The Shopify costs at a glance, which tariff for my business

Are you currently facing the decision to set up your own Shopify online store, but don't know how to get started and feel unsure because you still lack basic information? 

Then read on, because you've come to the right place! In this guide, we will explain the Shopify costs that you will have to pay, what different packages are available, what payment methods you should have in a store and what payment methods Shopify offers. We don't overload you with unnecessary information, but give you the information that is really important, so that you can start right away and are clear about the Shopify costs.

What are the Shopify costs if I use the platform?

The proof of the pudding is in the eating - with this in mind, Shopify offers you a 14-day free trial.

After that, you have to choose one of four main packages, the costs of which are billed monthly. It should be noted that these Shopify costs are billed in dollars and therefore fluctuate depending on the exchange rate.

The costs for the different packages are calculated as listed below: 

• Basic Shopify has a cost of $29 per month.
• For Shopify, you'll have to shell out a total of 79 US dollars per month.
• Advanced Shopify will cost you an amount of $299 per month.
• Shopify Plus is the most expensive variant, which is available from an amount of 2000 US dollars per month.

So the Shopify cost per month varies greatly from $29 to $2000 depending on the package, with the Shopify Plus variant not being very relevant for most users.

If you decide to make a long-term commitment, you'll get a 10% discount for the annual plan and a 20% discount for the two-year plan if you pay in advance. So, it can reduce Shopify costs by up to 20% if you pay upfront. But be careful, you need to be clear then exactly which package is right for you.

Shopify fees are added to this. These transaction fees depend on the selected package and range from 0.5% to 2%.

In addition, you will also incur payment gateway and credit card fees. These costs are incurred when the payment is made via PayPal, Klarna invoice or credit card, for example. These fees are collected by the payment provider of your chosen gateway.

The good news is that there are no additional enrollment fees. The slightly worse news is that you may need to plan for additional variable costs if you want a particular Shopify theme and want to use paid apps to enhance your store so that it stands out from the competition.

For a special Shopify theme that spices up your web presence, you can again plan on one-time costs of €100 to €150. If you want to use paid apps, you should also expect monthly costs of between €10 and €100.

So Shopify costs vary greatly depending on the package, payment method, chosen design and tools.

What package do I need with Shopify?

Choosing the right package depends on both the features you want and the revenue you expect to generate.

For example, Shopify costs may be lower even though you choose a more expensive package when your sales reach a certain level.

To help you decide which package is right for you, let's take a closer look at what the different packages have to offer, or rather, how they differ. 

First, let's take a look at the general features that each of the packages includes.

• Online store and blog
• Unlimited products and contacts
• DSGVO compliant
• Employee accounts
• Support (Help Center) around the clock
• Shopify Pos Lite (Point of Sale) 
• SSL certificate
• Discount codes
• Restoration of canceled baskets
• Gift certificate
• Customer segmentation
• Automated emails
• Translations in different languages
• Currency conversion

For the beginner, these functions already cover everything he needs. Especially the recovery of abandoned shopping carts is a very important element, which has only recently been included in the Basic package. Studies have been conducted that showed that in 75% of shopping cart abandonments, the customer intends to return later and make the purchase. 

One of the big differences are the transaction fees. While these are 2% for the Basic package, they are only 1% for the Shopify package, only 0.5% for the Advanced package, and no fees at all for the Shopify Plus package. Due to the Shopify fees, it may be worth switching to the next higher package. 

The big advantage of the Shopify package over the Basic package are the professional reports that give you an overview of the most important KPIs and the performance of your store. In addition, you have five employee accounts at your disposal, while you only have two with the Basic plan. This package is particularly suitable for professional, small businesses that still have a relatively low sales volume, but still achieve a certain order of magnitude in regular sales.

The Advanced package even offers you a total of fifteen employee accounts. It also scores with advanced reporting in reporting, third party shipping calculation, and customs and import tax collection at check-out. It's made for growing businesses that need powerful reporting and for whom lower transaction costs make a big difference.

Finally, let's take a look at the Shopify Plus package. This is very different from the other three packages. It is designed for large companies that are already successful on the market, have a large product range and want to enter the online retail market. Since these factors most likely don't apply to you, we won't take a closer look at the Plus package.

One advantage worth mentioning that immediately catches the eye is that you can switch between the different packages on a monthly basis. Upgrades and downgrades are possible at any time. This allows you to react quickly to both positive and negative developments of your e-commerce store.

What payment methods should you have in a store?

When it comes to Shopify payment methods, it's not just the fees that matter. The way customers want to pay has changed step by step over the last few years. While in the past more than half of all shoppers favored payment by invoice, this figure has now dropped to less than 40%. 

Directly behind in terms of popularity among online shoppers is the American payment provider PayPal. Payments by credit card or direct debit are also becoming increasingly popular. Other online payment systems are also trying to expand their influence, such as ApplePay or Paydirekt.

If you want to be successful in online retail, you have to provide your customers with the right selection of payment methods - there's no way around it nowadays. If you don't include enough methods in your online store, you're missing out on potential sales. On average, German online stores currently offer customers around five different payment methods.

What payment methods does Shopify offer?

If you want to integrate multiple payment providers on your website, it can get complicated. Depending on the payment method you choose, you may incur different fees and have to manage your incoming payments with different tools. The whole thing can quickly become quite confusing, labor-intensive and time-consuming.

You can easily avoid these difficulties if you use Shopify, or more precisely, if you make use of Shopify Payments. This tool is the official payment gateway of Shopify and helps you integrate a variety of payment providers on your store instantly and hassle-free. No matter which of these payment methods your customers use, you will find all incoming payments clearly arranged in your store dashboard. This will not only save you a lot of time, but possibly also a lot of nerves. 

All businesses based in Germany can offer the following payment methods to their customers via Shopify Payments: 

• Credit cards & debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express)
• IMMEDIATELY
• Klarna
• Bancontact
• iDEAL
• EPS
• Apple Pay
• Google Pay

The purchase on account, which still very many customers prefer, is possible via Klarna. 

You can also integrate other payment methods such as PayPal or Amazon Pay into your store. 

The fees Shopify Payments charges for processing payments depend on the Shopify package you choose. However, from a financial perspective, payments processed through Shopify Payments offer you an enormous advantage. Shopify does not charge you any transaction fees, which are usually between 0.5% and 2% depending on the package.

So Shopify payment methods cover most of all popular options, only Paypal is a must-have outside of Shopify Payments.

Frequently asked questions

Conclusion: The Shopify costs vary depending on turnover

As you can see, setting up Shopify is pretty straightforward, but still, there are a few things you need to know if you want to set up a professional online store. With this guide, you'll have all the basic information you need to get started. Also, you now know which package is most suitable for your business or for your future business.

Have more questions beyond Shopify pricing, find out how to create a Shopify store with our Shopify beginner guide.

Of course, it is not enough to read a short guide and acquire the most important information to build an online store that is competitive and profitable in the long run. If you want to build not only a good, but a very good store, you need to know which screws to turn. If you want to avoid unnecessary mistakes from the beginning and not waste time teaching yourself everything, feel free to contact us. As a Shopify agency, we can explain to you exactly how we can help you create and optimize your online store in a free introductory meeting.