registration and proof that the account holder represents the organization. Charity pricing is not automatic: the US and UK schedules require eligibility, an application, and PayPal preapproval. Confirm approval before budgeting at a discounted rate; requirements can differ by market.
  4. Check the full fee calculation before publishing a net estimate. Determine whether each donation is domestic or international under PayPal’s account-market rules, then check the domestic rate, any international surcharge, the fixed fee for the currency received, and applicable conversion costs.
  5. Describe the payment route clearly to donors. Explain that the organization accepts donations through PayPal and link to the button. Do not suggest PayPal absorbs fees on a direct gift to the organization. PayPal’s separate statement that fees are covered applies to donations through PayPal Giving Fund, subject to its terms; PayPal says funds can take up to 45 days to reach the selected charity.

How international PayPal donation fees work

There is no single worldwide international donation rate. The receiving organization’s account market determines which fee schedule to consult, and the donor’s account market helps determine whether the transaction is international. The fixed fee depends on the currency received, and conversion can affect the final amount credited. The figures below are published examples from specific market schedules, not a quote for every nonprofit or donor.

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United States account example

PayPal’s US fee page, last updated October 1, 2026, lists a standard domestic rate of 2.89% plus a fixed fee for Donate Button and PayPal Checkout for Donations, with an additional 1.50% for international donations. For USD received, the listed fixed fee is $0.49. For eligible, preapproved US charity transactions, the page lists 1.99% plus the fixed fee domestically, with an additional 1.50% for international charity transactions. These rates apply to the US schedule, not to accounts based elsewhere. Check PayPal’s US merchant fee schedule for current terms.

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United Kingdom account example

PayPal’s UK schedule, accessed October 3, 2026, lists a standard domestic donation rate of 2.9% plus a fixed fee. Its international surcharge is 1.29% for senders in the EEA and 1.99% for senders in other markets. For domestic UK charity transactions after approval, the listed rate is 1.4% plus a fixed fee; the international surcharge applies to that domestic charity fee for international charity donations. Check PayPal’s UK merchant fee schedule for applicable details.

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Estimate proceeds using the recipient’s schedule

For a useful estimate, identify the receiving account market, the donor’s account market, the currency that will be received, and whether the organization has been approved for charity pricing. Apply the relevant percentage and fixed fee, then account for any currency conversion. Rates can change: PayPal’s cited US page was last updated October 1, 2026, and the UK pages were accessed October 3, 2026. Check the active schedule and conversion terms in the organization’s own PayPal market before quoting proceeds.

What to verify before relying on international donations

  • Receiving eligibility: The reviewed PayPal material does not guarantee that every organization can receive donations from every country. Check the local PayPal policy for the organization’s account market.
  • Charity status: Do not advertise a discounted fee until PayPal confirms the organization’s eligibility and preapproves its application.
  • Donation method: The cited donation rates refer to the listed Donate Button or PayPal Checkout for Donations methods. Other PayPal services may have different rates.
  • Currency and conversion: A percentage rate alone does not establish the net amount. Check the received-currency fixed fee and conversion terms.
  • Giving Fund distinction: PayPal Giving Fund is a separate donation route with its own terms and timing; its fee statement should not be applied to direct PayPal button donations.

Common questions and fixes

The charity rate does not appear

Check whether the account has completed charity confirmation and whether PayPal has approved the application. Until approval is confirmed, estimate using the standard rate for the account’s market.

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A donation from another country appears to have a different fee

Compare the sender’s and recipient’s registered or identified account markets, not just the donor’s physical location. Then check whether PayPal groups either market for fee calculation, which currency was received, and whether conversion occurred.

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The amount received is lower than the donation amount

Review the applicable transaction percentage, fixed fee for the received currency, and any conversion cost. Use the receiving account market’s current schedule rather than a fee example from another country.

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Donors ask whether PayPal covers the fee

For direct donations through the organization’s button, PayPal says processing fees apply when a donation is received. Its fee-coverage statement concerns PayPal Giving Fund and is subject to that service’s terms.

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