# Stripe vs Shopify Payments fees

URL: https://www.paydude.io/resources/tools/stripe-vs-shopify-payments-fees
Type: Free interactive calculator
Summary: Stripe publishes 2.9% + 30¢; Shopify Payments on the Basic plan publishes 2.9% + 30¢. Why the card rate is not the real comparison.

On the Basic Shopify plan these two publish the same online card rate. What separates them is platform: Shopify Payments only exists inside a Shopify store, and a Shopify store that uses anything else pays an extra transaction fee.

## Summary

Stripe publishes 2.9% + 30¢ for online card payments. Shopify Payments publishes 2.9% + 30¢ on the Basic Shopify plan, with lower rates on higher plans. The card cost is identical at every ticket size on those rates. If you sell on Shopify, a third-party gateway adds a Shopify transaction fee on top, which makes Shopify Payments the cheaper choice there almost by default.

## Published rates

**Standard published rates for domestic online cards, September 2026**

|  | Stripe | Shopify Payments |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Card rate | 2.9% | 2.9% (Basic plan) |
| Fixed fee | 30¢ | 30¢ |
| Monthly fee | $0 | Shopify subscription |
| Pricing model | Flat rate | Flat rate, varies by Shopify plan |

## Which one is cheaper

On the card rate alone, neither. Both charge 2.9% + 30¢, so at any volume and ticket size the processing cost is the same. Shopify's higher plans bring the Shopify Payments rate down, but they cost more per month, so that is a plan decision rather than a processor one.

> **The Shopify gateway surcharge:** A Shopify store that takes payments through a third-party gateway instead of Shopify Payments pays an additional Shopify transaction fee — 2% on the Basic plan — on top of whatever the gateway charges. Inside Shopify, that surcharge is the comparison that matters, not the card rate.

## What actually decides it

Where you sell. If your store runs on Shopify, Shopify Payments avoids the surcharge and is the natural default. If you are building your own checkout, a SaaS product or anything outside Shopify, Shopify Payments is not an option at all and the question becomes Stripe against other standalone processors.

## For reference

The calculator above also shows Paydude, which publishes 2.6% + 25¢ improving with volume. It is there as a third data point rather than as the answer to a question about Stripe and Shopify Payments — for every provider side by side see the [full processor fee table](https://www.paydude.io/resources/payment-processor-fee-comparison).

**Compare every provider at once** Published rates for 18 processors, with the effective rate at three ticket sizes. — [See the table](https://www.paydude.io/resources/payment-processor-fee-comparison)

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stripe cheaper than Shopify Payments?

Not on published online rates. Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ and Shopify Payments charges 2.9% + 30¢ on the Basic Shopify plan, so the card cost is identical. Higher Shopify plans lower the Shopify Payments rate in exchange for a larger monthly subscription.

### Can I use Stripe instead of Shopify Payments on my Shopify store?

Shopify allows third-party gateways, but using one instead of Shopify Payments adds a Shopify transaction fee — 2% on the Basic plan — on top of the gateway's own rate. That makes an outside gateway more expensive for most Shopify stores.

### At what transaction size does the answer change?

It does not. With the same percentage and the same fixed fee, the two cost the same at every ticket size. The decision is about platform, not transaction size.

### Where do these rates come from?

Both are publicly published standard rates for domestic online card payments as of September 2026, with Shopify Payments on the Basic plan. Neither is a negotiated or promotional rate.