Shopify · US
Shopify fees: from checkout revenue to order profit
A complete Shopify US order example separates payment processing, third-party transaction fees, monthly plan and app allocation, and ad break-even.
Separate checkout fees from recurring costs
A Shopify order can have payment processing, an applicable third-party platform transaction fee and an allocation of subscriptions. Product, fulfillment, returns and ads are additional costs. Start with the US plan and payment method that actually apply to the order.
Published US Basic, Grow and Advanced online rates are supported. Choose standard or premium card, and whether the card is international. US business/commercial cards and domestic American Express cards fall in the premium category. An international card adds a rate on top of its card category. POS, PayPal, installments and currency conversion need a different check; do not use an online-card example for every payment method.
If you use a third-party gateway subject to Shopify's platform transaction fee, enter that processor's actual percentage and fixed charge. The calculator adds the applicable Shopify platform fee. It does not also add the Shopify Payments percentage. Exempt methods and custom contracts require the actual account terms. Supported rates and exceptions.
A $100 sale with tax, a plan and apps
Use a $100 item with $0 charged shipping, $6 buyer tax, $40 product cost and $5 actual outbound shipping. Packaging, ads, return allowance and other costs are $0 in this hypothetical order. Select Basic with monthly billing, 100 monthly orders and $11 of monthly apps.
Seller revenue: $100; buyer tax is excluded.
Payment base: $100 + $6 = $106.00
Domestic standard card: $106 × 2.9% + $0.30 → $3.37
Monthly allocation: ($39 plan + $11 apps) ÷ 100 orders = $0.50
Profit: $100 − $3.37 − $0.50 − $45 = $51.13
The example's variable pre-ad contribution is $51.63. It excludes the $0.50 monthly allocation. That distinction matters when you compare order contribution with a threshold that also needs to cover subscriptions.
| Payment scenario | Processing | Platform transaction | Profit after allocation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Payments standard | $3.37 | $0.00 | $51.13 |
| Shopify Payments premium | $4.01 | $0.00 | $50.49 |
| Third-party 2.9% + $0.30 | $3.37 | $2.12 | $49.01 |
The third-party processor happens to have the same 2.9% + $0.30 in this example. The additional Basic platform charge is $106 × 2% = $2.12. Your provider may have different rates. The example is not a recommendation to switch payment providers.
Choose a monthly allocation you can explain
Monthly billing uses the published monthly price. Yearly billing uses the published monthly equivalent, rather than charging the whole annual bill to one order. Enter any app or other monthly subscriptions you want included, then use a realistic monthly order count. It must be at least one; dividing a subscription by zero has no valid per-order allocation.
With $50 of plan and app costs, 50 orders allocate $1 each, while 100 orders allocate $0.50 each. Changing the order count changes the allocation, not the processor's rate or the actual monthly bill. It does not predict whether the store will reach that volume.
Use custom contract mode for Plus, negotiated processing or unusual subscription terms. Enter the real monthly plan cost, processor rate and fixed fee, and any applicable third-party platform percentage. Trial prices or incentives should be represented by the costs actually incurred, not assumed for every future order.
Check ads and returns before calling the order profitable
The primary break-even ROAS uses revenue divided by positive pre-ad contribution after non-ad variable costs. For the standard example it is about 1.94×. A second threshold includes the monthly allocation; maximum ad cost falls from $51.63 before allocation to $51.13 when that allocation must also be covered.
Enter ad dollars allocated to the order separately. Put an expected per-fulfilled-order returns cost into the returns allowance if you want it covered. This is a cost allowance, not a refund simulator; refunds can involve fee retention or other adjustments outside this model. Neither ROAS target determines which campaign caused a purchase or whether a customer will buy again.
Sources and scope
Sources and formulas checked 2026-10-04. These are hypothetical examples and estimates using the entered costs, not invoices, typical margins or forecasts of sales or income. The site is independent of Amazon, Shopify, eBay and Etsy. Review your account terms for adjustments that apply to you.
Full scope, formulas and limits · Shopify order profit · More seller guides.