How to Use the Escrow.com Fee Calculator
This calculator estimates Escrow.com fees for secure online transactions across five major currencies. It accounts for tiered percentage rates, minimum fees, payment method surcharges, international wire fees, and fee splitting between buyer and seller.
Selecting Your Currency
Open the Currency combobox and type to search through five supported currencies. Each option shows the currency name with its symbol:
- US Dollar ($): Full payment method support
- Australian Dollar (A$): Wire, Credit Card, and PayPal
- Euro (€): Wire and Credit Card only
- British Pound (£): Wire and Credit Card only
- Canadian Dollar (C$): Wire Transfer only
Your choice determines which payment methods appear in the dropdown. If you switch currencies after selecting a payment method, the payment method resets automatically to ensure compatibility.
Choosing a Service Level
Select a service level from the dropdown:
- Standard Service: Lower fees from 2.6% down to 0.7% based on transaction size
- Concierge Service: Higher fees from 5.2% down to 1.4% with premium support and dedicated handling
Standard Service works best for routine transactions. Concierge Service works best for high-value or complex transactions. Concierge fees are exactly double Standard fees at every tier.
Choosing a Payment Method
Available payment methods depend on your selected currency, with details from Escrow.com's payment options:
- Wire Transfer: No processing fee, available for all five currencies
- Credit Card: 3.05% processing fee, available for USD, AUD, EUR, and GBP
- PayPal: 3.05% processing fee, available for USD and AUD only
- Check/Money Order: No processing fee, USD only
Who Pays the Fee
Choose how the escrow fee is distributed:
- Buyer Pays: Buyer absorbs the full fee (added to their cost)
- Seller Pays: Seller absorbs the full fee (deducted from proceeds)
- Split 50/50: Buyer and seller each pay half, shown in the breakdown table
International Wire Transfer
Check this box if the buyer is paying from outside the currency's home country. A surcharge applies for USD ($25), AUD ($25), and GBP (£25) transactions. No surcharge for EUR or CAD.
Calculation Modes
The calculator has three tabs. Results are preserved when you switch tabs, so you can compare different modes without re-entering data.
Calculate Fee
Enter a transaction amount to see the total Escrow.com fee and what the seller actually receives.
Example: A $10,000 USD sale on Standard Service via Wire Transfer, seller pays fee:
- Fee tier: $5,000.01–$50,000 at 2.4% (Tier 2)
- Percentage fee: 2.4% of $10,000 = $240
- Minimum fee: $130
- Base escrow fee: $240 (percentage governs)
- Processing fee: $0 (wire)
- Total Escrow fee: $240
- Seller receives: $9,760
How it works: The calculator finds the single fee tier that matches your transaction amount, then takes the greater of the tier's percentage fee or minimum fee. For Credit Card or PayPal, a 3.05% processing fee is calculated on the transaction amount plus the base escrow fee. For international wires, the currency-specific surcharge is added.
Amount to Send
Enter the amount you want the recipient to receive after all fees. The calculator uses iterative approximation to find the gross transaction amount needed, accounting for the tiered fee structure.
Example: You want a seller to receive exactly $50,000 on Standard Service via Wire Transfer, seller pays:
- Fee tier: $50,000.01–$200,000 at 1.9% with $1,200 minimum (Tier 3)
- Required transaction amount: $51,200
- Base escrow fee: $1,200 (minimum applies)
- Seller receives: $50,000
How it works: Because the fee depends on which tier the final amount falls into, there is no closed-form formula. The calculator iteratively estimates the send amount, calculates the fee, and adjusts until the received amount matches your desired amount within $0.01.
You Receive
Enter the transaction amount to see what remains after Escrow.com deducts all fees.
Example: A $100,000 transaction on Standard Service via Credit Card, seller pays:
- Fee tier: $50,000.01–$200,000 at 1.9% with $1,200 minimum (Tier 3)
- Percentage fee: 1.9% of $100,000 = $1,900
- Base escrow fee: $1,900 (percentage governs)
- Processing fee: 3.05% of ($100,000 + $1,900) = $3,107.95
- Total fee: $5,007.95
- Seller receives: $94,992.05
Fee Breakdown Table
After each calculation, a detailed breakdown table appears below the result showing:
| Item | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Service Level | Standard or Concierge |
| Currency | The selected currency symbol |
| Transaction Amount | The input amount (transaction, desired, or send amount) |
| Payment Method | Selected method |
| Who Pays Fee | Buyer, Seller, or Split 50/50 |
| International Wire | Yes if surcharge applies |
| Fee Tier | The tier range your amount falls into |
| Percentage Rate | The tier's percentage rate |
| Minimum Fee | Tier minimum, marked "(Applied)" when it overrides the percentage |
| Base Escrow Fee | The core escrow fee |
| Processing Fee | 3.05% surcharge for Credit Card or PayPal, calculated on amount plus base fee |
| International Wire Fee | Cross-border surcharge if applicable |
| Total Fee | Complete fee in red |
| Buyer Pays / Seller Pays | Individual shares when split 50/50 |
| You Receive / Amount to Send | Final amount in green |
Tiered Fee Structure
Escrow.com uses nine transaction amount tiers, with rates drawn from Escrow.com's official fee calculator. The fee is the greater of the percentage or the minimum:
| Tier | Amount Range | Standard Rate | Standard Min | Concierge Rate | Concierge Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0–$5,000 | 2.6% | $50 | 5.2% | $100 |
| 2 | $5,000.01–$50,000 | 2.4% | $130 | 4.8% | $260 |
| 3 | $50,000.01–$200,000 | 1.9% | $1,200 | 3.8% | $2,400 |
| 4 | $200,000.01–$500,000 | 1.5% | $3,800 | 3.0% | $7,600 |
| 5 | $500,000.01–$1,000,000 | 1.2% | $7,500 | 2.4% | $15,000 |
| 6 | $1,000,000.01–$3,000,000 | 1.0% | $12,000 | 2.0% | $24,000 |
| 7 | $3,000,000.01–$5,000,000 | 0.95% | $30,000 | 1.9% | $57,000 |
| 8 | $5,000,000.01–$10,000,000 | 0.9% | $47,500 | 1.8% | $90,000 |
| 9 | $10,000,000.01+ | 0.7% | Enquire | 1.4% | $140,000 |
The calculator finds the single tier that contains your transaction amount and applies that tier's rate to the entire amount. At lower amounts the percentage usually governs. At higher amounts within a tier, the minimum fee often overrides the percentage calculation. The breakdown table flags when the minimum applies.
Payment Method Availability by Currency
| Currency | Wire | Credit Card | PayPal | Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | Yes | Yes (3.05%) | Yes (3.05%) | Yes |
| AUD | Yes | Yes (3.05%) | Yes (3.05%) | No |
| EUR | Yes | Yes (3.05%) | No | No |
| GBP | Yes | Yes (3.05%) | No | No |
| CAD | Yes | No | No | No |
Precision and Notation Settings
Use the settings bar above the tabs to control how results display:
- Decimal places: Adjust from 0 to 16 decimal places (default is 8)
- Notation: Switch between auto, fixed, exponential, and engineering notation (default is auto)
Your decimal places and notation settings save to your browser automatically. When you return to this calculator, your last chosen format loads without needing to adjust it again.
Common Use Cases
Comparing Service Levels
Before choosing, compare Standard versus Concierge on a typical transaction:
- Select Calculate Fee
- Enter a representative amount
- Try Standard Service, then Concierge Service
- Concierge will always be exactly double the Standard fee
Budgeting for a Vehicle Purchase
You are buying a $35,000 car through Escrow.com in USD:
- Select Calculate Fee
- Enter 35000
- Choose Standard Service and Wire Transfer
- See the fee and decide whether to split it with the seller
Sending an Exact Amount
You need a freelancer to receive exactly $5,000 net:
- Select Amount to Send
- Enter 5000 as the desired amount
- Choose currency, Standard Service, and Wire Transfer
- The calculator shows the exact gross transaction amount
Evaluating Credit Card vs Wire
A $25,000 transaction on Standard Service:
- Wire Transfer: fee ~$600, no processing fee
- Credit Card: fee ~$600 + processing fee ~$781 = ~$1,381 total
- The 3.05% processing fee more than doubles the total cost
Tips for Accurate Results
- Pick the correct currency first: Payment methods filter based on currency selection
- Use Wire Transfer to avoid processing fees: Credit Card and PayPal add 3.05% on top of the base fee
- Watch the minimum fee: The minimum often exceeds the percentage at higher tiers
- Use Split 50/50 for fairness: Both parties see exactly what they pay in the breakdown table
- International Wire only applies to buyer location: Check this when the buyer is outside the currency's home country
- Tier 9 ($10M+) Standard has no fixed minimum: The source displays "Enquire for quotation" for large Standard transactions
Troubleshooting
Please enter valid numbers
This appears when the input contains non-numeric characters. Enter a valid number without currency symbols or commas.
Values must be positive
All amounts must be greater than zero. Enter a positive number.
Amount too small to cover fees
This appears when the combined escrow fee, processing fee, and wire fee exceed the transaction amount. Enter a larger value.
Payment method disappears after switching currency
This is expected. When you change currencies, payment methods that are unavailable in the new currency are removed. Simply reselect a valid payment method.
Results do not match Escrow.com's calculator
Rates change and Escrow.com occasionally updates pricing. This calculator uses the latest verified rates from Escrow.com's official fee calculator. If you see a discrepancy, verify your currency, service level, and payment method selections match the transaction details.