Does Shopify Take Money From Sales? Fees and Margins Explained

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Does Shopify Take a Cut on Every Sale?
3. Breaking Down the Shopify Fee Structure
4. The Math of Upgrading: When to Move Up
5. Hidden Costs: Apps and Integrations
6. Diversifying Revenue to Offset Fees
7. The Tevello Advantage: Keeping More of Your Money
8. Lessons from Successful Shopify Merchants
9. Checklist for Reducing Your Shopify Costs
10. Managing the "Cut" While Scaling
11. Why Branding and Data Ownership Matter
12. Conclusion
13. FAQ

Introduction

Did you know that the global e-learning market is projected to soar past $325 billion by 2025? In the midst of this massive shift toward the creator economy, thousands of entrepreneurs are moving their expertise onto Shopify, only to be met with a burning question during their first payout: "Does Shopify take money from sales?" The short answer is yes, but the long answer involves a sophisticated balance of platform costs, payment processing, and strategic scaling. When you launch a store, you aren't just paying for a website; you are renting a high-performance engine designed to handle global commerce at the click of a button.

The purpose of this blog post is to pull back the curtain on Shopify’s financial ecosystem. We will explore the differences between subscription fees, transaction fees, and credit card processing rates, while also showing you how to optimize your business model to keep more of your hard-earned revenue. Whether you are selling handcrafted physical goods or looking to turn your expertise into a digital learning powerhouse, understanding these costs is the first step toward building a sustainable, high-margin business. We believe that by mastering the math behind Shopify's fees, you can shift your focus from "losing a cut" to "investing in growth."

Does Shopify Take a Cut on Every Sale?

When a merchant asks if Shopify takes money from their sales, they are usually referring to one of two distinct charges: transaction fees or payment processing fees. It is vital to distinguish between the two, as they impact your bottom line in very different ways.

Shopify takes a percentage of your sales to cover the cost of maintaining the infrastructure required to process secure payments and manage high-traffic checkouts. If you were to build this system yourself, you would be responsible for PCI compliance, server maintenance, and negotiating individual rates with banks. Shopify streamlines this, but that convenience comes with a cost structure tied to your sales volume.

The most important thing to remember is that "Shopify's cut" isn't a static number. It fluctuates based on the plan you choose and the payment gateway you use. For instance, if you use Shopify Payments—the platform’s own gateway—you can effectively eliminate the "transaction fee" entirely. However, you will still pay the "credit card processing fee," which is the fee charged by banks to move money from the customer’s card to your account.

Breaking Down the Shopify Fee Structure

Understanding Shopify’s fees requires looking at three specific layers: monthly subscriptions, payment processing, and third-party transaction fees. Each layer serves a different function in the ecosystem of your store.

Monthly Subscription Fees

This is your "rent" for using the platform. Shopify offers several tiers to accommodate everyone from hobbyists to enterprise-level brands.

• Basic Plan: Typically costs $39 per month. It is the starting point for most new merchants.
• Shopify Plan: Often referred to as the "Grow" plan, costing $105 per month, offering better reporting and lower processing rates.
• Advanced Plan: Priced at $399 per month, designed for high-volume sellers who need granular data and the lowest available rates.

Credit Card Processing Fees

Whenever a customer uses a credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), a processing fee is triggered. On the Basic plan, this is typically 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction. As you move up to the Shopify and Advanced plans, this percentage drops (to 2.6% and 2.4% respectively). While a 0.5% difference might seem negligible when you are making $1,000 a month, it becomes a significant factor once your store scales.

Third-Party Transaction Fees

If you choose not to use Shopify Payments and instead opt for an external gateway like PayPal or Authorize.net, Shopify will charge an additional transaction fee. This ranges from 2% on the Basic plan to 0.5% on the Advanced plan. This is on top of whatever the external gateway charges you. This is why we almost always recommend using Shopify Payments where available—it is the most direct way to reduce the amount of money Shopify takes from your sales.

The Math of Upgrading: When to Move Up

Many merchants stay on the Basic plan for too long, fearing the jump to $105 or $399 per month. However, there is a "break-even point" where the lower credit card fees on the higher plans actually save you more money than the increased subscription cost.

For example, if you are generating $20,000 in monthly sales, the 0.3% difference in processing fees between the Basic and Shopify plans results in a $60 saving. When you combine this with the better shipping discounts and advanced reporting available on the higher tier, the upgrade often pays for itself.

At Tevello, we advocate for predictable pricing without hidden transaction fees because we know how much merchant margins matter. Just as you would calculate the ROI of a higher Shopify plan, you should also consider the ROI of the tools you use to deliver your products. A fixed-cost model allows you to scale your community and course enrollments without being penalized for your success.

Hidden Costs: Apps and Integrations

Beyond the core platform fees, your monthly bill often includes charges for third-party apps. The Shopify App Store is a goldmine for functionality, but it is easy to accumulate "app bloat." Many apps charge a percentage of sales or have complex tiered structures based on your user count.

Consider a merchant selling coffee beans who wants to offer a "Barista Basics" video course as a high-margin upsell. If they use a platform that takes a "success fee" of 5% to 10% on every course sold, their margins are being squeezed from both Shopify and the app provider. This is why we emphasize a flat-rate plan that supports unlimited members. By choosing tools with transparent pricing, you can forecast your expenses with precision, ensuring that your digital products remain as profitable as possible.

Diversifying Revenue to Offset Fees

If you are worried about the cut Shopify takes from your physical product sales, one of the best strategies is to diversify into digital goods. Physical products involve COGS (Cost of Goods Sold), shipping, packaging, and potential returns. Digital products, such as courses or memberships, have high upfront development costs but nearly zero marginal costs per sale.

When you sell a $100 physical product, after Shopify fees, shipping, and product costs, your net profit might be $30. When you sell a $100 digital course through our platform, your net profit (after only the Shopify processing fee) could be closer to $96.

At Tevello, our mission is to turn any Shopify store into a digital learning powerhouse. We believe that by adding a digital layer to your existing business, you can significantly increase your Customer Lifetime Value (LTV). Imagine a fitness equipment store that sells dumbbells but also offers a monthly "Home Strength Community." The physical sale is the entry point, but the digital membership provides the recurring revenue stability that every business owner craves.

The Tevello Advantage: Keeping More of Your Money

We built Tevello with a specific philosophy: merchants should own their customer data and brand experience. Many third-party course platforms require you to send your customers away from your store to a different URL (like yourbrand.teachable.com). This not only disrupts the brand experience but also complicates your data tracking.

Our "Native Shopify Integration" ensures a seamless checkout experience. Your customers use the payment gateways you already trust, and they never leave your domain. This unified login reduces customer support friction because the same account they use to buy physical gear is the one they use to access their digital content.

Furthermore, we reject the idea of taking a "success fee." While other apps might charge you more as you grow, we offer all the key features for courses and communities under a single, transparent plan. Our Unlimited Plan is just $29.99 per month and includes:

• Unlimited courses and students.
• Unlimited video hosting and bandwidth.
• Community features (profiles, directories, social feeds).
• Drip content and quizzes.
• 0% transaction fees from our side.

By keeping customers at home on the brand website, you build deeper brand loyalty. You aren't just selling a one-off product; you are building an ecosystem where your physical and digital products live side-by-side.

Lessons from Successful Shopify Merchants

Looking at real-world examples can help illustrate how to navigate Shopify fees while building a massive business. We have seen firsthand how one brand sold $112K+ by bundling courses with their physical products. By using a native integration, they avoided the trap of paying multiple platform fees and kept their customers inside their own ecosystem.

Another powerful strategy is generating revenue from both physical and digital goods to create a "hedge" against rising shipping or manufacturing costs. When your margins on physical products are thin, your digital offerings provide the "cushion" needed to keep the business healthy.

You can see how merchants are earning six figures by moving away from fragmented systems and centralizing their business on Shopify. These success stories from brands using native courses highlight a common theme: the most profitable merchants are the ones who optimize their tech stack to reduce unnecessary "cuts" from third-party services.

Checklist for Reducing Your Shopify Costs

If you want to ensure Shopify is taking the smallest amount possible from your sales, follow this optimization checklist:

1. Activate Shopify Payments: If you are in a supported region, this is the #1 way to eliminate the 0.5%–2% transaction fee.
2. Audit Your Apps: Look for apps that charge a percentage of sales. Replace them with flat-fee alternatives like Tevello to keep your costs predictable.
3. Calculate Your Break-Even Point: Don't be afraid to move to the $105 or $399 plan if your monthly sales volume justifies the lower processing rates.
4. Avoid Third-Party Gateways: While offering PayPal is great for conversion, remember that you may pay an extra fee to Shopify for not using their primary system. Use Shopify Payments as your lead option.
5. Focus on Digital Upsells: Increase your average order value (AOV) with digital products that carry 0% transaction fees from the app provider and no shipping costs.
6. Pay Annually: Shopify often offers significant discounts (up to 25%) if you pay for your subscription annually rather than monthly.

If unifying your stack is a priority, start by a simple, all-in-one price for unlimited courses.

Managing the "Cut" While Scaling

Scaling a business is as much about managing expenses as it is about increasing revenue. As you grow, you will notice that the "fixed" costs (like your $29.99 Tevello plan) become a smaller and smaller percentage of your total revenue, while "variable" costs (like Shopify's 2.9% fee) grow in tandem with your sales.

This is the beauty of the digital product model on Shopify. Since Tevello provides seeing how the app natively integrates with Shopify to handle the delivery of your content, you can focus your energy on marketing. Whether you have 100 students or 10,000, your app cost remains the same. This allows for exponential profit growth—a rarity in the world of physical retail.

We encourage you to start your 14-day free trial and build your first course now. During this trial period, you can build your entire curriculum and community structure without paying a cent. This gives you the opportunity to validate your digital product idea before it ever impacts your margins.

Why Branding and Data Ownership Matter

One of the secondary "costs" of selling online is the loss of customer data. When you use platforms that redirect your customers, you often lose the ability to track their behavior effectively via pixels or advanced analytics. By keeping everything on Shopify, you maintain a "single source of truth."

You can see exactly which physical product purchase led to a course enrollment. You can identify your "super-fans" who engage in the community and buy every new release. This data is worth more than the small percentage Shopify takes, as it allows you to run highly targeted, high-ROI marketing campaigns.

Our goal is to ensure you never have to compromise your brand's look and feel. Your courses and community should look like they were custom-built for your store, not like a bolted-on afterthought. This professional appearance justifies higher price points, which in turn makes the platform fees feel like a small investment in a premium experience.

Conclusion

Understanding "does Shopify take money from sales" is the mark of a savvy business owner. While the platform does take a small cut to provide you with world-class security, hosting, and checkout capabilities, you have significant control over how much you ultimately pay. By choosing the right plan, using Shopify Payments, and diversifying into high-margin digital products, you can build a highly profitable brand that stands the test of time.

At Tevello, we are committed to helping you maximize your margins. Our Unlimited Plan at $29.99 per month offers a robust ecosystem where your physical and digital products coexist seamlessly. With 0% transaction fees on our end, you keep 100% of what you earn from your courses and memberships. Stop letting third-party platforms take a "success fee" from your hard work. Transform your Shopify store into a digital learning powerhouse today and start building a community that lives right on your domain.

To build your community without leaving Shopify, start by reviewing the Shopify App Store listing merchants install from.

FAQ

1. Can I sell courses and physical products on the same Shopify store?

Yes! In fact, we highly recommend this. By using Tevello, you can integrate your digital courses directly into your Shopify store. This allows you to bundle courses with physical goods (like a "Beginner's Guide to Photography" course sold with a camera) or offer them as standalone products. Everything is managed through one Shopify admin and one checkout process.

2. Does Tevello charge a fee for every course I sell?

No. Unlike many other course platforms that charge "success fees" or take a percentage of your sales, Tevello charges 0% transaction fees. You pay a flat monthly rate for our Unlimited Plan, and you keep 100% of your earnings from the digital products you sell. You only pay the standard payment processing fees required by Shopify or your chosen payment gateway.

3. Will my customers have to log in to a different website to see their courses?

No. One of our core values is keeping your customers on your own URL. Tevello features a native Shopify integration, meaning your customers use their existing Shopify account to access their digital content. They never leave your site, which creates a more professional brand experience and reduces login-related support tickets.

4. What happens to my course data if I want to upgrade my Shopify plan?

Your data is safe. Tevello is built to scale alongside your Shopify store. Whether you are on the Basic Shopify plan or have upgraded to Shopify Plus for better rates, our app continues to function seamlessly. You can even compare plan costs against total course revenue to see how our flat-rate pricing helps you maintain higher margins as your student base grows.