FAQ / Frequently Asked Questions
Payment gateway fees, explained
Everything you need to know about processing fees, hidden FX markups, reverse invoicing and how PayUtility keeps your data in your browser.
How accurate is the PayUtility fee calculator?
PayUtility computes fees using the current published rate cards for PayPal, Stripe, Wise, Payoneer and bank wire transfers, then applies your country preset and live mid-market exchange rates. Results are estimates and always worth confirming against your gateway's latest pricing page, but the math matches the published percentages exactly.
What is the hidden FX conversion markup?
Most gateways quote a 'currency conversion fee' of 3–4.5% that is baked into the exchange rate you receive, not listed as a line item. PayPal commonly converts around 3.9% above the mid-market rate, Stripe around 1%, while Wise converts at roughly 0.43%. On large cross-currency payments this hidden spread can silently cost hundreds of dollars.
Is my financial data sent to a server?
No. Every calculation runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your amounts never leave your device. The only network request is a direct call to a public exchange-rate API so you get live mid-market rates instead of stale ones.
How does the forward fee calculator work?
You enter the gross amount your client pays, pick a country preset and a gateway. PayUtility applies the gateway's percentage fee, fixed transaction fee, and any currency conversion spread, then shows the exact net amount that lands in your account — plus a full line-by-line breakdown.
What is the reverse invoice calculator for?
It answers the question 'how much should I invoice to keep exactly $X?'. You tell it the net amount you want to receive, and it returns the gross invoice total that covers processing fees, fixed costs and FX markup so your margin stays intact.
Does the PDF invoice builder work offline?
Yes. The invoice is generated on your device with jsPDF, so you can build and download professional PDF invoices with a Processing Fee Buffer line item entirely in the browser — no upload, no account, no server round-trip.
Which country presets are supported?
United States, India, United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, Australia and Global/cross-border. Each preset applies the correct percentage fee, fixed fee and cross-border FX rules for that corridor, including India's higher 4.4% cross-border rate.
Is PayUtility free?
Yes. All four modules — the forward calculator, reverse calculator, FX spread inspector and PDF invoice builder — are free to use with no sign-up required.