Published rates
| Paydude | Shopify Payments | |
|---|---|---|
| Card rate | 2.6% (falling to 2.5%) | 2.9% on Basic |
| Fixed fee | 25¢ (falling to 15¢) | 30¢ |
| Monthly fee | $0 | Shopify plan fee |
| Better rate requires | Volume, automatically | Paying for a higher plan |
| Third-party gateway | Not applicable | +2% on Basic |
| Subscriptions | No extra percentage | App or plan dependent |
| International cards | No surcharge | Surcharged |
| Amex and premium cards | +0.3% | Blended |
| Chargeback fee | $12 | $15 typical |
The part the headline rate hides
Shopify improves your card rate as you move up plans — but you buy that improvement with a larger monthly plan fee, so the break-even depends on volume. Paydude moves your rate down on volume alone, with nothing to upgrade and no monthly platform fee. That is the structural difference between the two, and it matters more than the 0.3 points between the headline percentages.
The bigger number is often the gateway surcharge. On Basic, routing payments through anything other than Shopify Payments adds 2% on top of whatever your processor charges. That is not a card fee at all — it is the cost of not using the built-in option, and it is usually what makes leaving Shopify Payments uneconomic regardless of who is cheaper on paper.
Where Shopify Payments wins
You sell on Shopify and want one system. Checkout, fraud tools, payouts and refunds all live in the same admin, and Shop Pay converts well. If your store is the whole business, the integration is worth real money and the gateway surcharge makes the decision for you.
Where Paydude wins
Volume that is not on Shopify: your own checkout, an app, invoices, a marketplace, or a second sales channel. There is no plan to buy to get a better rate, and no surcharge for bringing your own stack.
Card mix changes this comparison more than the headline rate does. The overpayment calculator models Amex, premium and international share, and reports the point at which Paydude stops being cheaper.
GOOD QUESTIONS
Frequently asked
Is Paydude cheaper than Shopify Payments?+
On published base rates for domestic online cards, Paydude starts at 2.6% + 25¢ against Shopify Payments' 2.9% + 30¢ on the Basic plan. Shopify's rate falls on higher-priced plans, so the honest comparison depends on which plan you pay for and at what volume. Card mix matters too: Paydude surcharges Amex and premium cards at +0.3% but does not surcharge international cards.
What is the 2% Shopify gateway fee?+
On the Basic plan, Shopify adds roughly 2% to transactions processed through a third-party payment gateway instead of Shopify Payments. The surcharge shrinks on higher plans. It is charged by Shopify for the store, not by your processor, and it is usually the deciding cost when a Shopify store considers switching processors.
When should I choose Shopify Payments?+
When Shopify is your storefront and most of your volume runs through it. The integration is tight, the gateway surcharge penalises alternatives, and the operational simplicity of one system is worth more than a fraction of a percent to most stores.
Can I use Paydude alongside Shopify Payments?+
Yes — they are not mutually exclusive. Many businesses keep Shopify Payments for the storefront and use a separate processor for invoices, subscriptions, an app, or a second channel that never touches Shopify. That avoids the gateway surcharge entirely, because the volume was never going through Shopify checkout.
Where do these rates come from?+
Both figures are publicly published standard rates for domestic online card payments as of September 2026. The Shopify figure is the Basic plan rate for the United States. Neither is a negotiated or promotional rate.