How Shopify fees are estimated
Monthly estimate = (sales × processing %) + (transactions × fixed fee) + (sales × third-party %) + monthly plan
The result separates payment processing, Shopify third-party transaction fees and your plan. It is a planning estimate, not an invoice or profit calculation. Deduct product costs, shipping, taxes owed and other expenses separately.
Worked example
For 10,000 USD processed through 200 standard domestic online card transactions at 2.9% + 0.30 USD, processing is 290 + 60 = 350 USD. Add a 29 USD monthly plan allocation and no third-party transaction fee: 379 USD per month, or about 1.90 USD per transaction.
How much does Shopify cost per sale?
There is no single percentage for every store. Your cost depends on the order amount, payment method, contract and how you spread the plan cost across your transactions.
Using this page's illustrative 2.9% + $0.30 processing rate, a $50 payment costs $1.75 to process; a $100 payment costs $3.20. These examples exclude the plan, third-party fees and other expenses.
To include a $29 monthly plan across 200 transactions, add $29 ÷ 200 = $0.145 to each transaction. The $50 example becomes about $1.90 including plan allocation. This is an average allocation, not an extra fee charged per order.
For a one-sale processing estimate, enter the sale amount, one transaction and a plan cost of zero. For a monthly estimate including the plan, enter the whole month's sales and transaction count.
Planning a discount? Compare the fee estimate with your Shopify average order value and contribution-margin assumptions. Larger orders and higher revenue do not automatically mean higher profit.
US starting rates and plan costs
| Plan | Standard online cards | Annual billing, per month | Monthly billing | Third-party fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 2.9% + $0.30 | $29 | $39 | 2% |
| Grow | 2.7% + $0.30 | $79 | $105 | 1% |
| Advanced | 2.5% + $0.30 | $299 | $399 | 0.6% |
Source: Shopify US pricing. Annual billing figures are monthly equivalents of an annual commitment. Promotional offers are excluded. Check your store's actual pricing before deciding on a plan; other countries, card types and contracts differ.
What to change for your store
For Shopify Payments, leave the third-party percentage at zero for the included eligible transactions. For an external provider, enter that provider's processing rate and fixed fee, then the applicable Shopify third-party percentage. Do not add Shopify Payments processing to an external provider's fees.
This simple model applies the entered percentages to one common processed-sales base. Mixed payment methods, exemptions or a different fee base require separate calculations. International and premium cards, currency conversion, refunds, chargebacks, taxes on fees, apps, POS and shipping labels are not automatically modeled.
Common questions
Can I use this outside the United States?
The presets and table are US pricing in USD. You can replace every rate and amount with your local contract to estimate the same arithmetic, but the display remains USD. Do not treat the US examples as your country's pricing.
Do fees disappear when an order is refunded?
Do not assume a refund reverses every fee. This calculator models charges, not refund-policy adjustments. Check your payment provider and Shopify billing details for the actual retained charges.
How do I compare plans?
Keep sales and transactions fixed, then enter each plan's rates and monthly cost. A lower processing percentage can be offset by a higher subscription. Features and operational needs also matter.
From numbers to an offer
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