How Much Does Shopify Take Per Sale In 2024 (Shopify's Fees)

Are you considering selling on Shopify and wondering about the costs involved? Learning how much Shopify takes per sale is essential for effectively budgeting your online store. As a premier eCommerce platform, Shopify offers a range of pricing plans designed for businesses of all sizes, each with its transaction fees.

In this article, we'll break down Shopify's pricing plans, transaction fees, and additional costs you might incur. Understanding these fees upfront will help you manage your finances and set accurate prices for your products, ensuring a smooth start to your online business journey.

How much does Shopify take per sale?

Shopify deducts a small transaction fee from each sale, ranging from 0.15% (Shopify Plus) to 5% (Shopify Starter Plan) per sale. 

If you use a third-party gateway and not Shopify Payments, you need to pay the fees for that gateway in addition to the transaction fee for Shopify.

This amount is relatively significant in the bigger picture. Essentially, the Shopify package you opt for will significantly influence your processing fees. The processing fee for each transaction is determined by the consumer's chosen payment method and plan.

Which plan is the right choice for you?

Transaction fees and some other costs also vary depending on the Shopify plan.

And 3 additional plans : 

Shopify Starter Plan

Shopify Starter plan costs $5 per month - the lowest priced of the Shopify plans.

Shopify Starter is ideal for businesses looking to sell on social media channels, especially if they already have an established website elsewhere.

Payment Gateway Pricing are as follows:

• Credit Cards (For Online Payments): 5% + $0.3.
• Transaction Fees for Third-Party Payment Processors: 5%.

Shopify Basic Plan 

At $25 per month (or $19 annually), Shopify Basic empowers small businesses to build a strong online presence.  This plan offers an online store with a website and blog, unlimited product listings, and multi-channel selling capabilities (think marketplaces and social media).

Manage everything from products to orders through your Shopify admin, but keep in mind this plan doesn't allow additional staff accounts.

Payment Gateway Pricing are as follows:

• Credit Cards (For Online Payments): 5% + $0.3
• Credit Card Fees (Physical Stores): 2.7%
• Online International/AMEX Credit Card Rates: 3.9% + $0.3
• Transaction Fees for Third-Party Payment Processors: 5%.

Shopify Plan

Stepping up from the Basic Shopify plan, the Shopify plan offers a robust package for growing businesses at $65/month (or $49/month annually). When upgrading to the Shopify package, features will be more advanced and other costs such as transaction fees, payment fees, etc. will be reduced. You can easily switch plans directly from your Shopify admin dashboard.

Payment Gateway Pricing are as follows:

• Credit Card Fees (Online Stores): 2.6% + $0.3.
• Credit Card Fees (Physical Stores): 2.5%.
• Online International/AMEX Credit Card Rates: 3.6% + $0.3.
• Transaction Fees for Third-party Payment Processors: 1%.

Shopify Advanced Plan

Shopify's Advanced plan tackles the complex needs of rapidly growing mid-sized and large businesses.  For $399/month (or $299/month annually), it offers powerful features like Advanced Reporting, Lower, Transaction Fees, and Abandoned Cart Recovery,...

Payment Gateway Pricing are as follows:

• Credit Card Fees (Online Stores): 2.4% + $0.30
• Credit Card Fees (Physical Stores): 2.4% 
• Online International/AMEX Credit Card Rates: 3.4% + $0.30
• Transaction Fees for Third-party Payment Processors: 0.6%.

Shopify Plus Plan

For high-growth businesses with annual revenue exceeding $750,000, Shopify Plus provides a comprehensive solution. Priced from $2,300/month (1-3 year term), it goes beyond standard Shopify plans with customization options, Advanced features like automated workflows, and Shopify POS Pro for sales at the store, 24/7 support by phone and chat

Payment Gateway Pricing are as follows:

• Credit Card Fees (Online Stores): 2.15% + $0.30
• Credit Card Fees (Physical Stores): 2.15% 
• Online International/AMEX Credit Card Rates: 1.0%
• Transaction Fees for Third-party Payment Processors: 0.2%. 

Shopify $1/first month and 3 free day trial 

Currently, Shopify offers a promotion where new users can sign up for a 3-day free trial, followed by the first month for only $1. During the trial, you can access essential features like customization and adding products.

After the trial, you must choose a plan (Basic, Shopify, Advanced) and pay the applicable fee. If unsatisfied, you can pause or cancel your account.      

When you use Shopify Payments, you can save on Setup and Monthly Fees, Third Party Transaction Fees, Chargeback Fees, etc.       

Additional costs per order

In addition to the costs mentioned above, there are other costs that sellers should also keep in mind when running an online store. These costs include:

• App Fees: App fees on Shopify vary depending on the features and size of each app. There are free apps and paid apps that cost anywhere from a few to a few hundred dollars per month. Visit the Shopify App Store to see specific prices
• Email Fees: Shopify Email is free for up to 10,000 emails sent per month. If you send over 10,000 emails, you will be charged overage fees of 1/10th of a penny ($0.001) per additional email.
• Marketplace Connect Fees: This allows sellers to connect their Shopify store with various online marketplaces. The first 50 marketplace-synced orders per month are free. After the first 50 orders, there’s a 1% fee per additional synced order. The fees are capped at $99 per month.
• Integrated Shipping Fees: Shopify offers integrated shipping options with potential discounted rates based on your subscription plan and chosen carriers. These options include flat-rate shipping, calculated rates, and free shipping promotions. Discounts vary by carrier and plan, with the possibility of significant savings, especially for Advanced Shopify users.
• Integrated Tax Solution Fees: Shopify offers an integrated tax solution for US merchants, including automated sales tax calculations, nexus tracking, enhanced sales tax reports, and rate updates. While Shopify Tax is integrated directly into Shopify without additional costs, connecting third-party tax services may incur additional fees. 
• Design & Templates: Shopify offers both free and premium themes for online stores. Prices for premium themes range from $180 to $400.  You can also hire experienced Shopify developers to help you build and customize your own theme.

Shipping fee

Shipping fees are what you pay to carriers like USPS, UPS, and FedEx to deliver your products to customers. These costs depend on the package's weight, size, destination, and chosen shipping method. You can either charge customers this fee directly or factor it into your product price.

For example, the maximum discounts available by carrier for 2022 were as follows:

• USPS Domestic shipping: Up to 88.5%
• UPS International shipping: Up to 85.8%
• DHL International shipping: Up to 76%
• Canada Post Shipping to the US: Up to 47%

Other fees

In addition to these fees, merchants may incur other costs, such as:

• Market Rate: Reflects the average exchange rate with no markup from Shopify. (Fluctuates based on currencies involved). 
• Shopify Fee: An additional conversion fee charged by Shopify: 2% for stores outside the US, and 1.5% for US-based stores.
• Chargebacks: USD 15 per customer-initiated refund.
• Returns: No fee for refunds, but the transaction fee associated with the purchase isn't refunded.
• Data Retrieval: Fees apply for accessing detailed historical transaction data beyond what's readily available in Shopify admin. (Cost depends on data volume and complexity)
• Account Closure: USD 200 fee for closing your Shopify store or Shopify Payments account.
• Late Payment Processing: Fees apply for overdue payments on your Shopify bill. (Varies based on amount owed and days overdue)

Comparing Shopify's Fees to Competitors

In this section, we'll compare the fees of Shopify with those of WooCommerce and BigCommerce. Details are summarized in the table below:

Shopify’s fees are generally higher because they include web hosting, customer support, and built-in tools tailored for e-commerce,... WooCommerce, while free as a plugin, can accumulate costs through necessary add-ons like web hosting, domain names, and premium features. BigCommerce offers a competitive pricing model similar to Shopify, including hosting and support in their monthly plans.

Understanding these cost structures is crucial for making an informed decision for your business. Shopify's all-inclusive pricing can simplify management, while WooCommerce offers flexibility but may require more hands-on management and additional costs.

Learn more:

• Shopify vs WooCommerce: Which Ecommerce Platform is Better?
• Shopify Vs. BigCommerce: Which eCommerce giant suits you the most?

Tips for Minimizing Shopify's Fees

To reduce Shopify fees, you can use the following methods:

• Opt for Annual Plans: Save 10% by opting for an annual Shopify plan instead of a monthly. This can result in significant savings over a year.
• Utilize Free Themes: Shopify offers a variety of free themes, saving you the cost of hiring a web developer or designer. These themes are mobile-responsive and SEO-optimized.
• Leverage Free Apps: Explore the array of free apps available on Shopify's app store to customize your store without the need for additional development costs. These apps can save both money and time.
• Use Shopify Payments: Reduce transaction fees, simplify the payment process and financial management with competitive rates starting at 2.9% + 30¢, decreasing with higher-tier plans, and avoid additional fees from external payment gateways.

Understanding Shopify's fees per sale is crucial for merchants. Despite potential high costs, Shopify's diverse plans and features cater to businesses of all sizes.

By choosing the right plan, using Shopify Payments, and leveraging cost-saving options, merchants can reduce expenses and boost profits.

Ultimately, Shopify's user-friendly interface and extensive integrations often outweigh the fees, making it a valuable investment for long-term success.

=>> Feel free to check out the following article: How Does Shopify Pay You? Understanding the Payment Process