Can I avoid Shopify's third-party transaction fee in the United States?

Only by taking payments with Shopify Payments. Any other provider on Shopify pays Shopify's 2% (Basic), 1% (Grow), 0.6% (Advanced) or 0.2% (Plus) on top of its own fees. On a platform without that fee, such as PlatformDTC, your own Stripe or PayPal account pays only its own rate.

What does Shopify Payments charge for international cards in the United States?

International cards add 1% to the standard rate on every plan.

Shopify Payments · Processing fees

What are Shopify Payments fees in the United States?

Checked October 31, 2026

Shopify Payments charges stores in the United States 2.9% + $0.30 per online payment with a standard card on the Basic plan, 2.7% + $0.30 on Grow, 2.5% + $0.30 on Advanced and 2.25% + $0.30 on Plus. International cards add 1%. Using another payment provider adds Shopify's own fee of 2%, 1%, 0.6% or 0.2% by plan. Read from Shopify's United States pricing page on 31 October 2026.

Domestic card: 2.9% + $0.30 (Basic), 2.7% + $0.30 (Grow), 2.5% + $0.30 (Advanced), 2.25% + $0.30 (Plus)
International card: +1% on every plan
Third-party provider fee: 2% (Basic), 1% (Grow), 0.6% (Advanced), 0.2% (Plus)
Monthly fee: $39, $105 or $399 a month (Basic, Grow, Advanced, paid monthly); Plus from $2,300

What PlatformDTC does

PlatformDTC Payments charges 2.9% + $0.30 per card sale with no plan fee, the same card rate as Shopify Basic, so the $10,000 month above costs $350.00 in card fees on PlatformDTC against $389.00 on Basic with its plan. PlatformDTC Payments passes payouts on at cost (0.25% + $0.25 each, and $2 in a month with a payout). PlatformDTC also has no third-party fee: connect your own Stripe or PayPal account and pay only that provider's rate.

Every rate

Shopify Payments online rates for stores in the United States, by plan, from the "Compare all features" table on Shopify's United States pricing page (read from a US address). In-person and local payment method rates are listed on the same page.

Fee	Basic	Grow	Advanced	Plus
Plan price, paid monthly	$39	$105	$399	from $2,300
Online card, standard	2.9% + $0.30	2.7% + $0.30	2.5% + $0.30	2.25% + $0.30
Online card, premium cards	3.5% + $0.30	3.3% + $0.30	3.1% + $0.30	2.95% + $0.30
Online card, international	+1%	+1%	+1%	+1%
Extra Shopify fee if you use another payment provider	2%	1%	0.6%	0.2%

Shopify plans and Shopify Payments online rates in the United States

A worked month

Assumptions: plans paid monthly, every sale an online payment with a standard card issued in the United States, an average order of $50, no refunds or disputes. Each line is rounded to the cent.

$10,000.00 in 200 orders on Basic: 2.9% of $10,000.00 = $290.00, plus 200 × $0.30 = $60.00, so card fees are $350.00 (3.50% of sales). With the $39 plan the month costs $389.00.

$50,000.00 in 1,000 orders on Basic: 2.9% of $50,000.00 = $1,450.00, plus 1,000 × $0.30 = $300.00, so card fees are $1,750.00 (3.50% of sales). With the $39 plan the month costs $1,789.00.

Grow costs $66 a month more than Basic and saves 0.2% on every standard card sale, so it pays for itself above $33,000.00 of card sales a month.

If the same $50,000 month on Basic ran through another payment provider, Shopify would add its 2% fee: $1,000.00, on top of that provider's own card fees.

Month	Plan	Plan price	Card fees	Total
$10,000 in 200 orders	Basic	$39	$350.00	$389.00
$10,000 in 200 orders	Grow	$105	$330.00	$435.00
$10,000 in 200 orders	Advanced	$399	$310.00	$709.00
$50,000 in 1,000 orders	Basic	$39	$1,750.00	$1,789.00
$50,000 in 1,000 orders	Grow	$105	$1,650.00	$1,755.00
$50,000 in 1,000 orders	Advanced	$399	$1,550.00	$1,949.00

One month on Shopify in the United States, all standard domestic cards

What raises your fees

The headline is the standard-card rate. These push the real cost up:

Premium cards: 3.5% + $0.30 on Basic instead of 2.9% + $0.30.
International cards: +1% on every plan.
Another payment provider: Shopify's own 2% (Basic), 1% (Grow), 0.6% (Advanced) or 0.2% (Plus) on every sale, plus that provider's fees.
The plan itself: $39 to $399 a month paid monthly, which is a large share of a small store's costs.
Small orders: the fixed $0.30 weighs more on a small basket. On a $10 order, Basic's 2.9% + $0.30 is 5.90% of the sale.

Frequently asked questions

Can I avoid Shopify's third-party transaction fee in the United States?: Only by taking payments with Shopify Payments. Any other provider on Shopify pays Shopify's 2% (Basic), 1% (Grow), 0.6% (Advanced) or 0.2% (Plus) on top of its own fees. On a platform without that fee, such as PlatformDTC, your own Stripe or PayPal account pays only its own rate.
What does Shopify Payments charge for international cards in the United States?: International cards add 1% to the standard rate on every plan.
Which Shopify plan is cheapest in the United States?: At standard domestic card rates with monthly billing: Grow costs $66 a month more than Basic and saves 0.2% on every standard card sale, so it pays for itself above $33,000.00 of card sales a month. Below that, Basic costs less.

Sources

Shopify pricing — United States — Shopify