Marginory

Shopify Transaction Fees Explained

A fee that's entirely avoidable — here's when it applies, how much it costs by plan, and how to eliminate it.

By Marginory team · Online sellers with hands-on experience across Etsy, Shopify & PODUpdated Fee data verified against official platform documentation

Rates by plan

PlanTransaction fee (3rd-party gateway)
Basic ($25/mo)2%
Grow ($65/mo)1%
Advanced ($399/mo)0.5%

Source: shopify.com/pricing · Verified July 2026

The simplest fix: use Shopify Payments

Unlike most marketplace fees, this one is fully avoidable. Switching to Shopify Payments removes the transaction fee entirely — you only pay the standard payment processing rate (2.9%/2.7%/2.5% + $0.30 depending on plan), with no additional layer on top.

Calculate what you'd save switching to Shopify Payments →

Stacked cost example

On a $50 sale, Basic plan, using a third-party gateway alongside a separate processor fee (~2.9%):

Processor fee (~2.9%): $1.45

Shopify transaction fee (2%): $1.00

Total: $2.45 vs $1.75 with Shopify Payments alone

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Shopify's transaction fee?
An additional fee (2%, 1%, or 0.5% depending on plan) charged only when you use a third-party payment gateway (like standalone PayPal or Stripe) instead of Shopify Payments.
How do I avoid the transaction fee entirely?
Use Shopify Payments as your payment processor. It's Shopify's own built-in gateway and using it waives the transaction fee completely — you only pay the standard payment processing rate.
Why would anyone use a third-party gateway and pay the extra fee?
Some merchants need a specific payment provider not fully replaceable by Shopify Payments, or Shopify Payments isn't available in their country/region, making the transaction fee unavoidable for them.