There are many ways that you can receive money online. But what Paypal and other fees can authors and bloggers expect to pay?
If you are an author or blogger, you will be paid for your book sales royalties, website advertising, or affiliate marketing programs.
When you sign up for publishing platforms such as Amazon Kindle Direct (KDP), Google Play, Smashwords, or Draft2Digital, each one will advise you of its payment method options.
For advertising services like Google Adsense, you will be informed about how you will receive payments when you register. It is the same for any affiliate marketing programs you might join.
Free of fees
The good news for authors and bloggers is that, in most cases, you will not be charged any processing fees.
This applies equally to Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), which will transfer funds directly to your bank account and PayPal payments.
All payment services charge a fee when processing payments for any transaction amount.
But it is generally paid by the company sending money to you.
In these cases, there is usually no fee for you to pay to receive your payment by EFT or money from PayPal.
If you are in doubt, you can check your transactions, and if there are any fees, they will be noted in your transaction details.
However, it is essential that you carefully check how you will be paid by each service provider when you sign up.
You may have to supply your bank account details or open a PayPal account if you do not already have one.
If you elect to or have no choice other than to receive your payments by check (cheque), your bank will definitely charge a clearing fee.
These fees range widely between banks and countries.
Payment options for authors and bloggers
Payment method or methods offered by the most popular services:
Self-Publishing Services
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) – EFT, Wire Transfer, and Check
Smashwords – Check (the US only) and Paypal
Draft2Digital – Check, EFT, Paypal, and Payoneer
Google Play Books – EFT
Advertising Services
Google Adsense – EFT
Media.net – Payoneer only
Chitika – Payoneer only
Clickbank – Check only
Affiliate Programs
Amazon Associates – EFT (the US and Europe) and Check (Most international payments)
ShareASale – EFT
Viglink – Paypal
Individual and company direct affiliate programs – Generally, PayPal
PayPal fees for authors and bloggers
You will only have to consider if you need to pay PayPal seller fees if you sell goods or services directly to a customer.
However, for bloggers, fees will apply if you sell sponsored or advertorial content on your site or sell services such as editing or proofreading.
For monetized blogs like these, you might have a Paypal button on your site to accept payment by Paypal, credit cards, or debit cards.
Or you send your client a Paypal invoice. In either case, there will be a fee for each transaction, but there will be no fee for your customer.
When you receive a payment, check your Paypal account. Click on a transaction, and you will see the fees at the bottom of the details page.
Your PayPal balance will show the payment, less the fees.
How can I calculate my Paypal fees?
There are two basic Paypal fee scales with fixed fees and percentage deductions.
For sales within the US, 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
For international sales, a 4.4% transaction fee plus a fixed fee based on the currency received.
When you send or receive money to a friend or family member in the same county, there is usually no fee if you use your PayPal balance or bank account.
However, if you transfer money by credit or debit card or Paypal credit, you will pay 2.9% plus a fixed fee.
But if you are unsure, you can check the PayPal Fee page. Alternatively, you could use an online Paypal fee calculator.
Conclusion
Most self-publishing authors don’t need to worry about paying Paypal transaction fees on personal accounts.
The publishing service that pays your book sales royalties will cover all fees. However, currency conversion fees may apply, depending on your location.
You usually won’t have to pay fees if you choose EFT or Paypal.
However, if you have no choice but to receive payment by paper check, you will certainly have to pay bank fees. Check with your bank and ask what it charges.
Also, check if you select Payoneer to receive your payments. There can be a small transaction charge depending on your country or currency.
Most pro bloggers prefer to use Paypal because sending and receiving money is efficient and convenient, and it also makes it so easy for any international transaction.
It makes paying for plugins, themes, and software subscriptions simple. At the same time, it is also the best way to receive payments for your services.
With a linked bank account, using your PayPal balance or bank account to pay bills or withdraw money makes managing your payments and receipts very easy.
But there will be fees when you receive money as a seller. Perhaps it is a small price to pay for convenience.
Related Reading: The Cost Of Editing A Book Is Far Too Expensive For Me
