Understanding What is Shopify Fee Per Sale in 2025

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Foundation of Shopify Costs: Subscription Tiers
3. Transaction Fees vs. Payment Processing Fees
4. The Impact of International and Specialized Transactions
5. Strategic Advantages of Digital Products
6. How App Fees Factor Into the "Per Sale" Equation
7. Maximizing Your Margins: Practical Strategies
8. Case Study: The Power of the Native Ecosystem
9. Comparing Shopify Fees to Other Platforms
10. The 0% Transaction Fee Advantage
11. The Long-Term Value of Your Own Brand URL
12. Conclusion
13. FAQ

Introduction

Imagine you are a successful merchant selling high-quality artisanal coffee beans. For every bag you ship, you navigate the complexities of inventory management, roasting schedules, and fluctuating shipping costs. Now, consider the possibility of selling a "Mastering the Home Brew" video course to those same customers. There are no beans to roast, no boxes to pack, and no postage to pay. However, there is still one critical number that dictates your final take-home profit: the cost of the transaction itself. Understanding what is shopify fee per sale is not just a matter of accounting; it is the difference between a business that barely breaks even and one that scales with healthy margins.

In the rapidly evolving world of the creator economy and e-commerce, the lines between physical and digital products are blurring. At Tevello, our mission is to turn any Shopify store into a digital learning powerhouse, allowing merchants to diversify their revenue without the traditional overhead of physical goods. But to do this effectively, you must first master the financial landscape of the platform you call home.

This blog post will provide an exhaustive breakdown of Shopify’s pricing architecture. We will explore the nuances of subscription tiers, the difference between payment processing and transaction fees, and the impact of third-party gateways on your bottom line. We will also discuss how adding digital products and memberships can significantly increase your Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) while providing a more stable, recurring revenue stream. By the end of this guide, you will have a clear blueprint for optimizing your store’s profitability and understanding exactly how much of every dollar stays in your pocket.

The Foundation of Shopify Costs: Subscription Tiers

Before diving into the per-sale percentages, it is essential to understand the fixed costs associated with your Shopify account. Shopify operates on a tiered subscription model, and the tier you choose directly impacts the transaction fees you pay. As your volume grows, moving to a higher-priced plan often pays for itself through lower per-sale costs.

The Basic Plan

The Basic plan is the entry point for most new entrepreneurs. It provides all the essential tools to launch an online store, including unlimited product listings and 24/7 support. Currently, this plan is priced at $39 per month (or $29 per month when billed annually).

On this plan, the per-sale fee for online credit card transactions is 2.9% + $0.30. This is the highest percentage across the core plans, making it ideal for those just starting out or those with lower transaction volumes.

The Shopify (Grow) Plan

Often referred to as the "Grow" plan, this tier is designed for businesses that have found their footing and are looking to scale. It costs $105 per month (or $79 per month annually).

The primary benefit of moving to this tier is the reduction in fees. Your online credit card processing rate drops to 2.6% + $0.30. For a store doing $10,000 in monthly sales, this 0.3% difference can save significant money over time, often justifying the jump in subscription cost. Additionally, this plan offers professional reports and more staff accounts.

The Advanced Plan

For high-volume merchants, the Advanced plan is the gold standard. It sits at $399 per month (or $299 per month annually). This tier offers the most competitive rates for credit card processing at 2.4% + $0.30 per sale.

When your business reaches a certain scale, these fractional percentage points represent thousands of dollars in annual savings. The Advanced plan also unlocks the custom report builder and third-party calculated shipping rates, which are vital for complex operations.

Shopify Plus and Enterprise Solutions

For the largest brands, Shopify Plus offers a customized, enterprise-grade environment. Pricing typically starts around $2,300 per month. While the subscription is significantly higher, the transaction fees are the lowest available and are often negotiated based on the merchant's specific needs and volume. If you are looking for a flat-rate plan that supports unlimited members, you may find that combining a robust Shopify setup with a dedicated digital product tool offers the best of both worlds.

Transaction Fees vs. Payment Processing Fees

One of the most common points of confusion for merchants is the distinction between "transaction fees" and "payment processing fees." These are not the same thing, and failing to understand the difference can lead to unexpected charges on your monthly bill.

What are Payment Processing Fees?

Payment processing fees are the costs associated with the actual movement of money from the customer’s bank to yours. These fees are charged by the payment gateway (like Shopify Payments, Stripe, or PayPal) to cover the costs of securing the transaction, preventing fraud, and coordinating with credit card companies like Visa and Mastercard.

If you use Shopify Payments, you only pay the processing fee associated with your plan (e.g., 2.9% + $0.30 on the Basic plan). There is no "extra" transaction fee on top of this.

What are Transaction Fees?

Transaction fees are charges imposed by Shopify for using a third-party payment provider instead of their native solution, Shopify Payments.

Shopify wants you to use their own ecosystem. If you choose to use an external provider like PayPal (as your primary gateway) or an external credit card processor, Shopify will charge you an additional fee on every sale:

• Basic Plan: 2.0% extra
• Shopify Plan: 1.0% extra
• Advanced Plan: 0.5% extra

For example, if you are on the Basic plan and use an external processor that charges 2.9%, your total cost per sale would be 4.9% + $0.30 (2.9% for the processor + 2% for Shopify). This is why the vast majority of merchants choose to use Shopify Payments whenever possible.

The Impact of International and Specialized Transactions

The question of "what is shopify fee per sale" gets more complicated when you sell to customers outside your home country or when they use specific types of cards.

International Credit Card Fees

When a customer makes a purchase using a credit card issued outside of your store's country, Shopify typically adds an additional 1% fee to the standard processing rate. Furthermore, if you are selling in multiple currencies, there is often a currency conversion fee (usually around 1.5% to 2% in the US and international markets).

In-Person Sales (Shopify POS)

If you have a physical presence—perhaps a pop-up shop or a permanent boutique—your per-sale fees are slightly different. Because the card is physically present, the risk of fraud is lower, and the fees reflect that:

• Basic: 2.6% + $0.10
• Shopify: 2.5% + $0.10
• Advanced: 2.4% + $0.10

Strategic Advantages of Digital Products

Understanding the fees on physical goods is only half the battle. To truly maximize your Shopify store's potential, you must consider the margin advantages of digital products, such as online courses, memberships, and digital downloads.

When you sell a physical item, your profit is squeezed by the "COGS" (Cost of Goods Sold), shipping, packaging, and the per-sale transaction fee. When you sell a digital product, the COGS and shipping disappear. This makes the transaction fee a much smaller portion of your overall margin.

For a merchant selling coffee beans, creating a 'Barista Basics' video course is a high-margin upsell that requires no shipping boxes. By integrating digital learning, you can see how merchants are earning six figures by leveraging their existing brand authority to sell knowledge alongside their physical inventory.

We believe that merchants should own their customer data and brand experience. This is why we created a solution that keeps customers on your own URL. Unlike third-party course platforms that might charge high monthly fees and additional "success fees" on every student you enroll, we focus on a "Native Shopify Integration." This ensures that when a customer buys a course, the transaction happens through your Shopify checkout, following the exact fee structure of your Shopify plan.

Diversifying Revenue Streams

Adding a digital component to your business helps build recurring revenue stability. Instead of relying solely on one-off physical purchases, a membership model allows you to predict monthly income. This stability is the bedrock of a sustainable business. By using all the key features for courses and communities, you can transform a simple store into a destination for your customers.

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

How App Fees Factor Into the "Per Sale" Equation

While not strictly a "per sale" fee in the same way credit card processing is, app costs are a vital part of your operational overhead. Most Shopify apps charge a monthly subscription, but some also include usage-based fees.

When you are calculating your true profit per sale, you should amortize your total app spend across your order volume. For example, if you spend $100 a month on apps and process 100 orders, each order effectively costs an extra $1.00 in app fees.

This is why we are transparent about our pricing. We reject complicated tier structures and hidden "success fees." At Tevello, our model is simple:

The Unlimited Plan: $29.99 per month.

This plan includes:

• Unlimited courses and students.
• Unlimited video hosting and bandwidth.
• Community features (profiles, member directories, social feeds).
• Drip content scheduling and quizzes.
• 0% Transaction Fees: You keep 100% of what you earn from your digital products (after your standard Shopify processing fees).

Many other course platforms will take a 5% to 10% "success fee" on every sale. When you are asking "what is shopify fee per sale," the last thing you want is another platform taking a second bite of the apple. With our flat-rate approach, your costs remain predictable as you scale.

Maximizing Your Margins: Practical Strategies

To keep more of your revenue, you must be proactive in how you manage your store's finances. Here are several strategies to reduce the impact of fees:

1. Encourage Shopify Payments

As discussed, using Shopify Payments eliminates the extra 0.5% to 2.0% transaction fee. It also provides a more seamless checkout experience, which can improve conversion rates.

2. Audit Your Apps Regularly

It is easy to install an app for a specific promotion and then forget to uninstall it. Every unnecessary $10/month app is eating into your margins. Look for all-in-one solutions that replace multiple individual apps. For instance, having your courses, community, and digital products in one place can save you from paying for three separate subscriptions.

3. Focus on Customer Retention and LTV

The cost of acquiring a new customer is high. By selling digital products or memberships to your existing customers, you increase their lifetime value without the added cost of advertising. You can find examples of successful content monetization on Shopify that prove how upselling digital value to physical product buyers can transform a business's bottom line.

4. Leverage Native Integrations

Using tools that integrate natively with Shopify's checkout is crucial. It simplifies the customer journey and ensures you aren't paying for "bridge" software to connect two different platforms. A unified login that reduces customer support friction is not just a convenience; it’s a cost-saving measure that prevents lost sales due to technical frustration.

Case Study: The Power of the Native Ecosystem

Consider the journey of a merchant migrating over 14,000 members and reducing support tickets by moving to a native Shopify environment. When businesses operate across multiple platforms (e.g., WordPress for content, Teachable for courses, and Shopify for products), they often face a "tech tax." This tax comes in the form of multiple subscriptions, API connector fees, and the human cost of managing customer login issues across different systems.

By predictable pricing without hidden transaction fees, and bringing all these elements under one roof, merchants can eliminate the friction that causes cart abandonment. When a customer can buy a physical tool and the instructional course for it in a single transaction, the merchant only pays one $0.30 fixed fee rather than two. Over thousands of orders, this adds up significantly.

Unifying a fragmented system into a single Shopify store also allows for better data tracking. When you know exactly which physical products lead to digital course purchases, you can refine your marketing spend and focus on your most profitable "per sale" pathways.

Comparing Shopify Fees to Other Platforms

While Shopify’s fees can seem complex, they are often more competitive than the alternatives when you factor in the "all-in-one" nature of the platform.

• Marketplaces (Etsy, Amazon): These platforms often take 15% or more of every sale, plus listing fees and advertising costs. You also don't own the customer relationship.
• Standalone Course Platforms: Platforms like Kajabi or Teachable often have high monthly fees and may still charge transaction fees unless you are on their most expensive plans.
• Self-Hosted (WooCommerce): While the software is free, you pay for hosting, security, and multiple plugins, and you still have to pay payment processing fees to providers like Stripe.

Shopify strikes a balance by providing a world-class infrastructure for a predictable monthly cost. When you add a tool like Tevello to the mix, you turn that infrastructure into a digital powerhouse without the "per-student" or "per-course" fees that plague other systems.

The 0% Transaction Fee Advantage

We want to emphasize the importance of the "No Hidden Fees" advantage. If you sell a digital course for $100 on the Shopify Basic plan:

1. Shopify Payments Processing: Takes $3.20 (2.9% + $0.30).
2. Tevello: Takes $0.00.
3. Your Net: $96.80.

Compare this to a platform that takes a 5% "success fee." On that same $100 sale, you would lose an additional $5.00, bringing your take-home down to $91.80. As you grow, this $5.00 difference becomes a massive drain on your resources. By choosing a partner that doesn't penalize your success, you can reinvest that money into better content, more advertising, or improved customer service.

Start your 14-day free trial and build your first course now to see how simple it is to add these high-margin products to your store. You can build your entire curriculum and community before you ever pay a cent toward a subscription.

The Long-Term Value of Your Own Brand URL

Beyond the immediate question of "what is shopify fee per sale," there is a strategic value to where your sales happen. When you redirect a customer to a third-party site to access their digital content, you are essentially training them to leave your brand.

By keeping customers on your own URL, you maintain control of the pixel data, the branding, and the secondary marketing opportunities. If a customer is watching your course on your site, they are only one click away from buying your next physical product. This proximity is what drives high LTV.

Seeing how the app natively integrates with Shopify will show you how seamless the transition can be from a traditional e-commerce store to a full-scale learning community.

Conclusion

Understanding the financial mechanics of your store is the first step toward long-term success. While Shopify’s fee structure—ranging from 2.4% to 2.9% plus a fixed fee—is a standard part of doing business online, how you navigate those costs makes all the difference. By leveraging Shopify Payments, auditing your app expenses, and diversifying into high-margin digital products, you can significantly protect your bottom line.

At Tevello, we are committed to helping you maximize your profit potential. Our mission is to provide the tools you need to build a thriving digital ecosystem directly within your Shopify store, with total pricing transparency and 0% transaction fees on our part. Whether you are selling coffee beans and brewing courses or fitness gear and workout memberships, the goal remains the same: building a loyal community and a sustainable, profitable business.

Don't let the complexity of fees hold you back. Focus on the benefits of the digital business model: diversifying your revenue, increasing your LTV, and building a brand that customers never want to leave.

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

FAQ

1. Does Shopify take a percentage of every sale?

Yes, Shopify charges a payment processing fee for every transaction handled through Shopify Payments. This fee varies based on your plan tier (2.9% + $0.30 for Basic, 2.6% + $0.30 for Shopify, and 2.4% + $0.30 for Advanced). If you use a third-party payment gateway, Shopify also charges an additional transaction fee ranging from 0.5% to 2.0%.

2. How can I avoid Shopify's extra transaction fees?

The most effective way to avoid additional transaction fees is to use Shopify Payments as your primary payment gateway. When you use Shopify’s native payment solution, the extra 0.5% to 2.0% fee is waived, and you only pay the standard credit card processing rate associated with your plan.

3. Are there additional fees for selling digital courses on Shopify?

Shopify itself does not charge extra "digital-specific" fees; the standard transaction rates apply. However, if you use a third-party app to host your courses, that app may charge a monthly fee or a percentage of your sales. Tevello charges a flat monthly fee of $29.99 for our Unlimited Plan and 0% transaction fees, ensuring you keep 100% of your earnings after Shopify’s processing costs.

4. What is the difference between an online fee and an in-person (POS) fee?

Online fees are typically higher because the credit card is not physically present, which carries a slightly higher risk of fraud. In-person fees (using Shopify POS) are generally lower, ranging from 2.4% to 2.6% + $0.10, depending on your Shopify subscription plan.