Shopify costs at a glance: which plan do I need?

Are you currently considering setting up your own Shopify online shop, but don’t know where to start and feel unsure because you’re still missing some basic information?

Then be sure to carry on reading, because you’ve come to the right place! In this guide, we’ll explain the Shopify costs you can expect, the different plans available, which payment methods you should offer in your shop, and which payment methods Shopify supports. We won’t overwhelm you with unnecessary information; instead, we’ll give you the details that really matter so that you can get started straight away and have a clear understanding of the costs involved with Shopify.

What Shopify costs will I incur when using the platform?

The best way to find out is to try it for yourself – with this in mind, Shopify offers you a 14-day free trial.

You will then need to choose one of four main packages, the costs of which are charged on a monthly basis. Please note that these Shopify charges are billed in dollars and may therefore vary depending on the exchange rate.

The costs for the various packages are calculated as set out below:

• The Basic Shopify plan costs US$29 per month.
• For Shopify, you’ll need to pay a total of 79 US dollars per month.
• Advanced Shopify costs US$299 per month.
• Shopify Plus is the most expensive option, available from US$2,000 per month.

Shopify’s monthly costs therefore vary significantly depending on the package, ranging from 29 to 2,000 US dollars, although the Shopify Plus option is not particularly relevant for most users.

If you opt for a long-term commitment, you’ll receive a 10 per cent discount on the annual plan and a 20 per cent discount on the two-year plan if you pay in advance. Paying in advance can therefore reduce your Shopify costs by up to 20 per cent. But be careful – you need to be absolutely sure which package is right for you.

On top of this, there are Shopify fees. These transaction fees depend on the plan you choose and range from 0.5 per cent to 2 per cent.

In addition, you’ll also have to pay payment gateway and credit card fees. These costs are incurred when payments are made via PayPal, Klarna invoice or credit card, for example. These fees are charged by the payment provider of your chosen gateway.

The good news is that there are no additional registration fees. The slightly less good news is that you may need to factor in further variable costs if you want a specific Shopify theme and wish to use paid apps to enhance your shop so that it stands out from the competition.

For a special Shopify theme to spruce up your website, you can expect to pay a one-off cost of between €100 and €150. If you want to use paid apps, you should also expect monthly costs of between €10 and €100.

Shopify costs therefore vary considerably depending on the plan, payment method, chosen design and tools.

Which Shopify plan do I need?

Choosing the right package depends both on the features you require and on your expected turnover.

For example, your Shopify costs may actually be lower, even if you choose a more expensive plan, once your turnover reaches a certain level.

To help you work out which package is right for you, let’s take a closer look at what the different packages offer and how they differ from one another.

Let’s first take a look at the general features included in each of the packages.

• Online shop and blog
• Unlimited products and contacts
• GDPR-compliant
• Staff accounts
• Round-the-clock support (Help Centre)
• Shopify POS Lite (Point of Sale)
• SSL certificate
• Discount codes
• Recovering abandoned shopping baskets
• Gift voucher
• Customer segmentation
• Automated emails
• Translations into various languages
• Currency conversion

For beginners, these features already cover everything they need. In particular, the ability to recover abandoned trolleys is a very important feature, which has only recently been included in the Basic package. Studies have shown that in 75 per cent of abandoned trolleys, the customer intends to return later and complete the purchase.

One of the major differences lies in the transaction fees. Whilst these amount to 2 per cent with the Basic plan, they are just 1 per cent with the Shopify plan, as low as 0.5 per cent with the Advanced plan, and are waived entirely with the Shopify Plus plan. Given Shopify’s fees, it may therefore be worth upgrading to the next higher plan.

The main advantage of the Shopify plan over the Basic plan is the professional reports, which give you an overview of the key KPIs and your shop’s performance. You also have five staff accounts available, whereas the Basic Plan only offers two. This package is particularly suitable for professional, small businesses that still have a relatively low sales volume but nevertheless generate a certain level of regular turnover.

The Advanced Package offers you a total of fifteen staff accounts. It also stands out thanks to its enhanced reporting features, the calculation of third-party delivery costs, and the collection of customs duties and import taxes at checkout. It’s ideal for growing businesses that need powerful reporting tools and for whom lower transaction costs make a big difference.

Finally, let’s take a look at the Shopify Plus package. This stands out significantly from the other three packages. It’s designed for large companies that are already successful in the market, have a wide range of products and want to enter the online retail sector. As these factors are highly unlikely to apply to you, we won’t be examining the Plus plan in any greater detail.

One notable advantage that immediately stands out is that you can switch between the different packages on a monthly basis. You can upgrade or downgrade at any time. This means you can react quickly to both positive and negative developments in your e-commerce shop.

What payment methods should an online shop offer?

When it comes to Shopify payment methods, it’s not just about the fees. The way customers prefer to pay has gradually changed over recent years. Whilst more than half of all shoppers used to favour payment by invoice, this figure has now fallen to below 40 per cent.

Close behind in terms of popularity amongst online shoppers is the American payment provider PayPal. Payments by credit card or direct debit are also becoming increasingly popular. In addition, other online payment systems, such as Apple Pay and Paydirekt, are seeking to expand their reach.

If you want to be successful in online retail, you must offer your customers the right range of payment methods; there’s simply no getting round that these days. If you don’t integrate enough payment methods into your online shop, you’ll miss out on a significant amount of potential turnover. On average, German online shops currently offer customers around five different payment methods.

What payment methods does Shopify offer?

If you want to integrate several payment providers into your website, things can get complicated. Depending on the payment method you choose, different fees may apply and you’ll have to manage your incoming payments using different tools. The whole process can quickly become rather confusing, and it’s labour-intensive and time-consuming.

You can easily get round these difficulties by using Shopify – or, to be more precise, by using Shopify Payments. This tool is Shopify’s official payment gateway and helps you integrate a wide range of payment providers into your shop instantly and hassle-free. No matter which of these payment methods your customers use, you’ll find all payment transactions clearly organised in your shop dashboard. This not only saves you a lot of time, but may also save you a lot of hassle.

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

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

Payment on account, which is still preferred by a great many customers, is available via Klarna.

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

The fees charged by Shopify Payments for processing payments depend on the Shopify plan you have chosen. From a financial perspective, however, payments processed via Shopify Payments offer you a huge advantage. This is because Shopify does not charge you any transaction fees, which would otherwise range from 0.5% to 2%, depending on the plan.

Shopify’s payment methods therefore cover the vast majority of popular options; only PayPal is a must-have outside of Shopify Payments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion: Shopify’s costs vary depending on turnover

As you can see, setting up Shopify is fairly straightforward, but there are still a few things you need to know if you want to set up a professional online shop. This guide provides you with all the basic information you need to get started. You’ll also now know which plan is best suited to your business or your future business.

If you have any further questions beyond Shopify’s pricing, find out how to set up a Shopify shop with our Shopify Beginner’s Guide.

Of course, it’s not enough simply to read a short guide and take in the key information to set up an online shop that remains competitive in the long term and turns a profit. If you want to build not just a good, but a very good shop, you need to know exactly what adjustments to make. If you want to avoid unnecessary mistakes right from the start and not waste the time you’d need to teach yourself everything, please feel free to get in touch with us. As a Shopify agency, we can explain exactly how we can help you create and optimise your online shop during a free introductory consultation.