Shopify Payments fee change history (2028 guide & costs)

Shopify subscription pricing stabilized in late 2026 at $39 for Basic, $105 for Grow, and $399 for Advanced per month. These core monthly costs establish the primary baseline for merchant budgeting into 2028. Merchants paying annually secure reduced baseline rates of $29 per month for Basic, $79 per month for Grow, and $299 per month for Advanced.

Base platform subscription tiers map directly to payment processing rates charged by Shopify. On the Basic plan, in-person transaction rates are 2.6% plus $0.10, while online transactions cost 2.9% plus $0.30. Upgrading to the Grow plan drops processing rates to 2.5% plus $0.10 for in-person orders and 2.7% plus $0.30 for online orders.

On the Advanced plan, Shopify Payments sets its lowest standard rates at 2.4% plus $0.10 for in-person sales and 2.5% plus $0.30 for online sales. Across all plans, online premium card transactions incur higher rates: 3.5% plus $0.30 on Basic, 3.3% plus $0.30 on Grow, and 3.1% plus $0.30 on Advanced. These structured rates define the standard cost floor for merchants analyzing their 2026 Shopify Payments fee impact.

Higher monthly subscription tiers reduce effective payment processing rates, creating annual cost spreads from $1,080 up to $2,700 across merchant volume levels. At $10,000 in monthly card volume with a $50 average sale across 200 credit card transactions per month, online processing costs $350 per month on Basic ($4,200 per year at a 3.5% all-in effective rate), $330 per month on Grow ($3,960 per year at a 3.3% rate), and $310 per month on Advanced ($3,720 per year at a 3.1% rate).

For card-present transactions at $10,000 monthly volume and a $50 average ticket, processing costs $280 per month on Basic ($3,360 per year at a 2.8% all-in effective rate), $270 per month on Grow ($3,240 per year at a 2.7% rate), and $260 per month on Advanced ($3,120 per year at a 2.6% rate). The annual spread between the cheapest card-present plan and the most expensive online plan at this volume is $1,080 per year.

Scaling to $25,000 in monthly card volume with a $50 average sale across 500 credit card transactions per month expands this spread significantly. Online card processing totals $875 per month on Basic ($10,500 per year at a 3.5% rate), $825 per month on Grow ($9,900 per year at a 3.3% rate), and $775 per month on Advanced ($9,300 per year at a 3.1% rate). Card-present costs at $25,000 monthly volume total $700 per month on Basic ($8,400 per year at a 2.8% rate), $675 per month on Grow ($8,100 per year at a 2.7% rate), and $650 per month on Advanced ($7,800 per year at a 2.6% rate). Upgrading tiers strategically saves US merchants up to $2,700 annually.

Opting out of Shopify Payments subjects merchants to third-party transaction penalties ranging from 0.6% to 2% on store orders. The platform applies a 2% fee on the Basic plan, a 1% fee on the Grow plan, and a 0.6% fee on the Advanced plan for orders processed through third-party gateways. Activating Shopify Payments eliminates these subscription transaction fees entirely.

When merchants utilize a third-party payment provider alongside Shopify Payments, transactions handled by that third party incur the standard plan transaction fee. Transactions processed via Shopify Payments, including Shop Pay and local payment methods, incur the standard rate plus a 1.25% premium. You achieve true parity between advertised and actual rates only by processing exclusively through Shopify's native gateway.

External help documentation confirms that Shopify Payments charges no additional monthly, setup, or hidden fees beyond standard card rates and plan subscriptions. Choosing external gateways adds compounding platform charges that offset potential processing rate discounts from outside vendors.

US merchants processing international transactions incur a 1% international card surcharge alongside a 1.5% currency conversion fee. Shopify Payments applies the 1% international card surcharge across all subscription plans for foreign card transactions.

In addition to the international card surcharge, Shopify Payments levies a 1.5% currency conversion fee specifically for US-based stores. For stores operating in non-US regions, the published currency conversion fee increases to 2%.

These combined fees inflate processing expenses whenever US stores accept non-domestic orders or settle in foreign currencies. Across the statement data we track, these charges stack directly on top of the baseline domestic processing rates. You can verify these specific line items when you audit your Shopify Payments statement.

Shopify Payments charges fixed online rates between 2.5% and 2.9% plus $0.30, while wholesale US network interchange costs range from 0.05% plus $0.22 for regulated debit up to 1.65% plus $0.10 for credit. Network rate cards show Visa Debit CPS Regulated at 0.05% plus $0.22 and Mastercard Debit Regulated at 0.05% plus $0.22. Visa Credit CPS Retail stands at 1.51% plus $0.10, and Mastercard Consumer Credit Merit III Core sits at 1.65% plus $0.10.

On debit pricing, merchants must distinguish between percentage-based debit pricing applied as a flat percentage versus flat per-transaction debit pricing built on fixed cents fees. General credit card processing rates across retail range from 1.7% to 2.5%, with effective rates generally falling between 2% and 2.5% per transaction.

Interchange fees represent 1% to 3% of transaction value, while network assessment fees add 0.15% to 0.25%. Shopify Payments retains the margin between its flat pricing and true wholesale interchange to offset the lack of setup, monthly, or hidden gateway fees. High-volume merchants often outgrow this margin; analyzing the high-volume fee structure reveals when escaping flat rates lowers total processing costs.