Shopify does not charge one single percentage on every transaction. The amount a merchant pays depends on the Shopify plan, the country where the store is based, whether the store uses Shopify Payments, whether the order is online or in person, and whether additional costs such as currency conversion or international card fees apply. For most sellers, the practical answer is that Shopify charges either payment processing fees, third-party transaction fees, or both, depending on the payment setup.
TLDR: If you use Shopify Payments, Shopify usually does not charge an extra third-party transaction fee, but you still pay credit card processing fees such as around 2.9% + 30¢ on the Basic plan in the United States. If you use an outside payment gateway, Shopify may add a separate transaction fee, commonly around 2%, 1%, or 0.6% depending on your plan. Exact rates vary by country, plan, card type, and sales channel, so merchants should always confirm the current figures inside Shopify’s official pricing page and admin settings.
Understanding Shopify’s Transaction Costs
When people ask, “What percentage does Shopify charge on each transaction?”, they are often referring to two different types of costs. The first is the payment processing fee, which is the fee charged for accepting a debit card, credit card, wallet payment, or similar electronic payment. The second is Shopify’s third-party transaction fee, which may apply when a merchant chooses not to use Shopify Payments and instead processes payments through another provider.
This distinction is important. A store using Shopify Payments may pay only the credit card processing rate. A store using PayPal, Authorize.net, or another external gateway may pay the external provider’s processing fee plus Shopify’s additional third-party transaction fee. That difference can significantly affect profit margins, especially for stores with high order volume or low-margin products.
Shopify Payments: The Most Common Fee Structure
Shopify Payments is Shopify’s integrated payment solution. It allows merchants to accept major credit cards and other payment methods directly through Shopify without setting up a separate gateway. In countries where Shopify Payments is available, using it is often the simplest way to reduce additional transaction costs.
In the United States, typical Shopify Payments online credit card rates have commonly been listed around the following levels:
- Basic plan: approximately 2.9% + 30¢ per online transaction.
- Shopify plan: approximately 2.7% + 30¢ per online transaction.
- Advanced plan: approximately 2.5% + 30¢ per online transaction.
For in-person payments through Shopify POS, the rates are usually lower than online card rates because the fraud risk is generally lower. In-person rates in the United States are often around:
- Basic plan: approximately 2.6% + 10¢.
- Shopify plan: approximately 2.5% + 10¢.
- Advanced plan: approximately 2.4% + 10¢.
These figures are useful benchmarks, but they should not be treated as universal. Shopify’s fees can differ by region, and pricing can change over time. The exact rate applicable to a store is shown in the merchant’s Shopify admin and on Shopify’s official pricing page for the relevant country.
What If You Do Not Use Shopify Payments?
If a merchant uses a third-party payment provider instead of Shopify Payments, Shopify may charge an additional transaction fee. This fee is separate from whatever the external payment processor charges. In other words, the merchant may pay two layers of payment-related costs.
Common third-party transaction fee percentages are:
- Basic plan: around 2% per transaction.
- Shopify plan: around 1% per transaction.
- Advanced plan: around 0.6% per transaction.
For Shopify Plus, the rate is typically negotiated or set under enterprise-level terms, and it can vary depending on the agreement. Some smaller or specialized plans may also use different rates. For example, entry-level selling plans may carry higher simplified transaction pricing.
This means that if your external processor charges 2.9% + 30¢ and Shopify adds a 2% third-party transaction fee, the effective transaction cost may be much higher than expected. For a $100 order, a 2% third-party fee alone equals $2 before the external processor’s fees are added.
Example: Cost on a $100 Online Order
To make the numbers clearer, consider a simple $100 online order from a U.S. store using Shopify Payments.
- On the Basic plan, a rate of 2.9% + 30¢ would equal $3.20.
- On the Shopify plan, a rate of 2.7% + 30¢ would equal $3.00.
- On the Advanced plan, a rate of 2.5% + 30¢ would equal $2.80.
Now compare that with a store using an external payment gateway on the Basic plan. If the outside processor charges 2.9% + 30¢ and Shopify adds a 2% third-party transaction fee, the total cost on a $100 order could be approximately $5.20. That difference matters when multiplied across hundreds or thousands of monthly orders.
Does Shopify Charge Per Sale or Per Payout?
Shopify’s payment processing fees are generally calculated per transaction, not per payout. If a customer places an order, the processing fee is assessed on that order. Payouts are the deposits Shopify sends to your bank account, usually combining multiple transactions after deducting fees, refunds, chargebacks, and adjustments.
This is important for accounting. A merchant may see one deposit from Shopify but that deposit could represent many individual orders. The fees attached to those orders are usually visible in the payment and payout details within Shopify admin.
Are Refunds Subject to Shopify Fees?
Refund policies for processing fees can vary by country and processor rules. In many cases, when a merchant refunds an order, the customer receives the refunded amount, but the original payment processing fee may not be returned to the merchant. This is common across the payments industry, not unique to Shopify.
Merchants should review Shopify’s current refund and payment terms for their region. For businesses with frequent returns, this can have a noticeable financial impact. A high return rate does not only affect revenue; it can also increase the real cost of payment processing as a percentage of retained sales.
Additional Fees That Can Affect the Final Percentage
The headline percentage is not always the full story. Depending on the store and customer, other costs may apply.
- International card fees: Orders paid with cards issued outside the merchant’s country may carry additional charges.
- Currency conversion fees: If a customer pays in one currency and the merchant receives funds in another, conversion fees may apply.
- Chargeback fees: If a customer disputes a transaction, Shopify or the payment processor may charge a dispute fee.
- App fees: Some payment, subscription, upsell, or checkout-related apps charge separate fees.
- POS hardware or software fees: Retail sellers using Shopify POS may have additional costs beyond transaction processing.
These costs do not always appear in the simple advertised payment rate, but they can affect net profitability. A responsible merchant should calculate the total cost of accepting payments, not just the published percentage.
Why the Shopify Plan Level Matters
Higher Shopify plans usually come with lower payment processing rates and lower third-party transaction fees. This creates a tradeoff: the monthly subscription cost is higher, but the percentage paid on each order may be lower. For stores with enough sales volume, upgrading to a higher plan can sometimes reduce total costs.
For example, if a store processes $50,000 per month in online card sales, a difference of 0.2 percentage points equals $100 per month before considering fixed per-transaction fees. At higher volumes, the savings can become more meaningful. However, for small or new stores, the lower monthly cost of the Basic plan may still make more sense.
The right plan should be chosen by looking at both monthly subscription fees and transaction economics. Merchants should also consider reporting features, staff accounts, shipping tools, and operational needs.
How to Estimate Your Real Shopify Transaction Percentage
To estimate your true cost, use a practical formula:
- Step 1: Identify your Shopify plan.
- Step 2: Confirm whether you use Shopify Payments or a third-party gateway.
- Step 3: Find your online and in-person processing rates.
- Step 4: Add any third-party transaction fee if you do not use Shopify Payments.
- Step 5: Include likely international, currency conversion, chargeback, and refund-related costs.
- Step 6: Divide total payment-related costs by total sales to find your effective percentage.
For instance, if you processed $20,000 in sales and paid $640 in payment-related fees, your effective transaction cost would be 3.2%. This type of calculation is more useful than looking at a single advertised fee because it reflects the reality of your store’s orders.
Shopify Payments vs. Third-Party Gateways
For many merchants, Shopify Payments is financially attractive because it avoids Shopify’s additional third-party transaction fee. It is also operationally convenient because payment management, fraud analysis, payouts, and order records are integrated into the Shopify admin.
However, third-party gateways can still make sense in certain situations. Some merchants need a processor that supports a particular country, industry, payment method, risk profile, or banking arrangement. Others may already have negotiated favorable rates with an external processor. In those cases, the merchant should compare the full combined cost, including Shopify’s extra transaction fee.
The best choice is not always the lowest advertised rate. Reliability, fraud protection, customer payment preferences, payout timing, dispute handling, and geographic availability also matter.
Final Answer: What Percentage Does Shopify Charge?
In practical terms, Shopify’s percentage per transaction depends primarily on whether you use Shopify Payments. If you use Shopify Payments, you generally pay the card processing rate, often around 2.5% to 2.9% plus a fixed fee for online transactions in the United States, depending on your plan. If you use a third-party payment provider, Shopify may add an extra transaction fee, commonly around 2%, 1%, or 0.6% depending on the plan, in addition to the provider’s own fees.
The most trustworthy way to answer the question for your business is to check the rates shown for your country, plan, and payment method inside Shopify. Treat the published percentages as a starting point, then calculate your effective cost using actual order data. For serious ecommerce operators, understanding this number is essential because even a small percentage difference can have a large impact on long-term profitability.