Three costs, three different bases
Shopify's pricing page lists a fixed plan price, card rates charged per transaction, and a separate transaction fee for third-party payment providers. They grow with different things: the plan with time, card fees with sales and order count, the third-party fee with sales routed outside Shopify's own processing. [1]
| Plan | Yearly billing | Monthly billing | Online card, standard | In person | Third-party provider fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $29/mo | $39/mo | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.6% + 10¢ | 2% |
| Grow | $79/mo | $105/mo | 2.7% + 30¢ | 2.5% + 10¢ | 1% |
| Advanced | $299/mo | $399/mo | 2.5% + 30¢ | 2.4% + 10¢ | 0.6% |
Who should skip Shopify Basic
Skip it if you sell one or two digital items: the $348 yearly plan cost can exceed your card fees for a long time, and smaller tools take payments for less. Skip it if your products are services booked by time slot. Keep it on the list if you ship physical products, expect to add items, or will also sell in person, because those are the jobs the plan is priced for.
Premium card rates are higher
The same page lists separate online premium card rates: 3.5% + 30 cents on Basic, 3.3% on Grow and 3.1% on Advanced. Your mix of customer cards changes the real average. Use the standard rate for a first estimate and the premium rate for a cautious one. [1]
Worked example: a small online shop
Hypothetical: 40 online orders a month at $25 each, $1,000 in sales, on Basic with yearly billing.
| Line | Calculation | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | $29 per month on yearly billing ($348 paid as a year) | $29.00 |
| Card percentage, standard | 2.9% of $1,000 | $29.00 |
| Card fixed fee | 40 orders x $0.30 | $12.00 |
| Total with standard cards | Plan plus card fees | $70.00 |
| Cautious case, all premium cards | 3.5% of $1,000 + $12.00 + $29 | $76.00 |
| If using a third-party provider instead | 2% of $1,000 Shopify fee, plus that provider's own charges | $20.00 plus provider fees |
The $1 offer and the yearly invoice
On 13 October 2026 the page header read "Try 3 days free, then $1/month for 3 months", and the FAQ said most plans then start at $1 per month for the first 3 months. Budget the full-price plan from month four. If you choose yearly billing, the $29 per month figure is a $348 annual commitment; check how the promo interacts with that invoice at checkout. [1]
Domains, paid themes, apps and shipping labels are separate costs. List each one you actually plan to use rather than accepting a starter bundle.
A first-year cash plan
Monthly billing example, assuming the $1-per-month promo applies to your account (confirm at checkout): 3 months at $1, then 9 months at $39, is $354 in plan charges for the first year, then $468 a year at the monthly rate. Yearly billing at $29 per month is $348 a year. If you expect to keep the store past the first year, yearly billing is the lower ongoing invoice, but it is paid up front.
Add card fees from your own forecast, a domain if you need one, any paid theme, and each app with a monthly charge. Write each as a separate line with its renewal date. The plan is often not the largest cost once a store is selling.
- Plan invoice, with billing cycle and renewal date.
- Card fees at your forecast sales and order count.
- Third-party provider fee, only if you will not use Shopify's own processing.
- Domain, theme and each paid app.
- Shipping, packaging and returns, which no plan includes.
When Basic is the wrong row
Break-even between Basic and Grow on standard online cards: the rate drops by 0.2 percentage points, while yearly plan cost rises by $50 a month. That needs about $25,000 a month in online card sales before the rate saving alone covers the plan difference. Staff accounts or other Grow features may justify it sooner.
- You sell one or two items occasionally: a payment link or a form on an existing page may cost less than a store plan.
- You need staff accounts: the page listed 5 additional staff accounts on Grow and none on Basic.
- Card volume is high: compare the lower Grow card rate against its higher plan price with your own monthly sales.
Questions before you decide
Does Shopify charge a transaction fee on Basic?
The pricing page listed a 2% fee for third-party payment providers on Basic. The card rates listed for Shopify's own processing are separate per-transaction charges.
Is $29 the monthly price?
On 13 October 2026, $29 per month was the yearly-billing figure. Monthly billing showed $39 per month.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Shopify pricing Accessed 13 Oct 2026
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