Shopify Transaction Fees 2026 —
Every Plan, Every Fee Explained

What Are Shopify Transaction Fees?

Shopify charges sellers in two distinct ways that together determine how much of every sale you actually keep. First, there is the monthly subscription fee — the flat cost to use the Shopify platform. Second, and more importantly for active sellers, there are per-transaction fees that Shopify applies to every order processed through your store.

Understanding Shopify's transaction fee structure is critical because it directly affects your profit margin on every single sale. A seller on the Basic plan doing $10,000 per month in revenue could be paying hundreds of dollars more in fees than necessary if they haven't optimised their plan and payment gateway setup.

This guide covers every Shopify plan available in 2026, explains exactly what fees apply in each scenario, and shows you with real worked examples how much money stays in your pocket after Shopify takes its cut. If you want to compare Shopify against other platforms, our guides on Etsy fees 2026 and eBay seller fees 2026 have the same level of detail.

Two Types of Shopify Fees You Must Know

Before diving into the plans, it's essential to understand that Shopify applies two entirely separate categories of per-transaction fees — and most sellers only think about one of them.

1. Payment Processing Fees

Every time a customer pays for an order in your Shopify store, a payment processor charges a percentage of the sale to handle the credit card or digital wallet transaction. If you use Shopify Payments (Shopify's own built-in payment gateway), the processing fee goes to Shopify. If you use a third-party processor like PayPal, Stripe, or Square, the processing fee goes to that provider instead.

Payment processing fees in 2026 with Shopify Payments range from 2.4% + $0.30 (Advanced plan) to 2.9% + $0.30 (Basic plan) per transaction. These are competitive rates comparable to most standalone payment processors.

2. Shopify's Third-Party Transaction Fee

This is the fee that catches many sellers off guard. If you choose to use a payment gateway other than Shopify Payments, Shopify charges you an additional transaction fee on top of whatever the gateway itself charges. This fee is:

• 2.0% on the Basic plan
• 1.0% on the Shopify plan
• 0.5% on the Advanced plan
• 0.15%–0.3% on Shopify Plus (negotiated)

This means a Basic plan seller using PayPal pays PayPal's processing fee plus Shopify's extra 2% on every order. On a $100 sale, that extra 2% costs $2 — seemingly small, but across hundreds of monthly orders it adds up to significant money that most sellers do not realise they're paying.

All Shopify Plans 2026 — At a Glance

Shopify offers four main subscription tiers in 2026. Here is a quick overview before the detailed breakdown:

Full Shopify Fee Comparison Table 2026

Here is the complete side-by-side breakdown of every Shopify plan, covering monthly cost, processing rates, third-party fees, and key feature differences:

Shopify Payments — Rates & How It Works

Shopify Payments is Shopify's own built-in payment processing service, powered by Stripe under the hood. When you use Shopify Payments, you avoid the additional third-party transaction fee entirely — you only pay the standard payment processing rate shown above.

Shopify Payments is available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and a growing list of other countries. In countries where Shopify Payments is not available, sellers must use a third-party gateway and will therefore always pay the additional transaction surcharge regardless of their plan.

Key things to know about Shopify Payments in 2026:

• No setup fee — activating Shopify Payments is free
• Instant activation — once your account is verified, you can start accepting payments immediately
• Supports major card networks — Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Shop Pay
• Payout schedule — funds are typically deposited within 2 business days in the US
• Fraud protection — includes Shopify's built-in fraud analysis tools at no extra cost
• Chargeback handling — Shopify provides dispute management tools, though chargeback fees apply ($15/dispute in the US)

For most sellers in supported countries, using Shopify Payments is the financially optimal choice. The processing rates are competitive, and eliminating the third-party surcharge can save hundreds of dollars per month at mid-to-high revenue levels. Use our 🟢 Shopify Calculator to see exactly how much you'd save.

Third-Party Gateway Fees — The Extra Cost

If you use any payment gateway other than Shopify Payments — PayPal, Stripe, Square, Authorize.net, Klarna, or any other provider — Shopify charges its additional transaction fee on top of whatever the gateway charges.

Here is what a $100 sale actually costs you with a third-party gateway on each Shopify plan, assuming a typical gateway processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30 (comparable to PayPal's standard rate):

This table makes the case for Shopify Payments very clearly. A Basic plan seller using a third-party gateway pays $5.20 per $100 sale in combined fees, while a Basic plan seller using Shopify Payments pays just $3.20 — a $2 difference per transaction. At 500 orders per month averaging $100 each, that's a $1,000/month difference.

Shopify Basic Plan — Fees & Who It's For

The Shopify Basic plan costs $39/month (or $29/month on annual billing). It is the entry-level plan for serious ecommerce sellers — the step up from Shopify's Starter plan, which is designed only for social selling and does not include a full online store.

Basic plan fee summary:

• Online payment processing: 2.9% + $0.30 with Shopify Payments
• In-person (POS) processing: 2.7% with Shopify Payments
• Third-party gateway surcharge: 2.0% per transaction
• 2 staff accounts included
• Basic analytics and reports
• Up to 10 inventory locations
• Shipping discounts up to 77%

The Basic plan makes sense for sellers generating up to approximately $8,000–$10,000 per month in revenue. Beyond that threshold, the fee savings from upgrading to the Shopify plan (which reduces the processing rate from 2.9% to 2.6%) typically outweigh the $66/month subscription cost increase — and the third-party gateway surcharge drops from 2% to 1%, which accelerates the ROI calculation significantly for sellers not using Shopify Payments.

Shopify Plan — Fees & Who It's For

The Shopify plan (confusingly named the same as the platform) costs $105/month (or $79/month on annual billing). It sits in the middle of the range and is the most popular plan among established Shopify sellers with consistent monthly revenue.

Shopify plan fee summary:

• Online processing: 2.6% + $0.30 with Shopify Payments
• In-person processing: 2.5% with Shopify Payments
• Third-party gateway surcharge: 1.0% per transaction
• 5 staff accounts included
• Standard analytics, professional reports
• Shipping discounts up to 88%
• USPS Priority Mail Cubic pricing

The Shopify plan is the right choice for sellers generating between $10,000 and $50,000 per month in revenue. At this volume, the 0.3% processing rate reduction over Basic saves enough on transaction fees to cover the subscription upgrade cost, and the professional reporting tools become genuinely valuable for managing a growing business.

Shopify Advanced Plan — Fees & Who It's For

The Shopify Advanced plan costs $399/month (or $299/month on annual billing). This plan is designed for high-volume sellers who need lower transaction fees, advanced reporting, and features like calculated shipping rates and international pricing.

Advanced plan fee summary:

• Online processing: 2.4% + $0.30 with Shopify Payments — the lowest standard rate
• In-person processing: 2.4% with Shopify Payments
• Third-party gateway surcharge: 0.5% per transaction
• 15 staff accounts included
• Advanced report builder — custom reports with filters and export
• Third-party calculated shipping rates at checkout
• International pricing with per-market price adjustments
• Up to 10 inventory locations

The Advanced plan is worth its $399/month price for sellers generating over $50,000–$60,000/month in revenue. The 0.2% processing rate reduction over the Shopify plan breaks even at approximately $50,000/month (0.2% × $50,000 = $100 saving vs $294 subscription increase — you need a bit over $147,000 to break even on processing savings alone, but the advanced features like calculated shipping and custom reporting provide significant additional value that shifts the calculus earlier for many businesses).

Shopify Plus — Enterprise Fees Explained

Shopify Plus is Shopify's enterprise tier, starting at $2,300/month and scaling upward based on revenue. It is designed for high-growth brands and large retailers doing significant monthly revenue — typically $500,000/month or more.

Shopify Plus fee structure:

• Base price: $2,300/month for merchants under $800,000/month in revenue
• Variable fee: 0.25% of monthly revenue for merchants above $800,000/month (capped at $40,000/month)
• Payment processing: negotiated rates, typically around 2.15% + $0.30 or better
• Third-party gateway surcharge: 0.15%–0.3% (negotiated)
• Unlimited staff accounts
• 200 inventory locations
• Full checkout customisation via Liquid code
• Dedicated launch engineer and merchant success manager
• Shopify Scripts for custom checkout logic
• Multiple store management from one dashboard
• Priority 24/7 support

Shopify Plus is not a fee-optimisation play at the lower revenue tiers — it is a feature and infrastructure investment for brands that have genuinely outgrown the Advanced plan's capabilities. The checkout customisation, automation tools, and enterprise support are what justify the cost for most Plus merchants.

Real Cost Examples by Revenue Level

Theory is useful. Real numbers are better. Here are three fully worked examples showing the total Shopify fee impact at different monthly revenue levels, comparing plans and payment methods.

Example 1: New Seller — $3,000/month Revenue, 60 Orders

This seller is just getting started, running a Basic plan and using Shopify Payments. Average order value is $50.

At $3,000/month, total Shopify fees are $144 — about 4.8% of revenue when the plan cost is included. This seller would not benefit from upgrading to the Shopify plan ($105/mo) yet, as the processing savings (0.3% × $3,000 = $9) do not come close to covering the $66 subscription increase.

Example 2: Growing Seller — $15,000/month Revenue, 200 Orders

Comparing Basic vs Shopify plan, both using Shopify Payments. Average order value $75.

Interesting result: at $15,000/month, the Basic plan is actually slightly cheaper than the Shopify plan even after accounting for the higher processing rate. The upgrade only becomes worthwhile above approximately $22,000/month in revenue (with Shopify Payments). If this seller uses a third-party gateway, the breakeven drops much lower — around $6,600/month — because the surcharge reduction from 2% to 1% adds a full 1% saving on every dollar of revenue.

Example 3: Established Seller — $50,000/month Revenue, 500 Orders

Comparing Shopify plan vs Advanced plan, with Shopify Payments. Average order value $100.

At $50,000/month, the Shopify plan is still cheaper than Advanced by $194/month in raw fee terms. The Advanced plan only wins on transaction fees alone at approximately $147,000/month — but at that volume, the Advanced reporting tools, calculated shipping rates, and international pricing features are likely already essential for the business, making the upgrade worthwhile for operational rather than purely financial reasons.

Shopify Fees for UK Sellers in 2026

UK sellers on Shopify face a slightly different fee structure. Shopify Payments is available in the UK, which means UK sellers can avoid the third-party gateway surcharge — but the processing rates differ from the US:

UK sellers benefit from significantly lower payment processing rates compared to US sellers — 2.0% vs 2.9% on the Basic plan. This is primarily because EU/UK card interchange rates are regulated and capped, making card processing cheaper overall in the UK market. UK sellers using Shopify Payments therefore keep more of each sale compared to their US counterparts on equivalent plans.

Note: UK sellers must also be aware of VAT obligations. Shopify's subscription fees are subject to UK VAT at 20%, which adds £5–£69/month depending on your plan. However, if your business is VAT-registered, you can reclaim this as input VAT.

Hidden Shopify Costs Most Sellers Miss

The headline transaction fees are just the beginning. Here are the additional Shopify costs that catch sellers off guard — and that you need to factor into your true profit margin calculation.

1. App Fees

The Shopify App Store contains over 8,000 apps for email marketing, reviews, upsells, subscriptions, inventory management, and more. Many of the most useful apps charge $10–$100/month each. It is entirely common for a growing Shopify store to spend $200–$500/month on apps alone — costs that can dwarf the subscription fee itself. Always account for your app stack when calculating your true Shopify operating cost.

2. Theme Costs

Shopify's free themes are functional but limited. Premium themes from the Shopify Theme Store typically cost $180–$350 as a one-time purchase. While this is a one-time cost rather than recurring, it's worth factoring into your first-year total cost of ownership.

3. Domain Registration

Shopify charges approximately $14/year for .com domain registration through its built-in domain registrar — competitive with other registrars. However, some sellers prefer to buy domains through Namecheap or Google Domains separately, which can occasionally be cheaper depending on current promotions.

4. Chargeback Fees

If a customer disputes a charge with their bank, Shopify charges a $15 chargeback fee in the US (regardless of the outcome). If you win the dispute, Shopify refunds this fee. If you lose, the $15 is in addition to the original transaction amount being reversed. High chargeback rates can therefore add meaningful costs for sellers in high-risk categories.

5. Shopify Email & Marketing Costs

Shopify Email is free for the first 10,000 emails per month, then charges $1 per 1,000 emails thereafter. For stores with large email lists doing regular campaigns, this can add up — though the pricing is generally competitive with standalone email platforms at equivalent send volumes.

6. Shopify POS Pro

Sellers who also sell in-person need Shopify POS. The basic Lite version is included with all plans, but POS Pro — which includes features like staff permissions, advanced inventory, and unlimited registers — costs an additional $89/month per location.

Shopify vs Etsy vs eBay — Fee Comparison

How does Shopify's fee structure compare to the major marketplace platforms? Here is a quick comparison on a $50 sale to give you a sense of relative costs:

On a per-transaction basis, Shopify has the lowest fee rate — but this comparison excludes the monthly subscription cost. Etsy and eBay include built-in buyer traffic; Shopify does not. You need to factor in your own customer acquisition costs (paid ads, SEO, social media) when comparing platforms. For a full deep-dive, read our guide on Etsy vs Shopify — which is more profitable.

The key insight is this: Shopify's transaction fees are low, but you're responsible for driving your own traffic. Marketplace platforms like Etsy and eBay charge higher fees but provide a built-in audience. Neither model is universally better — it depends on your product, margin, and marketing capabilities. See how the numbers stack up for your business using our ⚪ eBay Calculator and 🧡 Etsy Calculator alongside the Shopify one.

Which Shopify Plan Should You Choose in 2026?

Here is a straightforward decision guide based on your monthly revenue and situation:

Frequently Asked Questions — Shopify Transaction Fees 2026

Does Shopify charge transaction fees in 2026?

Yes — but only if you use a third-party payment gateway. If you use Shopify Payments, there is no additional Shopify transaction fee, and you only pay the standard payment processing rate (2.9% + $0.30 on Basic, 2.6% + $0.30 on Shopify, 2.4% + $0.30 on Advanced). The extra transaction fee only applies when routing payments through PayPal, Stripe, or any other external gateway.

How much does Shopify take per sale in 2026?

With Shopify Payments on a Basic plan, Shopify takes 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction. On a $50 sale that's $1.75. On a $100 sale it's $3.20. The Shopify plan reduces this to 2.6% + $0.30, and Advanced to 2.4% + $0.30. None of these include the monthly subscription cost, which is a separate flat fee.

Can I avoid Shopify transaction fees?

Yes — by using Shopify Payments. This eliminates the extra 0.5%–2% transaction surcharge entirely. You still pay the credit card processing fee (2.9% + $0.30 on Basic), but this is unavoidable with any payment processor. If Shopify Payments is not available in your country, you will always pay the gateway surcharge.

Is Shopify cheaper than Etsy for sellers?

On a pure per-transaction fee basis, yes — Shopify's processing fees are much lower than Etsy's combined fees (which can reach 9–12% of a sale). However, Etsy provides built-in buyer traffic that Shopify does not. If you need to spend on paid advertising to drive Shopify traffic, those costs can easily exceed what Etsy charges. The better answer depends entirely on your product category, margins, and marketing skills. Our Etsy vs Shopify profit guide explores this in detail.

What is the cheapest Shopify plan in 2026?

The Basic plan at $29/month (annual billing) or $39/month (monthly billing) is the cheapest Shopify plan that includes a full online store. Shopify's Starter plan ($5/month) is cheaper but does not include a standalone store — it is only for selling through links on social media.

Does Shopify charge fees on refunds?

Shopify's transaction fee is not refunded when you issue a refund. However, Shopify Payments does refund the payment processing percentage — you get back the percentage portion of the fee but not the fixed $0.30 per-transaction portion. Third-party gateways have their own refund fee policies, which vary by provider.

Are Shopify fees tax deductible?

In most countries, Shopify subscription fees, transaction fees, and app costs are deductible business expenses for self-employed sellers and registered companies. Keep records of all Shopify invoices and consult a tax professional for advice specific to your situation and jurisdiction.

What happens if I exceed Shopify's plan limits?

Shopify plans do not have hard sales volume caps — you can generate as much revenue as your store can handle on any plan. The fees simply scale with revenue. The main limits are on staff accounts, inventory locations, and features (like the advanced report builder on higher plans). You can upgrade your plan at any time and the change takes effect immediately.