What Are Shopify Transaction Fees?
Shopify transaction fees are charges associated with processing customer payments: card-processing fees when you use Shopify Payments, or an additional Shopify surcharge when you use a third-party payment provider. These costs reduce the amount you keep from each order, so include them when setting prices and estimating profit.
Your exact rate can depend on your Shopify plan, payment method, and location. This calculator estimates fees using your order value, monthly orders, plan, and payment provider choice; your external gateway may charge separate fees.
Shopify Transaction Fee Formulas
Shopify Payments fee per order
Transaction fee = (Order value × plan percentage rate) + fixed fee
The plan rates used here are 2.9% + $0.30 for Basic, 2.6% + $0.30 for Shopify, and 2.4% + $0.30 for Advanced.
Shopify third-party transaction fee
Shopify surcharge = Order value × plan surcharge rate
The surcharge rates are 2.0% on Basic, 1.0% on Shopify, and 0.6% on Advanced. This is separate from the payment processor’s own charge.
Estimated monthly fees
Monthly fees = Fee per order × Monthly orders
Profit after product cost and Shopify fee
Profit per order = Order value − Product cost − Shopify fee
This profit figure does not include costs such as shipping, packaging, advertising, refunds, or the Shopify subscription.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter Order Value — use the total amount the customer pays at checkout.
- Enter Monthly Orders — provide your estimated order count to project monthly transaction fees.
- Select Shopify Plan — choose your current plan because it determines the applicable rate.
- Set Use Shopify Payments — leave this enabled if you process payments through Shopify Payments; uncheck it if you use a third-party gateway.
- Enter Product Cost — add the per-order cost of the product to estimate profit after product cost and fees.
- Review the results — compare the fee per order, projected monthly fees, and remaining profit as you change your inputs.
If you use an outside gateway, check its pricing separately: the gateway’s processing fee is distinct from Shopify’s surcharge.
Step-by-Step Example
Suppose a Shopify merchant sells a skincare set for $49.99, receives 200 orders per month, uses the Basic plan with Shopify Payments, and pays $20.00 for the product.
| Calculation | Math | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage processing fee | $49.99 × 0.029 | $1.44971 |
| Fixed processing fee | $0.30 | |
| Total Shopify fee per order | $1.44971 + $0.30 | $1.75 |
| Estimated monthly fees | $1.74971 × 200 | $349.94 |
| Profit after product cost and fee | $49.99 − $20.00 − $1.74971 | $28.24 |
The fee is about 3.5% of the order value after rounding. The remaining profit is before other expenses, so it is not the same as net profit.
Shopify Payments vs. a Third-Party Gateway
Shopify Payments avoids Shopify’s additional third-party transaction surcharge, but it still has card-processing fees. With another gateway, you may pay both that provider’s processing charge and Shopify’s plan-based surcharge. Compare the combined cost, not just one rate.
For a general comparison, use the Shopify Payments vs Gateway Calculator. To compare subscription and processing costs across plans at your sales volume, try the Shopify Plan Comparison Calculator.
Transaction charges are variable expenses: they rise as order volume or order value increases. Keep fee reports and processor statements with your bookkeeping records; the IRS recordkeeping guide explains why businesses should keep records that support income and expenses. To estimate fees alongside apps, subscriptions, and other running costs, use the Shopify Total Cost of Ownership Calculator.
Fee Benchmarks by Order Value
The table shows how Shopify Payments’ fixed $0.30 charge affects the effective fee on different order sizes under the Basic rate. It excludes refunds, currency conversion, and other payment-provider charges.
| Order value | Fee calculation | Fee | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $10.00 × 2.9% + $0.30 | $0.59 | 5.9% |
| $25.00 | $25.00 × 2.9% + $0.30 | $1.03 | 4.1% |
| $100.00 | $100.00 × 2.9% + $0.30 | $3.20 | 3.2% |
The percentage rate stays constant, but the fixed charge takes a larger share of small orders. Compare your prices with your market before changing them; the SBA’s market research guide covers how to assess customer demand and competing offers.
6 Ways to Test Lower Fee Costs
- Model a higher plan: Change your plan from Basic to Advanced at $12,000 in monthly order revenue and compare the reduction in percentage fees with the higher subscription cost. Use the Shopify Plan Comparison Calculator to include plan pricing.
- Compare payment providers: Change Use Shopify Payments from enabled to disabled and add your gateway’s own rate to the comparison. A lower gateway rate may not offset Shopify’s extra surcharge.
- Test a larger basket: Change your average order value from $18 to $30 by modeling a bundle or add-on. The fixed fee becomes a smaller percentage of the order, although the percentage-based fee still applies to the full value.
- Review low-value products: Test a $7 order against a bundle priced at $21. If customers accept the bundle, the fixed fee applies once rather than across three separate orders.
- Check plan break-even revenue: Test $25,000 in monthly sales and compare the plan’s lower fee rate against its added monthly subscription cost. For a Plus decision, use the Shopify Plus Break-Even Calculator.
- Include overlooked costs: Add your monthly app spend to your cost review instead of treating transaction fees as your only platform expense. The Shopify App Stack Cost Calculator can show the app cost per order.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Shopify charge per transaction?
With Shopify Payments, fees are 2.9% + $0.30 (Basic), 2.6% + $0.30 (Shopify), or 2.4% + $0.30 (Advanced) per transaction. On a $50 order on the Basic plan, the fee is $1.75; using a third-party payment gateway adds a Shopify surcharge of 0.6%–2.0%, in addition to the gateway’s fees.
What is the Shopify third-party transaction fee?
When you do not use Shopify Payments, Shopify charges an extra fee per transaction: 2.0% on Basic, 1.0% on Shopify, and 0.6% on Advanced. This is in addition to whatever your payment gateway charges, while using Shopify Payments removes this extra Shopify fee.
How do Shopify fees affect my profit margin?
On a $50 order with the Basic plan, Shopify Payments takes about $1.75, or 3.5% of the order value. That cost can take a meaningful share of a low-margin product’s profit, so compare the calculator’s fee estimate with product cost and other per-order expenses before setting a price.
Does the $0.30 per transaction fee add up?
Yes, particularly when orders have low values, because the fixed charge takes up more of each sale. On a $10 order, $0.30 alone is 3% of the order; at 200 orders per month, fixed fees total $60 before the percentage fees are added.
Can I reduce Shopify transaction fees?
You can model several options: switch to Shopify Payments to avoid Shopify’s third-party surcharge, compare a higher plan’s lower processing rate against its subscription cost, and test whether bundles can raise average order value. Shopify Plus merchants may also qualify for custom rates, so compare your actual offer rather than assuming an upgrade always saves money.
About This Calculator
The Shopify Transaction Fee Calculator was built by Luis Dev Studio for Shopify merchants estimating per-order fees and monthly totals. For help reviewing your store’s costs, visit Luis Dev Studio services or contact us.
Updated by Luis Gonzalez · Aug 20, 2026