How Shopify Fees Work
Shopify's monthly fees are predictable -- a welcome change from marketplaces. Unlike Etsy or eBay, Shopify doesn't take a percentage of your sales on top of processing. Instead, you pay a fixed monthly subscription plus payment processing fees. As sales volume increases, upgrading plans reduces transaction fees.
Shopify Plans & Processing Rates
| Plan | Monthly | Online Rate | In-Person | 3rd Party Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39 | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.7% | +2.0% |
| Shopify | $105 | 2.6% + $0.30 | 2.5% | +1.0% |
| Advanced | $399 | 2.4% + $0.30 | 2.4% | +0.6% |
Shopify Payments vs Third-Party Gateways
Shopify Payments runs on Stripe, which keeps transaction costs pretty competitive. Avoiding extra gateways and sticking with Shopify Payments usually saves money -- unless your business has unique needs demanding another option.
Extra transaction fees apply if you skip Shopify Payments. Shopify adds a fee on top of your existing gateway's charges. Basic plans see a 2.0% fee, while Shopify plans pay 1.0%, and Advanced users face a smaller 0.6%.
When to Upgrade Plans
For most sellers earning under $10,000 monthly, the Basic plan works just fine. Shopify upgrades only start making sense around $5,500 in monthly sales -- that's when processing fee savings cover the extra $66 subscription cost. To justify the Advanced plan, you'd need roughly $110,000 in monthly revenue.
Your Effective Rate
Shopify pricing scales with your business. Processing a $100 sale on the Basic plan incurs a $3.20 fee, and that's before the monthly subscription. Add the $39 monthly cost, and your effective rate fluctuates with volume. A store averaging 100 sales at $100 each pays roughly 3.6% with the Basic plan.
Shopify vs Other Platforms
Shopify's transaction fees are lower than Etsy's 13% and eBay's 13.25%. Building an audience, though, is on you, as Shopify doesn't have a built-in marketplace like its competitors. Stripe's rates -- 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction -- edge out Shopify Basic's pricing. However, Stripe focuses solely on payment processing, omitting the complete e-commerce tools Shopify offers. Check our full comparison for all the details.