Shopify Fees Explained: Plans, Payments and Apps

Shopify’s pricing page shows one number per plan. Your monthly bill rarely matches it. Between card processing, a possible third-party gateway fee, Shopify Tax, a paid theme and a growing list of app subscriptions, many store owners pay noticeably more than the headline price.

This guide breaks down every layer of Shopify fees, explains when each applies and shows how to keep the total under control. Prices below reflect Shopify’s US pricing at the time of writing; Shopify changes pricing from time to time and shows different prices by country, so confirm on its pricing page before you commit.

The 4 layers of Shopify fees

Think of your Shopify costs in 4 layers:

1. Subscription: the monthly plan fee.
2. Payment processing: card rates on each sale through Shopify Payments.
3. Transaction fees: an extra percentage when you use a third-party payment provider.
4. Add-ons: apps, paid themes, domain, Shopify Tax above a threshold, shipping labels and point-of-sale extras.

Layers 1 and 4 are mostly fixed monthly costs. Layers 2 and 3 grow with your sales.

Shopify plan fees

Shopify also offers lighter plans, such as Starter, for selling through social media and links without a full online store. Shopify typically offers a short free trial for new stores, followed by a low-cost introductory period on select plans.

Annual billing lowers the effective monthly price on Basic, Grow and Advanced by roughly 25%. Shopify says subscription charges are generally non-refundable, so only pay yearly once you’re confident you’ll keep the store.

Payment processing fees

If you use Shopify Payments, you pay a card rate on each transaction: a percentage of the sale plus a fixed amount. Rates drop as you move up plans. At the time of writing, US online rates for standard domestic cards were commonly listed as follows:

A few details matter more than the headline rates:

• Card type changes the rate. Shopify separates standard cards (domestic consumer Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Diners Club) from premium cards (domestic business and commercial cards, and all domestic American Express cards), which cost more.
• International cards cost extra. Shopify adds a charge above the base rate for international cards and payment methods.
• Currency conversion has a fee. If you sell in multiple currencies, Shopify charges a conversion fee on converted transactions.
• Manually keyed cards cost more than online or tapped payments.
• Refunds don’t return card fees. Shopify says credit card fees aren’t returned when you refund an order.
• Chargebacks carry a fee. In the US, Shopify lists a $15 chargeback fee, which it returns if you win the dispute.

You can see your exact rates in the admin under Settings > Payments, by managing Shopify Payments and viewing payment rates.

Third-party payment provider fees

This is the fee many new sellers don’t expect. If you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments to process orders, Shopify charges a transaction fee on top of whatever that provider charges you: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus.

According to Shopify, these fees don’t apply to Shopify Payments, Shop Pay, Shop Pay Installments or manual payment methods, and PayPal is exempt when Shopify Payments is your primary provider. Shopify also says that for stores created on or after May 12, 2025, the fee can apply to orders paid with store credit or gift cards.

On a store selling $10,000 a month on Basic through a third-party provider, a 2% fee is $200 a month before the provider’s own processing. That’s why most US stores use Shopify Payments if they’re eligible.

Key takeaway: The cheapest Shopify setup for most US stores is Shopify Payments as your main provider. Using another gateway as your primary processor adds 0.2% to 2% on every sale, depending on your plan.

Apps: where Shopify costs creep

Apps are the biggest variable in a Shopify budget. The Shopify App Store has free apps, freemium apps with paid tiers and apps billed monthly or by usage. Charges appear on your Shopify bill, which makes it easy to lose track.

Common app categories new stores add:

How app creep happens: you install a free trial to test something, forget to uninstall it, and it starts billing. Or 3 apps each do part of what 1 app could do. Some apps also leave code in your theme after you remove them, which can slow your store.

How to control it:

• Review Settings > Billing every month and list every recurring app charge.
• Before installing an app, check whether Shopify or your theme already does it.
• Set a monthly app budget, for example a fixed share of revenue, and stick to it.
• Uninstall apps you haven’t used in 30 days.

Themes, domains and other add-ons

Themes: Shopify’s free themes are a solid start. Paid themes on the Shopify Theme Store are one-time purchases licensed to one store, with most listed in the low hundreds of dollars. Shopify’s help center says theme purchases are non-refundable, but you can preview a theme before buying.

Domain: You can buy a domain through Shopify or connect one you already own. Domains renew yearly.

Shopify Tax: Shopify’s help center says Shopify Tax is free up to $100,000 in sales. After that, US stores on Basic, Grow or Advanced pay 0.35% of transactions with calculated tax (0.25% on Plus), with a per-order cap of $0.99. For stores created on or after May 13, 2026, that threshold is lifetime rather than annual.

Shipping labels: You pay postage for each label you buy through Shopify, usually at discounted rates. See our guide on how to print shipping labels at home.

Point of sale: Basic POS features come with online plans. Shopify POS Pro, for advanced in-store features, is a paid add-on per location.

Marketplace channels: Shopify charges an additional fee on some synced marketplace orders above a free monthly allowance.

What a realistic monthly Shopify bill looks like

Here’s an illustrative example for a small store on Basic, billed monthly, selling $5,000 a month online through Shopify Payments in 100 orders, using US standard card rates above:

Your real total depends on card mix, international sales and apps. For a wider view of launch costs, including inventory and marketing, see how much it costs to start an online store.

Where to start: how to lower your Shopify fees

1. Use Shopify Payments as your primary provider if you’re eligible, to avoid third-party transaction fees.
2. Pick the plan your volume justifies. Upgrading to Grow lowers card rates and the third-party fee; compare the savings with the higher plan price at your monthly sales.
3. Pay yearly once your store is stable.
4. Audit apps monthly and remove anything you don’t use.
5. Start with a free theme and buy a paid one only for a feature you need.
6. Watch your card mix. If many customers pay with premium or international cards, factor that into pricing.
7. Reduce chargebacks with clear descriptions, tracking and fast responses to customer issues.

New to the platform? Our Shopify store setup guide covers every setting, and our comparison of Shopify vs Etsy shows how marketplace fees compare.

The bottom line

Shopify fees are predictable once you see all 4 layers: plan, card processing, third-party transaction fees and add-ons. For most US sellers, the biggest controllable costs are using a third-party gateway and letting apps pile up. Use Shopify Payments, choose the plan that fits your volume and review your bill every month.

Sources

• Shopify Pricing — plan tiers, staff accounts and third-party payment provider fees of 2%, 1%, 0.6% and 0.2%
• Shopify Help Center: Pricing overview — fee types, non-refundable subscriptions, card fees not returned on refunds, third-party fee exemptions
• Shopify Help Center: Credit card rates — standard vs premium cards, international card surcharge, manual entry
• Shopify Help Center: Chargeback process — US chargeback fee and refund if you win
• Shopify Help Center: Shopify Tax pricing — $100,000 threshold, US rates and per-order cap
• Shopify Help Center: Adding themes — buying, previewing and refund rules for paid themes