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The monthly plan is just the entrance fee — here's where the real spending starts
What Are Shopify Fees?
Shopify charges more than a subscription.
Shopify fees are the combined costs of running a Shopify store — including the monthly subscription ($5–$2,300), payment processing fees (2.15%–5% + 30¢ per transaction), third-party gateway surcharges (0%–2%), app subscriptions, theme purchases, and domain registration. According to Shopify's pricing page, the subscription is just one of six distinct cost categories merchants pay.
Shopify fees is a term that covers every cost Shopify charges to operate an online store. Most merchants fixate on the monthly plan price. That is the smallest piece.
The real cost structure has six layers: subscription fees, payment processing fees, third-party transaction fees, app costs, theme costs, and domain/email costs. Each layer scales differently as your store grows.
We audit Shopify stores across Malaysia and Singapore every week. The pattern is consistent — store owners underestimate their total Shopify fees by 40–60% because they only look at the subscription line item.
Let me walk through every fee category so you know exactly what you are paying.
How Much Does Each Shopify Plan Cost Per Month?
The subscription is the most visible cost.
Shopify's five plans range from $5/month (Starter) to $2,300/month (Plus). Annual billing saves 25% on Basic through Advanced. The biggest cost difference between plans is not the subscription — it's the transaction fee rates, which drop from 5% on Starter to 0% on Plus when using Shopify Payments. Source: Shopify.com/pricing, updated 2026.
Here is the complete subscription breakdown.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (per month) | You Save Annually |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5 | $5 | $0 |
| Basic | $39 | $29 | $120/year |
| Shopify | $105 | $79 | $312/year |
| Advanced | $399 | $299 | $1,200/year |
| Plus | $2,300 | $2,300 | Negotiable |
Source: Shopify.com/pricing. Prices in USD.
Starter is not a full store. It gives you a link-in-bio storefront and buy buttons — no standalone website. If you need a proper online store, Basic is the entry point.
Annual billing is automatic savings. Pay upfront and you reduce the Basic plan to $29/month. Most merchants who plan to stay beyond three months should switch to annual billing immediately.
Plus pricing is negotiable. Shopify quotes $2,300 as the starting price, but enterprise merchants processing over $800K/month often negotiate lower rates. The contract is typically three years.
For Malaysian store owners, these USD prices convert at current exchange rates. At RM4.40/USD, the Basic plan is roughly RM128/month — or RM1,531/year on annual billing. Use our Shopify total cost calculator to see the full picture in your currency.
What Are Shopify's Payment Processing Fees?
This is where the real money goes.
Shopify charges payment processing fees on every transaction: 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic, 2.7% + 30¢ on Shopify, 2.5% + 30¢ on Advanced, and 2.15% + 30¢ on Plus — all through Shopify Payments. On a store doing $50,000/month, the difference between Basic and Advanced processing rates saves $2,400/year. Source: Shopify.com/pricing.
Every sale incurs a payment processing fee. This is separate from the subscription. Shopify Payments (powered by Stripe) is the default processor, and its rates vary by plan.
Shopify Payments Rates by Plan
| Plan | Online Credit Card Rate | In-Person Rate | International Cards | Currency Conversion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 5% + 30¢ | N/A | +1% | 1.5% |
| Basic | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.6% + 10¢ | +1% | 1.5% |
| Shopify | 2.7% + 30¢ | 2.5% + 10¢ | +1% | 1.5% |
| Advanced | 2.5% + 30¢ | 2.4% + 10¢ | +1% | 1.5% |
| Plus | 2.15% + 30¢ | 2.15% + 10¢ | +0.85% | 1.5% |
Source: Shopify.com/pricing.
Two hidden multipliers in that table. International cards add 1% on top of the base rate. And if Shopify converts currencies for you, there is an additional 1.5% conversion fee. A Malaysian store selling to a US customer with a credit card could pay 2.9% + 1% + 1.5% = 5.4% in total processing on a Basic plan.
The Real-World Cost at Different Revenue Levels
| Monthly Revenue | Basic (2.9% + 30¢) | Shopify (2.7% + 30¢) | Advanced (2.5% + 30¢) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $160 | $150 | $140 |
| $15,000 | $450 | $420 | $390 |
| $50,000 | $1,465 | $1,365 | $1,265 |
| $100,000 | $2,915 | $2,715 | $2,515 |
Assumes average order value of $75, domestic cards only.
At $50,000/month in sales, upgrading from Basic ($39/month) to Advanced ($399/month) costs an extra $360/month in subscription but saves $200/month in processing fees. The break-even is around $85,000/month — that is where the Advanced plan starts paying for itself purely on processing savings.
This math changes significantly in Malaysia where most merchants use third-party gateways instead of Shopify Payments. Which brings us to the next fee.
What Are Shopify's Third-Party Transaction Fees?
This fee catches merchants off guard.
Shopify charges an additional transaction fee of 0.6%–2% when you use any payment gateway other than Shopify Payments. On a store processing $30,000/month through iPay88 or Razer Merchant Services, that is $180–$600/month on top of the gateway's own processing fees. This surcharge drops to 0% on Shopify Plus. Source: Shopify.com/pricing.
If you use Shopify Payments, you pay zero third-party transaction fees. If you use any other payment gateway — iPay88, Razer Merchant Services, eGHL, Billplz, Stripe directly — Shopify charges a surcharge on top of whatever the gateway itself charges.
| Plan | Third-Party Transaction Fee |
|---|---|
| Starter | 5% |
| Basic | 2% |
| Shopify | 1% |
| Advanced | 0.6% |
| Plus | 0% |
This is the fee that burns Malaysian merchants the most. Shopify Payments is available in Malaysia, but many merchants still use local gateways like iPay88 for FPX (online banking) access. If your store is on Basic and you process RM100,000/month through iPay88, you pay RM2,000/month just in Shopify's surcharge — before iPay88's own fees.
The workaround: use Shopify Payments as your primary gateway for card payments, and a local gateway like iPay88 only for FPX and e-wallets. This reduces the surcharge to only the FPX/e-wallet portion. We cover this dual-gateway approach in detail in our Shopify payment gateways guide.
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How Much Do Shopify Apps Actually Cost?
Apps are the silent budget killer.
The average Shopify store runs 6–8 paid apps at a combined cost of $120–$350/month, according to a 2025 Shopify merchant survey by LittleData. Essential apps — email marketing, reviews, SEO, subscriptions — typically cost $50–$150/month alone. App costs often exceed the subscription fee within the first year.
Shopify's base platform is intentionally lean. Features that platforms like WooCommerce include for free — product reviews, advanced SEO, email marketing — require paid apps on Shopify.
Common App Costs
| App Category | Popular Options | Typical Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Email marketing | Klaviyo, Omnisend | $20–$150+ (scales with list size) |
| Product reviews | Judge.me, Loox, Stamped | $15–$50 |
| SEO | Plug in SEO, Smart SEO | $20–$40 |
| Subscriptions | Recharge, Loop | $99–$499 |
| Upsell/cross-sell | ReConvert, Bold | $10–$50 |
| Loyalty & rewards | Smile.io, Yotpo | $49–$199 |
| Inventory management | Stocky (free with Shopify plan), Katana | $0–$199 |
| Back-in-stock alerts | Back in Stock | $19–$39 |
A store running Klaviyo ($30/month at low volume), Judge.me ($15/month), an SEO app ($30/month), and a subscription app ($99/month) is already at $174/month in apps — more than the Shopify plan itself costs on annual billing.
How to Control App Costs
Three rules we follow with every Shopify Malaysia client:
- Audit quarterly. Remove any app you installed to "try" and forgot about. We find 2–3 unused paid apps on every store we audit.
- Check for feature overlap. Klaviyo does SMS. Do you also have a separate SMS app? Shopify Flow (free on Shopify plan and above) replaces many automation apps.
- Prefer apps with flat pricing over usage-based pricing. A review app at $15/month is predictable. An email app that charges per send becomes unpredictable at scale.
How Much Do Shopify Themes Cost?
A one-time fee — but choose wrong and you pay twice.
Shopify themes range from free (12 official themes) to $180–$400 for premium themes on the Shopify Theme Store. Third-party marketplaces like ThemeForest sell Shopify themes for $30–$80 but with inconsistent quality and update support. Source: Shopify Theme Store, 2026 pricing.
Shopify includes 12 free themes. Dawn, the default, is fast and well-coded. For many stores, Dawn or another free theme with customization is the right starting point.
Premium themes on Shopify's official store cost $180–$400 (one-time). You get guaranteed compatibility, regular updates, and Shopify support. Third-party themes from ThemeForest are cheaper upfront ($30–$80) but riskier — slower updates, potential compatibility issues with new Shopify features, and limited support.
Theme Costs Beyond the Purchase Price
| Cost | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Theme purchase | $0–$400 | One-time |
| Theme customization | $500–$5,000 | Developer time to match brand |
| Theme updates | $0 | Auto-updated on Shopify themes |
| Theme switch | $1,000–$10,000 | Rebuilding customizations on new theme |
The real cost of a theme is the customization work on top of it. A $350 theme that needs $3,000 in developer work is a $3,350 investment. A free theme that needs $5,000 in work is a $5,000 investment. The theme price is almost irrelevant compared to the implementation cost.
What Are Shopify's Domain and Email Costs?
Small but often overlooked.
Shopify charges $14–$40/year for a custom domain purchased through the admin, or you can connect an external domain for free. Shopify email costs $1/month for the first 10,000 emails, then $1 per additional 1,000. Most merchants spend $14–$50/year on domain and email combined. Source: Shopify Domains help docs.
You can buy a domain directly through Shopify ($14/year for .com) or connect one from an external registrar like Cloudflare ($10/year) or Namecheap. There is no functional difference — connecting an external domain is free and often cheaper for the registration itself.
Shopify Email is basic transactional email included with all plans. Your first 10,000 emails each month are included free. Beyond that, it is $1 per 1,000 emails. For marketing email, most merchants outgrow Shopify Email quickly and switch to Klaviyo or Omnisend (which adds to app costs above).
SSL Certificate
Free. Shopify includes an SSL certificate on all plans, for all domains. No action required.
What Hidden Shopify Fees Should You Watch For?
The fees that do not appear on the pricing page.
Hidden Shopify costs include currency conversion fees (1.5% per transaction), chargeback fees ($15 per dispute), Shopify Shipping label markups, POS hardware ($49–$399), and Shopify Capital repayment percentages (10–17% of daily sales). These costs can add $200–$2,000/month depending on store volume and geography. Source: Shopify Help Center and WebMedic client data.
Currency Conversion Fee
If a customer pays in a currency different from your store's payout currency, Shopify adds 1.5% on top of the payment processing fee. For Malaysian stores selling internationally, this applies to every non-MYR transaction.
Chargeback Fees
Every chargeback costs $15 regardless of outcome. Win or lose the dispute, you pay the fee. Stores with high chargeback rates (typically above 1%) also risk account suspension.
Shopify Shipping Label Markups
Shopify Shipping offers discounted carrier rates, but the "discount" is relative to retail rates. Compare against direct carrier contracts — for high-volume shippers, direct accounts with Pos Malaysia, J&T Express, or DHL often beat Shopify Shipping rates.
POS Hardware
Shopify POS hardware is a one-time cost: the Tap & Chip reader ($49), the POS Terminal ($349–$399), and accessories. Monthly POS Pro subscription ($89/month per location) adds features like staff management and analytics beyond the free POS Lite.
Shopify Capital Repayment
If you take a Shopify Capital cash advance, repayment is automatic — a fixed percentage (typically 10–17%) of your daily sales is deducted until the advance plus fee is repaid. This is not technically a "fee," but it reduces daily cash flow and the total cost of capital ranges from 10–17% of the advance amount.
What Is the Total Cost of Running a Shopify Store?
Here is the full picture.
A typical Shopify store on the Basic plan processing $20,000/month in sales pays approximately $800–$1,200/month in total Shopify-related costs — $29 subscription (annual billing), $580 processing fees, $120–$350 app fees, and miscellaneous costs. At $100,000/month in sales, total costs reach $3,500–$5,000/month. Source: WebMedic client data across 80+ Shopify stores in Malaysia and Singapore.
Total Monthly Cost Estimates by Revenue Level
| Revenue/month | Plan | Subscription | Processing Fees | App Fees | Other Costs | Total/month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | Basic | $29 | $72 | $50–$100 | $10 | $161–$211 |
| $10,000 | Basic | $29 | $305 | $100–$200 | $20 | $454–$554 |
| $20,000 | Shopify | $79 | $555 | $120–$250 | $30 | $784–$914 |
| $50,000 | Shopify | $79 | $1,365 | $150–$300 | $50 | $1,644–$1,794 |
| $100,000 | Advanced | $299 | $2,515 | $200–$400 | $80 | $3,094–$3,294 |
| $500,000 | Plus | $2,300 | $10,780 | $500–$1,000 | $200 | $13,780–$14,280 |
Assumes annual billing, Shopify Payments (domestic cards), average order value of $75.
These numbers assume you use Shopify Payments. If you rely on a third-party gateway, add the surcharge percentage to every transaction. For a Basic plan store doing $20,000/month through iPay88, that is an extra $400/month.
The takeaway: payment processing is always the largest fee component. It exceeds the subscription cost at every revenue level above $1,500/month. When evaluating Shopify's total cost, focus on the processing rates — not the plan price.
For a precise calculation with your actual numbers, use our Shopify total cost calculator.
How Can You Reduce Your Shopify Fees?
Six moves that lower your total cost.
The most effective way to reduce Shopify fees is to use Shopify Payments (eliminating the 0.6–2% third-party surcharge), switch to annual billing (saving 25%), and audit apps quarterly (cutting $50–$150/month in unused subscriptions). WebMedic client data shows these three changes typically reduce total Shopify costs by 15–25%.
1. Use Shopify Payments Where Available
Eliminates the third-party transaction fee entirely. In Malaysia, Shopify Payments supports Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. Use a local gateway alongside it for FPX and e-wallets only.
2. Switch to Annual Billing
25% savings on subscription. Basic drops from $39 to $29. Shopify drops from $105 to $79. Advanced drops from $399 to $299. Commit once you are past the trial period.
3. Audit Apps Quarterly
Remove unused apps. Consolidate overlapping features. Replace expensive apps with Shopify's built-in features — Shopify Flow, Shopify Forms, Shopify Inbox. We typically find $50–$150/month in app savings per store.
4. Upgrade Plans at the Right Revenue Threshold
Use the break-even math. If the processing fee savings of a higher plan exceed the subscription cost increase, upgrade. Basic → Shopify break-even is around $7,500/month. Shopify → Advanced break-even is around $85,000/month.
5. Negotiate on Plus
Shopify Plus pricing is not fixed. High-volume merchants ($1M+/year) can negotiate lower processing rates, reduced monthly fees, and volume discounts. Always negotiate before signing a three-year contract.
6. Minimize Currency Conversion Fees
If you sell internationally, set up Shopify Markets with local currencies and a multi-currency payment processor. This reduces the 1.5% conversion fee on international transactions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Shopify cost per month in total?
A Shopify store on the Basic plan processing $10,000/month in sales costs approximately $450–$550/month in total fees — including the $29 subscription (annual billing), $305 in payment processing, and $100–$200 in apps. Total costs scale with revenue because payment processing is a percentage of every sale, not a flat fee.
Does Shopify charge transaction fees on every sale?
Shopify charges payment processing fees (2.15%–2.9% + 30¢) on every transaction through Shopify Payments. If you use a third-party payment gateway like iPay88 or PayPal, Shopify adds a surcharge of 0.6%–2% on top of the gateway's own fees. Using Shopify Payments eliminates the surcharge entirely.
What is the cheapest Shopify plan for a new store?
The Starter plan costs $5/month but only provides a link-in-bio page and buy buttons — no full online store. The Basic plan at $39/month ($29/month with annual billing) is the cheapest plan that includes a complete Shopify storefront, checkout, and analytics dashboard. Most new merchants start on Basic.
Are Shopify fees higher in Malaysia?
Shopify subscription fees are the same globally (priced in USD). However, Malaysian merchants face higher effective costs because Shopify Payments processing rates can be higher in some regions, and using local gateways like iPay88 triggers Shopify's third-party transaction surcharge of 0.6%–2%. The USD-to-MYR exchange rate also affects the real cost.
How do Shopify fees compare to WooCommerce?
WooCommerce has no monthly platform fee but requires paid hosting ($20–$100/month), paid plugins for features Shopify includes ($50–$200/month), and developer maintenance. Shopify's all-inclusive pricing is typically 10–20% higher than WooCommerce at low volume but more predictable and lower-maintenance. At $50,000+/month in sales, total costs are comparable between platforms.
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