With Shopify Payments, online card processing runs from 2.9% plus 30 cents on Basic down to 2.5% plus 30 cents on Advanced. Shopify Plus has separate, negotiated pricing.
Skip Shopify Payments, and Shopify still charges you. It adds a separate fee of 0.2% to 2%, on top of whatever your other payment processor already charges.
The exact number depends on two things: your plan, and your payment method.
We calculated every number in this guide from Shopify’s published US card rates and annual subscription prices, then checked the fee rules against Shopify’s own billing documentation.
A small rate difference sounds minor until your store hits real volume, where it adds up to hundreds of dollars a month.
This guide covers every fee tied to a sale. That means card rates, third-party fees, refunds, and currency conversion.
Monthly subscription costs and app costs are covered in the linked guides below.
Quick Reference: Shopify’s Cut Per Sale
| Plan | Online rate (Shopify Payments) | In-person rate | Extra fee without Shopify Payments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 5% + 30 cents | 5% | Not applicable |
| Basic | 2.9% + 30 cents | 2.6% + 10 cents | 2% |
| Grow | 2.7% + 30 cents | 2.5% + 10 cents | 1% |
| Advanced | 2.5% + 30 cents | 2.4% + 10 cents | 0.6% |
| Plus | 2.15% + 30 cents, domestic starting rate* | Negotiated | 0.2%, waived with Shopify Payments only |
*Plus pricing and payment rates vary by contract, market, and card type. Treat this as a published starting point, not a guaranteed rate.
How Much Does Shopify Take Per Sale on Each Plan
Here is what each plan actually costs, order by order.
How much does Shopify take per sale on Basic?
Basic, at a glance:
- Monthly cost: $39, or $29 billed annually
- Online rate: 2.9% plus 30 cents per sale
- On a $50 order: $1.75
- On a $100 order: $3.20
Basic is where many first-time sellers start. Based on the rate difference alone, Basic stays cheaper than Grow below about $25,000 a month in sales.
How much does Shopify take per sale on Grow?
Grow, at a glance:
- Monthly cost: $105, or $79 billed annually
- Online rate: 2.7% plus 30 cents per sale
- On a $50 order: $1.65
- On a $100 order: $3.00
How much does Shopify take per sale on Advanced?
Advanced, at a glance:
- Monthly cost: $399, or $299 billed annually
- Online rate: 2.5% plus 30 cents per sale
- On a $50 order: $1.55
- On a $100 order: $2.80
How much does Shopify take per sale on Plus?
Plus, at a glance:
- Monthly cost: around $2,300, on a three-year term, negotiated per merchant
- Online rate: 2.15% plus 30 cents for domestic Visa and Mastercard, Shopify’s published starting rate
- Amex rate: 3.15% plus 30 cents
Your actual Plus rate can vary by contract and location. Treat 2.15% as the published starting point, not a guaranteed number for every Plus merchant.
Plus stores that use Shopify Payments as their only processor get their third-party fee waived. Add a second processor, even just as a backup, and that saving disappears.
How much does Shopify take per sale on Starter?
Starter, at a glance:
- Monthly cost: $5
- Online rate: 5% plus 30 cents
- In-person rate: 5% flat
- Not a full online store, just a checkout link for social selling
Starter’s rate is far higher than Basic’s. Starter is built for lightweight social selling, not a full storefront.
What Happens If You Don’t Use Shopify Payments
Skipping Shopify Payments does not mean skipping fees. It means paying two fees instead of one.
- Your outside processor charges its own rate
- Shopify adds its own fee on top of that
Here’s a $100 order as an example:
- Outside processor fee (2.9% + 30 cents): $3.20
- Shopify’s third-party fee on Basic (2%): $2.00
- Total payment cost: $5.20
Compare that to $3.20 through Shopify Payments alone on the same order.
Shopify’s third-party fee by plan:
- Basic: 2%
- Grow: 1%
- Advanced: 0.6%
- Plus: 0.2%
Common reasons to skip Shopify Payments include it not being available in your country, or being locked into another processor for a real business reason. Outside of that, compare the combined fees before choosing an outside gateway.
Using Shopify Payments Alongside Another Processor
Many sellers assume it’s one or the other: Shopify Payments, or an outside gateway. Shopify actually lets you run both at once, with a few rules attached.
You can only use one outside processor alongside Shopify Payments at a time. Here’s how the fees work in that setup:
- Sales through your outside processor pay that processor’s fee, plus Shopify’s third-party fee, as described above
- Sales through Shopify Payments, like Shop Pay, get the standard Shopify Payments rate plus a 1.25% premium
That extra premium only applies in this specific dual-processor setup. Use Shopify Payments alone, and you never see it.
Real Dollar Examples at Different Sale Prices
Here is what Shopify Payments actually takes at a few common sale prices.
| Sale price | Basic (2.9% + 30¢) | Grow (2.7% + 30¢) | Advanced (2.5% + 30¢) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25 | $1.03 | $0.98 | $0.93 |
| $50 | $1.75 | $1.65 | $1.55 |
| $100 | $3.20 | $3.00 | $2.80 |
| $250 | $7.55 | $7.05 | $6.55 |
Shopify Fees That Are Easy to Miss
Two details are easy to miss when you’re checking Shopify’s rates. Both can cost real money at scale.
- Refunds don’t return the fee. Shopify does not return the card transaction fee when you refund an order. For stores with frequent refunds, that retained fee becomes a real cost over time.
- Store credit and gift cards can trigger extra fees. This applies to stores created on or after May 12, 2025. The third-party fee applies specifically to the portion of an order paid with store credit or a gift card, even if the rest of the order used Shopify Payments.
Both details are documented in Shopify’s own help pages. They just rarely come up until you’re already running the numbers on a live store.
When Upgrading Plans Actually Saves You Money
An upgrade only pays for itself once your sales hit a certain volume. Below that volume, the cheaper plan wins on the math alone.
Basic to Grow (annual billing):
- Extra monthly cost: $50
- Rate drop: 0.2 percentage points
- Breakeven: $50 ÷ 0.002 = around $25,000 a month in sales
Grow to Advanced (annual billing):
- Extra monthly cost: $220
- Rate drop: 0.2 percentage points
- Breakeven: $220 ÷ 0.002 = roughly $110,000 a month in sales
Above these numbers, the upgrade pays for itself through the rate cut alone. That’s before you even count the extra features.
These breakeven points are rate-only estimates. They assume annual billing and Shopify Payments, and don’t account for refunds, apps, or your specific payment mix.
Why the Rate Drops as You Upgrade
Higher plans offer lower card rates in exchange for a higher monthly cost. Whether that trade is worth it depends on your sales volume, not the plan name.
The same pattern applies to the third-party fee as you move up plans:
- Basic: 2%
- Grow: 1%
- Advanced: 0.6%
- Plus: 0.2%
A store doing $2,000 a month gains almost nothing from Grow’s lower rate. A store doing $30,000 a month saves real money the moment it crosses the breakeven point above.
Annual Billing Changes the Math Too
Every calculation above assumes annual billing. That’s where Shopify publishes its lowest rate.
Pay monthly instead, and your subscription cost goes up by roughly 25% to 35%. The per-sale card rate stays exactly the same either way.
That means your breakeven point for upgrading gets higher on monthly billing. Run the math on your own billing cycle, not the annual number by default.
International and Currency Considerations
The rates above are Shopify’s standard US card rates. Selling internationally, or running your business from outside the US, changes the numbers.
Shopify classifies certain international cards differently. UK and EU cards, for example, get classified as international under post-Brexit network rules, which can carry a higher rate than domestic cards.
If a good share of your orders come from cards issued in other countries, expect a rate above the domestic numbers in this guide.
Currency conversion fees changed recently too. As of April 6, 2026, Shopify calculates conversion fees on the full order amount, not on what’s left after other fees are deducted. In practice, your stated conversion rate now matches what you actually pay.
Other Costs Beyond the Per-Sale Cut
The per-sale percentage is only one piece of your total Shopify cost. A few other costs stack on top:
- Monthly subscription fee
- Apps
- Themes
- Staff accounts
Our Shopify pricing guide covers the full subscription breakdown for every plan. For the complete hidden-cost picture beyond the card rate, Shopify transaction fees covers app costs and other charges sellers often miss.
Deciding between Shopify Payments and an outside processor?
Our Shopify Payments guide covers the eligibility rules and setup steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Shopify charge anything if I don’t make a sale?
No. Per-sale fees only apply to completed sales. Your monthly subscription is separate, and it applies whether you sell anything or not.
Does Shopify take a cut of the shipping charge?
It depends on the fee. Shopify’s third-party fee is calculated on the order amount after discounts, plus tax and shipping. Shopify Payments processing fees follow their own rules by market and payment method, so check your own account before assuming one formula covers everything.
Is there a fee when I issue a refund?
Yes, in a sense. The card fee is not returned to you when you refund an order, so you keep paying for a sale that no longer exists.
Does Shopify charge extra for accepting PayPal?
Not through the third-party fee. Shopify excludes PayPal Express Checkout from that fee when Shopify Payments is active. PayPal’s own processing fees can still apply on top, so PayPal isn’t free, it just isn’t double-charged by Shopify.
How much does Shopify take per sale on Plus at very high volume?
It depends on your contract. Shopify’s published Plus rate is 2.15% plus 30 cents domestic, but very high-volume merchants can often negotiate below that.
Does Shopify charge the same rate for every card type?
No. Debit cards, standard credit cards, and premium rewards cards can carry slightly different rates. The rates in this guide are Shopify’s published US rates for the scenarios described.
Does monthly billing change how much Shopify takes per sale?
No. The card rate and third-party fee stay the same on monthly or annual billing. Only your subscription price changes, not the per-sale cut.
Did Shopify change how currency conversion fees are calculated?
Yes. Starting April 6, 2026, Shopify calculates these fees on the full order amount instead of the amount left after other fees. If you sell internationally, this changed your effective rate slightly.
Last updated: August 2026. This breakdown reflects Shopify’s published US rates as of this update, cross-checked against Shopify’s own billing overview.
Rates can change and vary by country, so confirm your exact numbers on Shopify’s pricing page before you commit to a plan.