Shopify Fees for Selling Digital Products
Digital products — ebooks, courses, templates, presets — have near-zero COGS, making Shopify fees a larger percentage of your margin than physical goods. On Basic, you're paying 2% + 30¢ per transaction. Here's how to calculate your real take-home.
💡 For digital products, set COGS to $0 (or your platform/delivery cost). Shipping is $0.
Shopify Fee Rate by Plan
| Plan | Monthly | Transaction Fee | Processing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39 | 2% (0% with SP) | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Shopify | $105 | 1% (0% with SP) | 2.6% + 30¢ |
| Advanced | $399 | 0.5% (0% with SP) | 2.4% + 30¢ |
| Plus | $2,300+ | 0.15% (0% with SP) | 2.15% + 30¢ |
SP = Shopify Payments. Enabling Shopify Payments waives the transaction fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Shopify plan is best for digital products?
Basic ($39/month) works if you're starting out. Since digital products have high margins, the 2% vs 1% transaction fee difference becomes significant at higher volumes — upgrade to Shopify plan at ~$2,000/month revenue.
Does Shopify take a cut of digital downloads?
Shopify doesn't take a revenue share like Gumroad or Etsy. Instead, you pay a flat monthly fee plus transaction fees (0.5–2% depending on plan). For high-ticket digital products, Shopify is often cheaper than percentage-based platforms.
Is Shopify good for selling digital products?
Yes. With apps like Sky Pilot or Digital Downloads (free), Shopify delivers files automatically post-purchase. Fees are predictable and lower than Gumroad (10%) or Teachable (5%) for high-volume sellers.
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