Shopify Fees in South Africa: The Complete Breakdown
Introduction
Somewhere between "Shopify is only R450 a month" and "Shopify is expensive" lies the truth — and for South African sellers, the truth is a stack of fees that rarely gets explained properly.
Yes, you pay a subscription. But in South Africa you also pay Shopify's third-party payment provider fee (because Shopify Payments isn't available here), your gateway's transaction fees, app subscriptions, theme costs, domain renewals, shipping integrations, currency conversion on everything billed in dollars, and in some cases VAT implications and chargeback costs.
Add them up and your "R450 store" is often costing 6–8% of your revenue — or more if you choose the wrong gateway. The good news: every one of these fees can be modelled, compared and reduced.
This guide lists every fee a South African Shopify merchant can pay, in Rands, with worked examples at R25,000, R100,000 and R500,000 monthly revenue, and a practical plan for cutting your costs.
Quick answer: In South Africa, Shopify fees stack up as follows: a plan subscription billed in USD (Basic ~R450/month, Grow ~R1,170/month, Advanced ~R7,200/month), a third-party payment provider fee of 2% (Basic), 1% (Grow) or 0.6% (Advanced) on every sale because Shopify Payments is not available here, your local gateway's rates (e.g. PayFast 3.2% + R2, Ozow Pay-by-Bank 1.5%), plus apps, themes, domain, shipping and currency conversion. A Basic-plan store doing R100,000/month pays roughly R5,500–R8,500/month all-in — about 6–8% of revenue. Cut costs with Pay-by-Bank, annual billing, plan upgrades at the right thresholds and negotiated gateway rates.
Want your exact fee picture? CrazyClicks will model your store's real costs and rebuild your payment stack to cut fees — get in touch.
Why understanding Shopify fees matters in South Africa
Most Shopify pricing guides are written for markets where Shopify Payments exists. In those markets, there is no third-party fee, and the built-in gateway is usually the cheapest option. South Africa is different in two fundamental ways:
- Shopify Payments is not available here, so Shopify charges an extra third-party fee on top of your gateway.
- You choose among local gateways (PayFast, Paystack, Yoco, Ozow, Stitch, Peach, PayGate), each with its own card, EFT and per-transaction rates.
That means two stores doing identical sales can pay very different totals. One on PayFast cards might lose over 5% of revenue; one that pushes Ozow Pay-by-Bank might keep it under 3.5%. Over a year on R100,000/month, that difference is R20,000+ — real money for a South African SME.
Understanding the fee stack is not admin. It is margin. It can be the difference between a profitable store and one that quietly bleeds cash.
Fee 1: the plan subscription (billed in USD)
Shopify bills South African merchants in US dollars, so your plan cost moves with the exchange rate (mid-2026: roughly R16.50–R18.00 per USD). Official plan pricing (July 2026):
| Plan | USD monthly | USD yearly (per month equiv.) | Approx ZAR monthly | Approx ZAR yearly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5 | $5 | ~R90 | ~R90 |
| Basic | $25 | $19 | ~R450 | ~R350 |
| Grow (was "Shopify") | $65 | $49 | ~R1,170 | ~R880 |
| Advanced | $399 | $299 | ~R7,200 | ~R5,400 |
| Plus | from $2,300 | from $2,300 | from ~R41,000 | from ~R41,000 |
| POS Pro | $89 per location/mo | — | ~R1,600 | — |
The plan also sets your staff accounts (Basic 2, Grow 5, Advanced 15) and, critically, your third-party fee rate. A 3-day free trial is available on all plans, followed by $1/month for 3 months on eligible plans (Basic and Grow) where the offer is active.
Key fact: According to Shopify's official pricing, annual billing gives roughly a 25% discount on Basic, Grow and Advanced — a cheap, instant way to cut your subscription cost.
Fee 2: the third-party payment provider fee
This is the fee most South African sellers discover after launch, and it stings. Because Shopify Payments is unavailable in South Africa, Shopify charges an extra third-party payment provider fee on every transaction processed through another gateway:
| Plan | Third-party fee |
|---|---|
| Basic | 2.0% |
| Grow | 1.0% |
| Advanced | 0.6% |
| Plus | 0.2% |
On R100,000/month of sales, that is R2,000/month on Basic, R1,000 on Grow and R600 on Advanced. The fee applies regardless of which gateway you use — PayFast, Paystack, Yoco, Ozow, Stitch, Peach, PayGate — so it is a fixed "Shopify tax" on your revenue until you move to a higher plan.
This fee is the single biggest reason South African merchants should choose their plan by fee rate, not by features.
Fee 3: your payment gateway's fees
On top of Shopify's third-party fee, your gateway charges its own rates. Here are the mid-2026 South African rates (ex-VAT unless noted):
| Gateway | Card rate | Pay-by-Bank / EFT | Per-txn | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PayFast (Payfast by Network) | 3.2% + R2 | 2.0% + min R2 Instant EFT / Capitec Pay | R2 | Widest method coverage; no monthly fee; card rate dropped from 3.5% to 3.2% on 1 June 2026 |
| Peach Payments | ~2.95% local, ~3.50% international | Capitec Pay supported | R1.50 | Real-time payouts (~90 sec); recurring billing; good at volume |
| Yoco | 2.95% local, 3.40% international | Not offered | None | Cheapest card-only option; online plans R249/R499/mo with rates as low as 2.55% |
| Paystack | 2.9% + R1 local, 3.1% + R1 international | 2.0% EFT | R1 | Developer-friendly; owned by Stripe |
| Stitch | 2.95% local | 2.0% Capitec Pay | None on cards | "Built for Shopify"-badged gateway |
| Ozow | 2.85% cards (tiered) | 1.5% Pay-by-Bank / Capitec / Absa / Nedbank / PayShap | Per-method | Best for high-AOV/B2B pushing Pay-by-Bank |
| PayGate (DPO) | Negotiated | SiD Secure EFT | Negotiated | Enterprise; needs merchant account |
The combined reality on Shopify (gateway + Shopify's third-party fee):
- Basic + PayFast card: ~5.2–5.5%
- Grow + Peach: ~3.95%
- Basic + Ozow Pay-by-Bank: ~3.5%
- Advanced + negotiated gateway: ~3.0% or lower
Your gateway choice is the largest controllable cost on your invoice. The payment gateway comparison covers this in depth.
Fee 4: apps
Most stores run three to five paid apps, and their monthly fees are easy to ignore — until you total them.
| App category | Typical SA monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Accounting (Xero, QuickBooks, Sage) | R150–R400 |
| Email marketing (Klaviyo, Mailchimp) | R250–R900 |
| WhatsApp chat/support | R100–R400 |
| Reviews / social proof | R150–R500 |
| Dropshipping (CJ, Zendrop, Spocket) | Free–R400 |
| Shipping integrations (Courier Guy, Pargo) | Free–R300 |
A sensible stack lands around R700–R1,400/month on a Basic store. Dropshippers and marketing-heavy stores can spend far more. Review your app list monthly and uninstall anything that is not earning its keep.
Fee 5: themes
Shopify's free Dawn theme is genuinely good, but most brands buy a paid theme for a distinctive look. Paid themes are usually a one-off USD purchase, typically R400–R1,200 depending on the exchange rate, with premium themes above that. Because it is billed in USD, a theme advertised at "$99" is closer to R1,650–R1,800 in practice. Amortised over a year, themes are minor — but they are a one-off lump you should budget for.
Fee 6: your domain
Buy your domain separately (a .co.za from a local registrar) so you own it regardless of platform. Budget roughly R15–R150/month equivalent depending on the registrar and domain type. Shopify can also sell you a domain, but buying locally is usually cheaper and keeps ownership with you.
Fee 7: shipping and fulfilment
Shipping isn't a Shopify fee per se — the customer pays — but it shapes your margins:
- Courier apps (The Courier Guy, Aramex, Dawn Wing, BobGo, Pargo) may charge monthly or per-label fees.
- You decide who eats delivery: free-shipping thresholds (e.g. free over R750) are marketing costs you absorb.
- Packing and returns are real costs; a poorly-optimised return process quietly eats margin.
See the online store guide for shipping strategy.
Fee 8: currency conversion
Because Shopify, most themes, and many apps bill in USD, every dollar purchase carries exchange-rate risk. The rand swings roughly R16.50–R18.00 per dollar (mid-2026). A $65/month Grow plan is R1,072 at R16.50 but R1,170 at R18.00 — a R98 swing, every month, before you count apps, themes and annual billing. Paying by credit card adds bank foreign-exchange fees on top. Paying via a competitive USD rate or annual billing in one go limits exposure.
Fee 9: VAT on fees
- Shopify's fees are billed in USD and generally exclude VAT.
- Gateway fees are typically quoted ex-VAT too.
- If you are VAT-registered, you can claim input VAT on your Shopify subscription, gateway fees and app subscriptions — effectively clawing back 15% of what you pay in fees.
- On sales, if registered, you charge 15% output VAT.
Since SARS raised the compulsory VAT registration threshold to R2.3 million turnover on 1 April 2026 (from R1 million), many stores now voluntarily register earlier specifically to reclaim input VAT on fees. An accountant should guide this.
Fee 10: refunds and chargebacks
- Refunded orders: Shopify generally does not refund its third-party fee, and your gateway typically does not refund its processing fee either. A refunded R1,000 sale can cost you ~5% in unrecoverable fees plus stock and courier losses.
- Chargebacks: your gateway charges a dispute fee (commonly R50–R150 in South Africa), and Shopify may add its own dispute resolution fee. A chargeback can easily cost R200–R400 all-in, plus the lost goods.
- Prevention: clear delivery times, tracking on every order (The Courier Guy/Pargo), responsive WhatsApp support, and a documented returns policy — the same basics that win South African customers generally.
Worked examples: R25k, R100k and R500k monthly revenue
The maths changes with volume. Here are three realistic scenarios (all approximations, mid-2026 rates).
Scenario A: R25,000/month (new store, Basic plan, PayFast)
| Fee | Cost |
|---|---|
| Basic plan | ~R450 |
| Shopify third-party fee (2%) | ~R500 |
| PayFast card on 70% of sales (3.2% + R2 × ~60 orders) | ~R680 |
| PayFast EFT on 30% of sales (2.0%) | ~R150 |
| 2 apps | ~R400 |
| Domain | ~R50 |
| Total | ~R2,230/month (~8.9% of revenue) |
A new store's fees are disproportionately high as a percentage — one reason to keep costs lean early.
Scenario B: R100,000/month (Basic plan, PayFast + Ozow)
| Fee | Cost |
|---|---|
| Basic plan | ~R450–R730 |
| Shopify third-party fee (2%) | ~R2,000 |
| PayFast card on 55% of sales (3.2% + R2 × ~250 orders) | ~R2,250 |
| Ozow Pay-by-Bank on 45% of sales (1.5%) | ~R675 |
| Ozow share of Shopify fee already in 2% line | — |
| 3–4 apps | ~R700–R1,400 |
| Domain | ~R15–R150 |
| Total | ~R6,000–R9,200/month (~6–8% of revenue) |
This matches the verified 6–8% rule of thumb for a Basic-plan store.
Scenario C: R500,000/month (Grow plan, Peach + Ozow)
| Fee | Cost |
|---|---|
| Grow plan | ~R1,170 |
| Shopify third-party fee (1%) | ~R5,000 |
| Peach card on 60% of sales (2.95% + R1.50) | ~R8,900 |
| Ozow Pay-by-Bank on 40% of sales (1.5%) | ~R3,000 |
| Apps | ~R1,500 |
| Domain | ~R150 |
| Total | ~R19,700/month (~3.9% of revenue) |
The lesson: at scale, the plan upgrade pays for itself. Moving from Basic to Grow at R500k/month saves ~R5,000/month in third-party fees (2% → 1%) for an extra ~R720/month in subscription. That's a ~7x return.
How to reduce your Shopify fees
- Push Pay-by-Bank. Ozow Pay-by-Bank (1.5%) vs cards (2.85–3.2%) can cut gateway fees nearly in half. Offer a small incentive for EFT at high order values.
- Upgrade your plan at the right threshold. Move Basic → Grow when the 1% fee saving exceeds the plan cost difference (roughly R200,000–R250,000/month sales).
- Use annual billing for the ~25% discount on Basic, Grow and Advanced.
- Negotiate with Peach Payments at higher volume — rates are negotiable for good merchants, which matters even more on Advanced where your Shopify fee is only 0.6%.
- Choose Yoco if you are card-only — 2.95% with no per-transaction fee is the cheapest card-only option, and its Plus/Pro online plans (R249/R499/month) drop rates to as low as 2.55%.
- Claim input VAT on your fees if registered — a 15% clawback on your fee stack.
- Prune your apps monthly — dormant subscriptions are pure margin leakage.
- Pay USD bills via your cheapest conversion route — avoid hefty bank FX margins on annual plans and themes.
The complete fee comparison table
| Cost line | Basic (~R450) | Grow (~R1,170) | Advanced (~R7,200) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third-party fee (Shopify Payments N/A in SA) | 2.0% | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Typical gateway card rate | 2.9–3.2% + R1–R2 | 2.9–3.2% + R1–R2 | negotiated ~2.5–2.95% |
| Ozow Pay-by-Bank | 1.5% (+2% Shopify) | 1.5% (+1% Shopify) | 1.5% (+0.6% Shopify) |
| Combined (card, typical) | ~5.2–5.5% | ~4.0–4.2% | ~3.1–3.6% |
| Staff accounts | 2 | 5 | 15 |
| Annual billing discount | ~25% | ~25% | ~25% |
| Apps (typical) | R700–R1,400/mo | R700–R1,400/mo | R1,000–R2,000/mo |
| POS Pro (per location) | ~R1,600/mo | ~R1,600/mo | ~R1,600/mo |
| Best for SA sales volume | under ~R200k/mo | ~R200k–R500k/mo | R500k+/mo or negotiated gateways |
The cheapest fee is the one you never pay — so test Shopify's current offer yourself: claim Shopify's introductory $1/month offer where it is active and run these numbers against your own sales before committing to a plan.
Beginner Mistakes to Avoid
- Using one gateway's card rate only. PayFast cards (3.2% + R2) plus the 2% third-party fee = ~5.2%+; that margin bleed ends many stores.
- Ignoring the third-party fee in pricing. If you price as if fees are ~3%, you are under-pricing by ~2%+.
- Staying on Basic too long. At high volume, the 2% fee quietly costs far more than the Grow plan.
- Not claiming input VAT. Registered stores that skip VAT reclaim on fees leave ~15% of their fee bill on the table.
- Subscribing to apps you never use. Ten apps at R150 each is R1,500/month of dead margin.
- Paying monthly instead of annually. The ~25% annual discount is free money you are not taking.
- Forgetting currency conversion. A "$99 theme" is ~R1,700, not "cheap".
- Accepting default gateway terms. Higher-volume merchants can negotiate better rates with Peach and PayGate — but only if you ask.
Expert Tips
- Model fees by revenue, not by order. Fees scale with revenue, so plan upgrades should be triggered by monthly sales, not by feature needs.
- Offer both card and Pay-by-Bank. South Africans genuinely use both; the EFT option is also your cheapest processing route.
- Set a free-shipping threshold that absorbs your fee stack. If platform fees are ~7%, a R750 free-shipping threshold at a ~35% margin still leaves you ~28% — build fees into every price.
- Review your gateway statement monthly. Rate changes (like PayFast's drop to 3.2% on 1 June 2026) and new options (Stitch Express Checkout, BNPL) change the optimal stack.
- Use accounting apps from day one. Clean fee tracking makes VAT reclaim and SARS filings painless.
- Test checkout monthly. Silent gateway or app changes can break payments and inflate your cost per successful sale.
- Negotiate once a year. Call your gateway at renewal; volume-based discounts are common in South Africa, especially with Peach and PayGate.
- Let professionals run the stack. CrazyClicks configures and continuously optimises gateway + app stacks for SA clients — see our Shopify development services.
The Quick-Start Checklist
- Note your plan's third-party fee rate (2%/1%/0.6%)
- Convert your subscription to Rands at the current exchange rate
- List your gateway's card, EFT and per-transaction fees
- Estimate your card vs Pay-by-Bank sales split
- Calculate combined fee % for each payment type
- Total your app, theme (amortised), domain and shipping costs
- Run your scenario through the worked examples above
- Decide whether Basic → Grow upgrade pays for itself
- Switch to annual billing if staying on the plan
- Check your VAT status and input-VAT reclaim options
- Set a free-shipping threshold that protects your margin
- Review and prune your app list
- Book an annual fee review with your gateway
South African Case Study
Illustrative example, not a real client.
The business: A Durban homeware brand doing R180,000/month in online sales, 65% card and 35% EFT.
The before state: Basic plan (~R450), PayFast only. Fees: R3,600 (2% Shopify) + R4,600 PayFast card + R1,260 PayFast EFT + R900 apps ≈ R10,800/month (~6.0%).
The optimisation: Switched to Grow plan (~R1,170), kept PayFast for cards, added Ozow for Pay-by-Bank, moved to annual billing, and cut two unused apps.
The after state: Fees: R1,800 (1% Shopify) + R4,600 PayFast card + R945 Ozow (1.5% on 35%) + R550 apps ≈ R9,065/month (~5.0%) — a R1,735/month saving with zero change in sales.
The result: Over a year, the optimisation returned ~R20,800 to the bottom line, and the cleaner stack made VAT reclaim straightforward. The lesson: fee optimisation is a marketing-free profit boost.
People Also Ask
Q: What fees does Shopify charge in South Africa?
Shopify charges a monthly subscription (USD), a third-party payment provider fee of 2% (Basic), 1% (Grow) or 0.6% (Advanced) because Shopify Payments is not available in South Africa, plus optional costs for apps, themes, domains and shipping. On top of that, your payment gateway charges its own rates.
Q: Why does Shopify charge a 2% transaction fee in South Africa?
Because Shopify Payments is not available in South Africa, every local merchant must use a third-party gateway such as PayFast, Paystack or Yoco. Shopify charges an extra third-party payment provider fee for this: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus.
Q: How much are total Shopify fees for a South African store doing R100,000 a month?
A typical Basic-plan store doing R100,000/month in sales pays roughly R5,500–R8,500/month all-in: about R450–R730 for the plan, R2,000 for the 2% third-party fee, R3,700 for PayFast card fees, R700–R1,400 for apps, plus the domain. That is about 6–8% of revenue.
Q: Does Shopify charge VAT in South Africa?
Shopify's subscription and transaction fees are billed in USD and generally exclude VAT. However, VAT-registered South African businesses can claim input VAT on these fees through SARS. You still charge 15% output VAT on your sales if you are registered.
Q: How can I reduce Shopify fees in South Africa?
Offer Pay-by-Bank options like Ozow (1.5% vs ~3.2% for cards), upgrade from Basic to Grow when your 2% fee saving pays for the plan, use annual billing for a ~25% discount, negotiate higher-volume rates with Peach Payments, and keep your app list lean.
Q: Does Shopify charge for refunds or chargebacks?
Shopify does not refund the third-party payment provider fee on refunded orders, and your gateway typically does not refund its processing fee either. Chargebacks carry gateway fees (often R50–R150 each in South Africa) plus a Shopify dispute fee in some regions. Avoid disputes with clear policies and tracking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Shopify too expensive for a small South African business?
A: At the Starter (~R90/month) or Basic (~R450/month) level, no — it is comparable with any serious ecommerce platform. The real cost is the fee stack: budget 6–8% of revenue on Basic. For very small stores, the Shopify vs Wix comparison shows where Wix may be cheaper.
Q: Can I avoid the Shopify third-party fee in South Africa?
A: Not while using a third-party gateway, which is mandatory here because Shopify Payments is unavailable. You can only reduce it: Grow's 1% and Advanced's 0.6% lower it, and Plus drops it to 0.2%.
Q: Are gateway fees VAT-inclusive or exclusive in South Africa?
A: Rates are typically quoted ex-VAT. Always confirm, and remember VAT-registered businesses can claim input VAT on the fees you actually pay.
Q: Which South African gateway is cheapest with Shopify?
A: It depends on your mix. Card-only: Yoco (2.95%, no per-txn fee) or Paystack (2.9% + R1). High EFT share: Ozow Pay-by-Bank (1.5%). High volume: Peach (negotiable) or PayGate (negotiated merchant account). Combined with Shopify's third-party fee, Basic + Ozow Pay-by-Bank is ~3.5%, the lowest typical combined rate.
Q: Do I pay Shopify fees in Rands or dollars?
A: Dollars. Your subscription, paid themes and USD-billed apps are charged in USD, converting to Rands on your card. ZAR-only costs are your gateway fees, local apps, domain and shipping.
Q: How do the worked examples change if I sell internationally?
A: International card rates rise (e.g. Paystack 3.1% + R1, Peach ~3.5%), and you may add PayPal or Stripe. Multi-currency sales can also trigger FX conversion costs. Model international sales separately before switching on markets.
Q: Is annual billing worth it?
A: Almost always. The ~25% discount on Basic, Grow and Advanced is instant savings, and it hedges you against a weak rand for a year.
Q: Should I hire someone to manage my Shopify costs?
A: If fees are above ~6% of revenue, yes — professional configuration of gateways, apps and tax settings typically pays for itself within a month. CrazyClicks handles this as part of its Shopify development and conversion optimisation services.
Summary
Shopify in South Africa is more than a subscription: it is a fee stack of plan cost, the third-party payment provider fee (2%/1%/0.6%), your gateway's rates, apps, themes, domains, shipping, currency conversion, VAT and chargeback costs. At R100,000/month on Basic, that totals roughly R5,500–R8,500 — about 6–8% of revenue. The good news is that every layer is optimisable: Pay-by-Bank, plan upgrades at the right threshold, annual billing, negotiated gateway rates and input-VAT reclaim can cut your fee bill by a third or more.
Key Takeaways
- The third-party fee is the hidden cost: 2% (Basic), 1% (Grow), 0.6% (Advanced) — unavoidable because Shopify Payments isn't in South Africa.
- Your gateway is your biggest controllable cost: combined card costs hit ~5.2–5.5% on Basic; Ozow Pay-by-Bank gets you to ~3.5%.
- Budget 6–8% of revenue on Basic — plan upgrades pay for themselves at roughly R200,000–R250,000/month sales.
- Claim input VAT on your fees if registered, and use annual billing for a ~25% discount.
- Optimise continuously: gateway rates change (PayFast dropped to 3.2% in June 2026), new options appear, and app bloat returns monthly.
Ready to cut your Shopify fees?
Every saving in this guide is actionable today — and a well-configured store saves even more. CrazyClicks is a full-service digital agency in Cape Town that builds and optimises Shopify stores for South African brands: the right gateway stack, lean app setup, VAT-aware accounting and ongoing fee reviews. Start a project, see our services, or read our case studies.
If you are still choosing a platform, start on Shopify's free trial (start your Shopify store today) and apply this fee framework from day one — the store that controls its fee stack is the store that stays profitable.
Sticky sidebar: CrazyClicks services card (link to /services).
