Shopify Payments vs PayPal on Shopify
Card rates from www.shopify.com and PayPal rates from www.paypal.com, fetched 2026-10-14. Most stores offer both; this shows what each order costs you.
Result
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Short answer
On a US domestic card, Shopify Payments costs 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic versus PayPal Checkout at 3.49% + $0.49 — so Shopify Payments is cheaper on every order size. PayPal still converts buyers who prefer it; keep it as an option, but don’t make it your only gateway.
| Plan | Shopify Payments | PayPal Checkout | Shopify third-party fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 2.9% + 30¢ | 3.49% + $0.49 | 2% |
| Grow | 2.7% + 30¢ | 3.49% + $0.49 | 1% |
| Advanced | 2.5% + 30¢ | 3.49% + $0.49 | 0.6% |
Sources
| Source | URL | Fetched | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| shopify | https://www.shopify.com/pricing | 2026-10-14 | US pricing; yearly-billing monthly price shown, monthly billing is higher. Online standard card rates with Shopify Payments. |
| paypal_fees | https://www.paypal.com/us/business/paypal-business-fees | 2026-10-14 | US merchant fees (page last updated Oct 1, 2026): PayPal Checkout 3.49% + fixed fee; standard card payments 2.99% + fixed fee; Pay Later 4.99% + fixed fee; Venmo 3.49% + fixed fee; fixed fee 0.49 USD; +1.50% for international commercial transactions; currency conversion spread 3.00% (all other transactions) or as disclosed; standard dispute fee 15.00 USD. |
Fees and rules change. Confirm against the official page and your own account before pricing decisions.
FAQ
Is Shopify Payments cheaper than PayPal?
Yes for US domestic cards at standard rates: 2.9% + 30¢ (Basic) versus 3.49% + $0.49 for PayPal Checkout, before any Shopify third-party fee.
Should I turn off PayPal?
Usually not: some buyers only pay with PayPal. Compare the extra fee with the orders you would lose.