Shopify questionAnswer3 min read
Are There Hidden Costs with Shopify?
Shopify doesn't hide its fees, but most of them aren't on the pricing page. Here is every cost I check on a client's bill, with 2026 rates.
Key takeaways
- The plan price isn't the whole bill: card processing, apps, a theme, a domain and email marketing are all separate, as checked on 7 November 2026.
- Shopify adds a 2% fee on Basic if you use a third-party payment provider. For stores created on or after 12 May 2025, that fee also applies to gift card and store credit orders.
- Currency conversion costs 1.5% for US stores, a chargeback costs $15 (returned if you win), and Shopify Tax charges 0.35% per order after a $100,000 free threshold.
- There are no setup fees, and hosting, bandwidth and SSL are included in every plan.
- Who it is for
- Store owners checking their Shopify bill
- Time needed
- 5 minutes to read
- What you need
- Your last Shopify bill
Shopify doesn't hide fees, but its pricing page shows the plan price and little else, and several costs live on help center pages instead. The ones that surprise store owners most are third-party transaction fees, currency conversion, chargebacks, app subscriptions and domain renewals. Here is every cost I check on a client's bill, with rates as checked on 7 November 2026.
Fees on every sale
| Fee | Amount (US) | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Card processing | 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic | Every online card order |
| Third-party fee | 2%, 1%, 0.6% or 0.2% | Payments via another provider |
| Currency conversion | 1.5% | Customer pays in another currency |
| Chargeback | $15 | Each dispute, returned if you win |
| Shopify Tax | 0.35%, capped at $0.99 | After $100,000 in sales |
Card processing is the rate Shopify quotes for Basic; it falls to 2.7% + 30¢ on Grow and 2.5% + 30¢ on Advanced. The third-party fee runs from 2% on Basic to 0.2% on Plus. Card and conversion fees aren't returned when you refund an order, which makes refunds a cost in themselves.
The gift card rule most people miss
For stores created on or after 12 May 2025, Shopify applies its third-party transaction fee to orders paid with gift cards or store credit, even if you use Shopify Payments. On Basic, that's 2% of the order. If you sell a lot of gift cards, this is the line that makes a bill look higher than expected.
Shopify Tax after the free threshold
Shopify Tax is free up to $100,000 in sales. For stores created before 13 May 2026, that's $100,000 per calendar year; for newer stores, it's $100,000 in lifetime sales. After that, US stores on Basic, Grow and Advanced pay 0.35% per order and Plus stores 0.25%, capped at $0.99 per order. The fee is billed to you, not your customers, and only applies where you've turned on tax collection.
Subscriptions and one-off costs
| Cost | Amount | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | From $9 a year | Yearly renewal |
| Paid theme | $170 to $500 | Once per store |
| Shopify Email | Free to 10,000, then from $1 per 1,000 | Monthly |
| Apps | Free to hundreds | Monthly per app |
| POS Pro | $89 a month | Per location, optional |
Apps are where bills grow quietly. Each one bills on its own cycle, and a store that has tried a dozen apps often still pays for a few it no longer uses. My Shopify app costs guide covers how app billing works and how to cut it.
What isn't extra
Shopify's pricing page says there are no setup fees on any plan. Hosting, unlimited bandwidth and a free SSL certificate for your domain are included, so there's no separate hosting bill as there is with self-hosted platforms.
Hidden costs in the UK, EU and Australia
The same fee types apply, at local rates. Currency conversion is 2% for stores outside the US. Chargebacks cost £10 in the UK, €15 in eurozone countries (Ireland adds 23% VAT) and A$25 in Australia. UK online card payments on Basic cost 2% + 25p. Shopify Tax costs 0.25% per order for UK and EU stores on the main plans after £100,000 or €100,000.
What to do next
- Read last month's bill. Match every line to the tables above.
- Check payment settings. Make sure Shopify Payments is your main provider so the third-party fee doesn't apply.
- Cut unused apps. Uninstall anything you haven't used in a month.
- Model your fees. Use my free Shopify fees calculator, and read Shopify fees explained for every line in detail.
For the total budget, see what a Shopify store really costs, and to keep chargebacks down, read my guide to preventing fraud and chargebacks.
Free tools
Check your own store
Free, no sign-up. Each one runs a part of this guide for you.
Frequently asked questions
Does Shopify charge a setup fee?
No. Shopify's pricing page says there are no setup fees on any plan, and hosting, bandwidth and SSL are included.
Does Shopify take a percentage of sales?
With Shopify Payments, you pay card processing only, which Shopify quotes at 2.9% + 30¢ on US Basic. With another provider, Shopify adds 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced or 0.2% on Plus.
Why am I charged a transaction fee when I use Shopify Payments?
If your store was created on or after 12 May 2025, Shopify applies its third-party fee to orders paid with gift cards or store credit. Check too that no other payment provider is set as your main one.
Are Shopify fees refunded when I refund an order?
No. Card processing and currency conversion fees aren't returned on refunds, so every refund costs you the original fees.
What is Shopify's chargeback fee?
$15 per chargeback for US stores on Shopify Payments, £10 in the UK, €15 in the eurozone and A$25 in Australia. The fee is returned if you win.
Does Shopify charge for SSL or hosting?
No. Hosting and a free SSL certificate for domains you add to Shopify are included in every plan.
Sources
- Shopify pricing, Shopify
- Fees and costs for selling internationally, Shopify Help Center
- Chargeback process, Shopify Help Center
- Shopify Tax pricing, Shopify Help Center
- Domains, Shopify
- Shopify Email, Shopify App Store
Related services and work
I'm a Shopify developer and CRO specialist. I have built and improved Shopify stores since 2018, completed more than 1,000 projects, and hold a 4.96 average rating across 719 client reviews.
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