Commerce platform fee guide
Compare Shopify, Stripe, and Square with your sales mix
Shopify, Stripe, and Square are not identical products. Shopify combines hosted commerce software and payments, Stripe supplies payment infrastructure, and Square combines payments with point-of-sale and business software. The fee comparison is useful only after you enter the plan and supporting tools you would need for each path.
Percentage fees matter most at high revenue. Fixed transaction fees matter more when the average order is small. Monthly software fees can be decisive at low volume.
How to use this tool
Separate online and in-person sales
Enter the percentage of card revenue processed through each channel.
Use average card order value
The calculator estimates transaction count so fixed fees are included.
Copy the exact plan rates
Rates can vary by plan, card type, country, payment method, and negotiated pricing.
Add supporting software cost
Include paid apps, hosting, checkout software, or POS plans needed to make each option comparable.
What the break-even number means
A break-even sales level is where two entered cost equations are equal at the current channel mix and order size. It does not say the products offer equal functionality or generate equal sales.
Costs to review outside the model
- Store themes, apps, hosting, and developer support
- POS hardware and additional locations
- International-card and currency-conversion surcharges
- Chargebacks, instant payouts, invoicing, tax, and subscription billing
Published payment rates and plan prices change and can differ by country, card type, plan, and payment method. Defaults were reviewed in September 2026; use the pricing in your own account before making a decision.
Sources and further reading
- Shopify pricing — Current plan and Shopify Payments rate details.
- Stripe pricing — Standard domestic card fees and additional payment-product pricing.
- Square payment fees — Current online, in-person, and manually entered rates by plan.
Frequently asked questions
Is Stripe always free except for processing?
Standard payments may have no monthly platform fee, but a business can still need hosting, a storefront, development, billing, tax, fraud, or other paid products. Add those costs to the Stripe fields.
Should I enter a Shopify third-party transaction fee?
Use zero when your selected Shopify plan and Shopify Payments setup do not add one. If you use another payment provider, copy the additional rate displayed for your plan.
Why does average order value change the result?
A 30-cent fixed fee is charged per transaction. The same revenue split across more small orders creates more fixed fees.