The trick to avoiding PayPal fees on private transfers is one that PayPal mentions, albeit quietly, on their site. You are allowed to have two PayPal accounts, as long as they are linked to different email addresses and different bank accounts. This is done to allow people to keep business and personal stuff separate. Any account that accepts credit cards is considered a business account (don't remember the precise nomenclature, but it's something to that effect) and fees will be collected on *ALL* transfers going into it. If you prohibit credit card payments on your personal account, it's fee-free.