What Shopify's transaction fee is
On top of the payment gateway's own charge, Shopify can add its own fee — around 0.5% to 2% per sale — if you don't use Shopify Payments. It's a cut of every order, separate from the plan and the gateway. On real sales volume, it adds up to a number most sellers overlook.
When it applies
The fee kicks in when you use an outside payment provider instead of Shopify Payments. In markets or setups where Shopify Payments isn't your route, you can end up paying both the gateway fee and Shopify's cut. The percentage falls on higher plans, but it doesn't vanish unless you switch to Shopify Payments.
Why it matters more than the plan price
A plan is a fixed monthly number. A transaction fee is a variable one that grows with your success. At low volume it's easy to ignore. At real sales, a percent or two on every order can outweigh the plan itself. Always model the fee against your expected sales, not today's.
How to keep it in check
You have a few options. Use the platform's own payments where it makes sense. Or choose a platform whose fee is low or zero on your plan. Either way, the goal is to stop paying a cut on every sale that you don't have to.
Read the total, always
Plan, plus platform transaction fee, plus gateway fee, is the real cost of taking a payment. When you compare platforms, line up all three. The cheapest plan with the highest fee often loses to a pricier plan with no fee at all.
How The Storemate handles it
The Storemate is upfront about this. Its transaction fee falls as you scale — 2% on the free plan, 1% on Starter, 0.5% on Pro, and 0% on Enterprise — shown alongside the plan price, not buried in fine print. You always know the cut on each sale before you pick a plan.