What PayPal has shown on monitored routes
A win requires a completed, non-promotional quote at the same sending amount. Converter rates and modelled bank prices remain useful evidence, though neither is allowed to wear the winner's badge.
Where PayPal makes sense
- Best for
- Payments where PayPal acceptance, buyer tools or an existing PayPal balance matter more than the cheapest FX.
- Less suitable for
- Pure international bank transfers chosen mainly on rate.
- Where the rate cost sits
- PayPal sets a transaction exchange rate that includes a currency-conversion fee retained by PayPal.
- What the fee tells you
- Depends on personal or commercial use, funding, receiving market and currency conversion.
- Delivery
- Often immediate to the recipient's PayPal balance, with separate withdrawal timing to a bank.
- Access
- Digital wallet, personal payments, merchant checkout and international services.
How PayPal's quote can flatter or disappoint
PayPal solves an acceptance problem, not just a transfer problem. A recipient may already invoice through PayPal or need its checkout ecosystem. That convenience can justify a higher cost for a commercial payment.
For a straightforward family bank transfer, the pricing deserves close attention. PayPal's own help centre confirms that the transaction exchange rate includes a retained conversion fee. The recipient may then need to withdraw the balance, adding another step.
Our comparison records PayPal as indicative when the number comes from a public comparison rather than a complete transferable quote. It should not be ranked ahead of a verified offer on that basis.
Where it works well
- Very familiar recipient experience
- Fast PayPal-to-PayPal balance movement
- Merchant and purchase ecosystem
Where the value thins out
- Conversion margin can be substantial
- Personal and commercial fee rules differ
- A PayPal balance is not the same as money in the recipient's bank
The latest PayPal figures we can reproduce
Each row is the newest record for that route. The receipt shows the provider screen or calculation behind it, including the time we saw it.
| Route | Sent | Visible fee | Amount delivered | Against the best completed quote | Receipt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia → United Statesbank transfer · bank deposit | A$1,500.00 | A$5.99 | US$1,020.26Rate 0.682901 | Non-standard evidence, not ranked | Open receipt16 Sept 2026, 09:47 UTC |
| Germany → United Kingdombank transfer · bank deposit | €850.00 | €3.99 | £693.84Rate 0.820137 | Non-standard evidence, not ranked | Open receipt16 Sept 2026, 09:46 UTC |
| United Kingdom → Indiabank transfer · bank deposit | £200.00 | £2.99 | ₹24,323Rate 123.459544 | Non-standard evidence, not ranked | Open receipt16 Sept 2026, 09:46 UTC |
| New Zealand → United Kingdombank transfer · bank deposit | NZ$1,650.00 | NZ$6.99 | £671.36Rate 0.408615 | Non-standard evidence, not ranked | Open receipt16 Sept 2026, 09:46 UTC |
| United Kingdom → Philippinesbank transfer · bank deposit | £200.00 | £2.99 | ₱15,950Rate 80.958777 | Non-standard evidence, not ranked | Open receipt16 Sept 2026, 09:45 UTC |
| United Kingdom → Hong Kongbank transfer · bank deposit | £200.00 | £2.99 | HK$1,996.79Rate 10.135498 | Non-standard evidence, not ranked | Open receipt16 Sept 2026, 09:45 UTC |
| United States → Canadabank transfer · bank deposit | US$1,000.00 | US$4.99 | CA$1,327.18Rate 1.333834 | Non-standard evidence, not ranked | Open receipt16 Sept 2026, 09:45 UTC |
| Singapore → United Kingdombank transfer · bank deposit | SGD 1,280.00 | SGD 6.35 | £710.25Rate 0.557653 | Non-standard evidence, not ranked | Open receipt16 Sept 2026, 09:45 UTC |
| United Kingdom → New Zealandbank transfer · bank deposit | £200.00 | £2.99 | NZ$438.86Rate 2.227614 | Non-standard evidence, not ranked | Open receipt16 Sept 2026, 09:44 UTC |
| United Kingdom → Switzerlandbank transfer · bank deposit | £200.00 | £2.99 | CHF 207.86Rate 1.055049 | Non-standard evidence, not ranked | Open receipt16 Sept 2026, 09:44 UTC |
| Spain → United Kingdombank transfer · bank deposit | €850.00 | €1.99 | £695.48Rate 0.820137 | Non-standard evidence, not ranked | Open receipt16 Sept 2026, 09:44 UTC |
| New Zealand → Australiabank transfer · bank deposit | NZ$1,650.00 | NZ$6.99 | A$1,269.76Rate 0.772826 | Non-standard evidence, not ranked | Open receipt16 Sept 2026, 09:43 UTC |
| Switzerland → United Kingdombank transfer · bank deposit | CHF 800.00 | CHF 4.99 | £688.70Rate 0.866278 | Non-standard evidence, not ranked | Open receipt16 Sept 2026, 09:43 UTC |
| Hong Kong → United Kingdombank transfer · bank deposit | HK$7,800.00 | HK$38.99 | £702.84Rate 0.090561 | Non-standard evidence, not ranked | Open receipt16 Sept 2026, 09:42 UTC |
| United Kingdom → United Arab Emiratesbank transfer · bank deposit | £200.00 | £2.99 | AED 934.97Rate 4.745802 | Non-standard evidence, not ranked | Open receipt16 Sept 2026, 09:42 UTC |
| United Kingdom → Singaporebank transfer · bank deposit | £200.00 | £2.99 | SGD 322.03Rate 1.6346 | Non-standard evidence, not ranked | Open receipt16 Sept 2026, 09:42 UTC |
| United States → Australiabank transfer · bank deposit | US$1,000.00 | US$4.99 | A$1,335.78Rate 1.342479 | Non-standard evidence, not ranked | Open receipt16 Sept 2026, 09:41 UTC |
| France → United Kingdombank transfer · bank deposit | €850.00 | €3.99 | £693.84Rate 0.820137 | Non-standard evidence, not ranked | Open receipt16 Sept 2026, 09:40 UTC |
What to price beside PayPal
Xoom adds cash and bank delivery to a PayPal-linked remittance service. The final price depends heavily on how the customer pays and how the recipient collects, so zero-fee examples need reading carefully.
Read the Xoom rate review →Wise remains the cleanest yardstick for an ordinary bank transfer. It uses the mid-market rate and places its charge in view, so there is less detective work between the advertised rate and the amount delivered.
Read the Wise rate review →Revolut can be very good value for an existing customer exchanging within the plan allowance. Go beyond that allowance, or exchange at the weekend, and the apparently simple price develops rather more moving parts.
Read the Revolut rate review →PayPal's own pricing documents
These pages describe the published terms. The corridor table is gathered separately, so a provider's explanation never substitutes for the quote it gives us.
- UK consumer fee schedulePayPal
- How PayPal sets its exchange ratePayPal Help