Shopify Fees Explained (2026)
Every fee Shopify charges sellers — payment processing, transaction fees, plan costs, and how to minimize them. US reference checked September 2026.
By Marginory team · Online sellers with hands-on experience across Etsy, Shopify & PODUpdated Fee data verified against official platform documentation
Shopify fee summary (2026)
| Fee type | Basic ($39/mo) | Grow ($105/mo) | Advanced ($399/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Payments rate | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.7% + $0.30 | 2.5% + $0.30 |
| Transaction fee (3rd-party gateway) | 2% | 1% | 0.6% |
| Monthly plan cost | $39 | $105 | $399 |
| Listing fee | None | None | None |
| Annual billing discount | ~25% off | ~25% off | ~25% off |
US reference: shopify.com/pricing · Checked September 2026. Local prices and billing terms vary.
The two types of Shopify fees
Shopify charges two distinct types of fees on sales: a payment processing fee (unavoidable — goes to the card network and Shopify) and an optional transaction fee (only if you use a third-party payment provider instead of Shopify Payments).
1. Payment processing fee (Shopify Payments)
If you use Shopify Payments — Shopify's built-in payment processor — you pay a percentage of each sale plus a fixed $0.30 fee. The rate depends on your plan:
- Basic: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
- Grow: 2.7% + $0.30 per transaction
- Advanced: 2.5% + $0.30 per transaction
On a $50 sale with Basic + Shopify Payments: fee = $50 × 2.9% + $0.30 = $1.75 (3.5% effective rate).
2. Transaction fee (third-party payment providers)
If you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments (e.g., standalone PayPal, Square, or a local gateway), Shopify charges an additional transaction fee on top of whatever your payment provider charges:
- Basic: +2% per transaction
- Shopify: +1% per transaction
- Advanced: +0.6% per transaction
Key insight: Using Shopify Payments eliminates this fee entirely. Most US, UK, Canadian, and Australian sellers should use Shopify Payments unless they have a specific reason not to.
3. Monthly plan cost
Unlike Etsy (no standard monthly subscription) or TikTok Shop (no monthly subscription), Shopify requires a subscription. US plans billed monthly:
- Starter: $5/month — sell via social/link in bio only, no full store
- Basic: $39/month — full online store
- Grow: $105/month — full store, better reports
- Advanced: $399/month — custom reports, 15 staff accounts, lowest processing rate
Shopify's US reference lists annual billing at $29/month for Basic, $79 for Grow, and $299 for Advanced. Local prices and terms vary.
4. No listing fee
Shopify does not charge per-listing fees. You can add unlimited products at no additional cost. This is a significant advantage over Etsy ($0.20 per listing) for sellers with large catalogs or high-volume SKUs.
When does Shopify become cheaper than Etsy?
Etsy charges 6.5% + payment processing (~9.5% total) on every sale with no standard monthly subscription. Shopify charges 2.9% + $0.30 (Basic, with Shopify Payments) but requires a monthly plan.
The per-order savings with Shopify (avoiding Etsy's 6.5% transaction fee) need to cover the plan cost. With the $39 US monthly Basic reference and $2.50 savings per order, break-even = $39 / $2.50 = 16 orders/month. Your actual payment rate, order value, and customer-acquisition cost can change that result.
Fee example: $45 sale on Basic Shopify vs Etsy
Shopify Basic (Shopify Payments)
Etsy (US, no Offsite Ads)
Shopify saves about $3.23/order on these fee assumptions. At roughly 13 orders/month, that covers the $39 US monthly Basic reference; actual inputs can differ.
Fees Shopify does NOT charge
- No listing fee per product
- No transaction fee if using Shopify Payments
- No Offsite Ads fee (you control your own advertising)
- No currency conversion fee from Shopify (your payment processor may charge one)
- No per-sale percentage fee beyond payment processing
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