Short answer: with Shopify Payments, Shopify takes no commission on your sales — only card processing of about 2.9% + $0.30 on the Basic plan. The longer answer, with your monthly plan and apps factored in, is below — plus the per-order math so you know your real take-home.
On Etsy or Amazon, the platform takes a percentage of every sale because it brings you the buyer. Shopify gives you a store, not buyers, so it doesn't take a sales commission (when you use Shopify Payments). What it charges instead is a flat monthly plan plus card processing. This is why "how much does Shopify take" has no single percentage answer — it depends on your order value and volume.
| Plan | Per-sale processing | Sales commission |
|---|---|---|
| Starter ($5/mo) | 5% + $0.30 | $0 |
| Basic ($39/mo) | 2.9% + $0.30 | $0 |
| Shopify ($105/mo) | 2.7% + $0.30 | $0 |
| Advanced ($399/mo) | 2.5% + $0.30 | $0 |
If you don't use Shopify Payments, add a transaction fee of 2% / 1% / 0.5% by plan on top — see transaction fees.
| Order value | Processing (2.9% + $0.30) | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| $20 | $0.88 | 4.4% |
| $50 | $1.75 | 3.5% |
| $100 | $3.20 | 3.2% |
| $200 | $6.10 | 3.1% |
Notice the effective rate falls as order value rises — because the fixed $0.30 shrinks as a share of a bigger order. This is the math behind raising your average order value.
Our free calculator subtracts processing, plan, apps and ads to show your true net profit per order.
Free Profit Calculator Full Spreadsheet — $9Processing isn't the whole story. Your $39 (or $105, or $399) plan and your app subscriptions are fixed costs spread across every order. At 100 orders/month, a $39 plan adds $0.39 per order; at 1,000 orders it's just $0.039. Low-volume stores feel the plan most.
Putting it together on Basic, 100 orders/mo, $50 AOV, Shopify Payments, $60/mo apps:
Because Shopify sends you zero traffic, your biggest "platform cost" is really your ad spend. Many stores pay 15–30% of revenue to acquire customers — five times what Shopify itself takes. When you ask "how much does Shopify take," the honest follow-up is "how much does getting the customer cost?" Both belong in your pricing.
The $9 spreadsheet folds processing, plan, apps and ad spend into one number and tells you the price that hits your target margin.
Get the Spreadsheet — $9 Calculator + Pricing Worksheet — $14Zero sales commission when you use Shopify Payments. You pay card processing (about 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic) and your monthly plan, but no per-sale cut like a marketplace.
On Basic with Shopify Payments, processing is about $3.20 (2.9% + $0.30). Add a fraction of your plan and apps per order. There's no separate sales commission.
No. Shopify charges on the transaction (processing) and a flat plan — not on your profit. Your profit depends on your costs and ad spend, which Shopify doesn't touch.
For most sellers, yes — it eliminates the third-party transaction fee (0.5%–2%) and speeds up payouts. Use it wherever it's available in your country.