Shopify Fees Explained: What You Actually Keep Per Sale

Shopify makes it easy to open a store, but the fees can be confusing — and if you do not understand them, you might be keeping less of each sale than you think. Between your monthly plan, payment processing and possible transaction fees, the amount that actually lands in your pocket per order is lower than the sticker price. This guide breaks down every Shopify fee in plain English so you know exactly what you keep on every sale.

The three types of Shopify fee

Shopify's costs fall into three buckets, and it is the combination that determines your true take-home per sale:

• Plan fee — a fixed monthly subscription for your chosen Shopify plan.
• Payment processing fee — a percentage plus a small fixed amount on every card transaction.
• Transaction fee — an extra charge if you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments.

Understanding how these stack up is the key to pricing your products correctly.

Plan fees: paying for a lower rate

Shopify offers several plans at increasing monthly prices. The higher the plan, the lower your payment processing rate. For a new store with modest sales, the cheapest plan usually makes sense because the monthly saving on a pricier plan would not offset its higher fee. As your order volume grows, though, the reduced processing rate on a higher plan can save more than the extra subscription costs — there is a crossover point worth calculating for your own numbers.

Payment processing fees

Every time a customer pays by card, Shopify Payments takes a percentage of the order plus a small fixed amount per transaction. This is the fee most sellers forget when pricing. On a low-value product, that fixed per-transaction amount is proportionally large, which is why very cheap items can be surprisingly unprofitable once processing is deducted. The Shopify Fee Calculator shows the exact amount you keep after these fees.

The transaction fee trap

If you choose to use an external payment gateway instead of Shopify Payments, Shopify charges an additional transaction fee on top of that gateway's own processing charge. This effectively means paying twice, so unless you have a specific reason to use another provider, Shopify Payments is usually the cheaper route because it avoids the extra transaction fee entirely.

Working out what you actually keep

To find your true profit per order, start with the selling price, then subtract the payment processing percentage and the fixed per-transaction amount, your product cost, and a share of your monthly plan fee spread across your orders. What remains is your real net profit. Doing this per product often reveals that your margins are tighter on cheap items and healthier on higher-priced ones — useful insight for deciding what to promote.

Tips to keep more per sale

• Use Shopify Payments to avoid the extra transaction fee.
• Review your plan as you grow — upgrading can lower your effective rate.
• Mind low-value products, where fixed fees hurt margins most.
• Build fees into your pricing rather than absorbing them after the fact.

Conclusion

Shopify's fees are manageable once you see them clearly: a monthly plan, a processing fee per sale, and a transaction fee only if you go outside Shopify Payments. Calculate your net profit per order — not just revenue — and price with the fees baked in. Use the free Shopify Fee Calculator to see exactly what you keep on every sale and set prices that protect your profit.

How Shopify compares to other platforms

Shopify is not the only way to sell online, and its fee structure looks different from marketplaces. On a marketplace like Amazon or Etsy, you pay referral or listing fees per sale but get built-in traffic. On Shopify, you pay a monthly plan and processing fees but own the store and the customer relationship, and you are responsible for driving traffic yourself. Neither is universally cheaper — it depends on volume, margins and how much marketing you do. The key is to calculate your true cost per sale on each channel rather than assuming one is best. Many sellers use both: a Shopify store for brand and repeat customers, and marketplaces for reach.

Frequently asked questions

What fees does Shopify charge?

Shopify charges a monthly plan fee, a payment processing fee (a percentage plus a small fixed amount per sale), and an extra transaction fee if you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments.

How do I avoid Shopify transaction fees?

Use Shopify Payments as your payment provider. That avoids the additional transaction fee Shopify charges when you use an external gateway.

Which Shopify plan is cheapest overall?

It depends on your sales volume. Lower plans suit new stores, but higher plans reduce your processing rate, which can save money once you reach enough orders. Calculate the crossover for your numbers.

Why do cheap products have thin margins on Shopify?

The fixed per-transaction amount is proportionally large on low-value orders, so a bigger share of a cheap sale goes to processing. Factor this in when pricing inexpensive items.