The Quick Answer
Shopify charges a monthly subscription fee plus per-transaction payment processing fees, and may add an extra transaction fee of 0.5-2% if you use a third-party payment gateway instead of Shopify Payments.
The three main Shopify plans for most sellers are Basic ($39/month), Shopify ($105/month), and Advanced ($399/month). Each tier has different credit card processing rates and features. Payment processing fees apply to every sale and range from 2.5% + $0.30 to 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction, depending on your plan.
Understanding the full fee structure is essential for pricing products, forecasting margins, and deciding which plan makes financial sense for your volume.
Plan Pricing and Fee Structure
As of early 2026, here are the core Shopify plans for independent sellers (prices approximate -- check the official Shopify pricing page for current rates):
| Feature | Basic ($39/mo) | Shopify ($105/mo) | Advanced ($399/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online credit card rate (US) | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.7% + $0.30 | 2.5% + $0.30 |
| In-person card rate | 2.6% + $0.10 | 2.5% + $0.10 | 2.4% + $0.10 |
| Third-party transaction fee | 2.0% | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Staff accounts | 2 | 5 | 15 |
| Shipping discount | Up to 77% | Up to 88% | Up to 88% |
| Reports | Basic | Standard | Advanced |
Key point: The third-party transaction fee applies only if you use a payment gateway other than Shopify Payments. If you use Shopify Payments (powered by Stripe), you pay only the credit card processing rate with no additional transaction fee. This makes Shopify Payments the default choice for most sellers.
Worked Example 1: Fee Calculation on a Single Sale
A seller on the Basic plan sells a product for $50 using Shopify Payments:
Credit card fee = (2.9% x $50) + $0.30
= $1.45 + $0.30
= $1.75
Net after fees = $50.00 - $1.75 = $48.25
Effective fee rate = $1.75 / $50.00 = 3.5%
Result: On a $50 sale, Shopify Payments takes $1.75, leaving $48.25 before cost of goods sold (COGS) and other expenses. The effective rate of 3.5% is higher than the stated 2.9% because the fixed $0.30 per transaction adds up, especially on lower-priced items.
How the $0.30 Fixed Fee Affects Smaller Sales
The fixed $0.30 component hits harder on cheaper products:
| Sale Price | Percentage Fee (2.9%) | Fixed Fee | Total Fee | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $0.29 | $0.30 | $0.59 | 5.9% |
| $25 | $0.73 | $0.30 | $1.03 | 4.1% |
| $50 | $1.45 | $0.30 | $1.75 | 3.5% |
| $100 | $2.90 | $0.30 | $3.20 | 3.2% |
| $200 | $5.80 | $0.30 | $6.10 | 3.1% |
For products under $15, the effective fee rate exceeds 5%. This is an important consideration for stores selling low-priced items -- the fixed fee eats a larger share of each sale.
Worked Example 2: Basic vs. Shopify Plan at $10,000/Month
At higher volumes, the lower processing rates on the Shopify plan can offset its higher monthly subscription. Compare total costs for a store doing $10,000/month in online sales with an average order value of $50 (200 orders/month):
Basic Plan ($39/month):
Monthly subscription = $39
Processing fees = 200 x ($50 x 0.029 + $0.30) = 200 x $1.75 = $350
Total monthly cost = $39 + $350 = $389
Shopify Plan ($105/month):
Monthly subscription = $105
Processing fees = 200 x ($50 x 0.027 + $0.30) = 200 x $1.65 = $330
Total monthly cost = $105 + $330 = $435
Result: At $10,000/month, the Basic plan is $46 cheaper. The Shopify plan's lower processing rate saves $20/month in fees, but the $66/month higher subscription more than offsets it.
Break-Even on Plan Upgrade (Basic to Shopify)
The Shopify plan saves 0.2 percentage points on credit card processing (2.7% vs. 2.9%). The extra subscription cost is $105 - $39 = $66/month.
Break-even monthly revenue = $66 / 0.002 = $33,000
At $33,000/month in sales, the savings from the lower processing rate exactly cover the higher subscription cost. Above this threshold, the Shopify plan saves money. Below it, Basic is cheaper.
For the Advanced plan upgrade (from Shopify):
Extra cost = $399 - $105 = $294/month
Rate savings = 0.2% (2.5% vs 2.7%)
Break-even = $294 / 0.002 = $147,000/month
The Advanced plan breaks even at $147,000/month in sales -- roughly $1.76 million annually.
Worked Example 3: Full Profit Calculation
A seller on the Basic plan sells a handmade candle for $38. Here is the complete cost breakdown:
| Cost Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Selling price | $38.00 |
| COGS (wax, wick, jar, fragrance, label) | $9.50 |
| Shipping cost (paid by seller) | $5.80 |
| Shopify Payments fee (2.9% + $0.30) | $1.40 |
| Packaging materials | $1.20 |
| Total costs per unit | $17.90 |
Profit per sale = $38.00 - $17.90 = $20.10
Profit margin = $20.10 / $38.00 = 52.9%
Now allocate the monthly subscription. If the seller averages 150 orders/month:
Subscription per order = $39 / 150 = $0.26
Adjusted profit per sale = $20.10 - $0.26 = $19.84
Adjusted margin = $19.84 / $38.00 = 52.2%
Result: After all Shopify fees and product costs, the seller earns $19.84 per candle with a 52.2% margin. The monthly subscription adds less than $0.30 per order at this volume.
Third-Party Gateway: The Extra Fee
If you use a payment gateway other than Shopify Payments (such as Stripe directly, Authorize.net, or PayPal as the primary processor), Shopify adds its own transaction fee on top of whatever your gateway charges:
| Plan | Third-Party Fee |
|---|---|
| Basic | 2.0% |
| Shopify | 1.0% |
| Advanced | 0.6% |
On a $50 sale using Basic with a third-party gateway charging 2.9% + $0.30:
Gateway fee = $1.75
Shopify's additional fee = 2.0% x $50 = $1.00
Total fees = $1.75 + $1.00 = $2.75
Effective rate = 5.5%
That is a 5.5% effective rate -- substantially higher than the 3.5% with Shopify Payments. This is why the vast majority of Shopify sellers use Shopify Payments. The only common exception is sellers in countries where Shopify Payments is not available.
Additional Costs to Budget For
Beyond the plan and transaction fees, a realistic Shopify budget includes:
Apps
Most stores install 5-15 apps for functionality like email marketing, reviews, upsells, and inventory management. Common costs:
| App Category | Typical Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| Email marketing (Klaviyo, Omnisend) | $0-$50 |
| Reviews (Judge.me, Loox) | $0-$15 |
| SEO tools | $0-$30 |
| Upsell / cross-sell | $10-$30 |
| Inventory management | $0-$50 |
| Typical total | $30-$150/month |
Many apps offer free tiers for small stores.
Theme
Shopify includes free themes. Premium themes from the Shopify Theme Store cost $180-$400 as a one-time purchase. Third-party theme marketplaces may charge more.
Domain
A custom domain costs $14-$20/year through Shopify or a registrar like Namecheap or Google Domains.
Shipping Labels
If you use Shopify Shipping to buy and print labels, the discounted rates (up to 77-88% off carrier rates depending on plan) are deducted from your Shopify Payments balance. This is not an extra fee -- it is the actual shipping cost, just discounted.
Total Cost Summary by Volume
Here is what a typical Shopify store costs at different revenue levels, using the Basic plan with Shopify Payments and moderate app usage:
| Monthly Revenue | Plan | Processing Fees | Apps (est.) | Total Monthly Cost | Cost as % of Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | $39 | ~$35 | $50 | $124 | 12.4% |
| $5,000 | $39 | ~$175 | $75 | $289 | 5.8% |
| $10,000 | $39 | ~$350 | $100 | $489 | 4.9% |
| $25,000 | $39 | ~$875 | $100 | $1,014 | 4.1% |
| $50,000 | $105 | ~$1,650 | $125 | $1,880 | 3.8% |
At low volumes, the fixed costs (plan + apps) represent a larger share. As volume grows, per-transaction fees dominate and the fixed costs become negligible as a percentage of revenue.
FAQ
How much does Shopify take per sale?
On the Basic plan using Shopify Payments, Shopify charges 2.9% + $0.30 per online credit card transaction. On a $50 sale, that is $1.75, or an effective rate of 3.5%. If you use a third-party payment gateway instead of Shopify Payments, there is an additional 2% transaction fee on top of whatever your gateway charges.
Is Shopify Payments cheaper than using a third-party gateway?
Almost always yes. With Shopify Payments, you pay only the credit card processing rate (2.5-2.9% + $0.30 depending on plan). With a third-party gateway, you pay the gateway's own processing fee plus Shopify's additional transaction fee of 0.6-2%. The only scenario where a third-party gateway might be cheaper is if you have negotiated very low processing rates at high volume.
When should I upgrade from Basic to the Shopify plan?
The Shopify plan ($105/month) saves 0.2% on credit card rates compared to Basic ($39/month). The extra $66/month in subscription cost breaks even at about $33,000/month in revenue. If your monthly sales consistently exceed $33,000, upgrading saves money. The plan also includes better shipping discounts and additional staff accounts.
What is the total cost of running a Shopify store?
Total costs include the monthly plan ($39-$399), payment processing fees (2.5-2.9% + $0.30 per transaction), apps ($0-$200+/month for common apps), a custom theme ($0-$400 one-time), domain name ($14-$20/year), and potentially shipping label costs. A typical small store on Basic with moderate app usage spends $80-$150/month in fixed costs plus per-transaction fees.
Does Shopify charge fees on shipping?
Shopify's payment processing percentage applies to the entire transaction amount, which includes shipping charges collected from the customer. If a customer pays $50 for a product plus $8 for shipping, the 2.9% + $0.30 fee applies to the full $58. Shopify does not add a separate fee specifically for shipping.
What are Shopify's third-party transaction fees?
If you use a payment gateway other than Shopify Payments, Shopify charges an additional fee per transaction: 2% on Basic, 1% on Shopify, and 0.6% on Advanced. This is on top of whatever your payment gateway charges. For example, on Basic using Stripe, you would pay Stripe's processing fee plus Shopify's 2% -- making it almost always more expensive than using Shopify Payments.
How do I calculate profit on a Shopify sale?
Profit = Selling Price - COGS - Shipping Cost - Payment Processing Fee - (Monthly Plan Fee / Number of Monthly Orders). For a $50 product with $18 COGS, $6 shipping, and $1.75 in Shopify Payments fees on Basic plan, the profit per sale is $24.25 before allocating the monthly subscription cost.
Are there any hidden Shopify fees?
Shopify's core pricing is transparent, but costs that surprise new sellers include: the third-party transaction fee if not using Shopify Payments, currency conversion fees (1.5% for Shopify Payments in non-local currencies), chargeback fees ($15 per dispute), and the fact that payment processing applies to the full order amount including tax and shipping, not just the product price.
Does Shopify charge for refunds?
When you issue a refund through Shopify Payments, the original transaction fee is not returned. If a customer paid $50 and you refund $50, you already paid $1.75 in processing fees and do not get that back. This is standard for payment processors, not unique to Shopify.
Is Shopify worth it for small sellers?
For sellers doing at least a few hundred dollars per month, Shopify Basic at $39/month provides a professional storefront, built-in payment processing, and access to the app ecosystem. Compared to marketplace fees (Amazon takes 8-15%, Etsy takes 6.5%+), Shopify's fees are competitive and you own the customer relationship. For very low volume sellers, the fixed monthly cost may not justify itself.
Related Tools
- Shopify Profit Calculator -- Calculate your profit after all Shopify fees, COGS, and shipping
- Margin Calculator -- Determine profit margins for any product
- Break-Even Calculator -- Find how many units you need to sell to cover all costs