Shopify Plus Pricing: How Much Does Shopify Plus Cost?
One of the most challenging things for a business to do is manage its online presence and build a successful ecommerce site. Even successful brick-and-mortar retailers can struggle to build online stores, which shows that starting one from the ground up can be tricky.
Shopify is a service that simplifies building ecommerce sites and handling online payments. It offers multiple tiers of service, including Shopify Plus, which is targeted at large enterprises with at least $80,000 per month in sales.
If you’re interested in using Shopify Plus, it’s important to consider the cost and value you’ll get to ensure it’s worth paying for.
What Is the Cost of Shopify Plus?
Shopify Plus is a highly customizable ecommerce platform that can scale and adjust to the size and needs of your business. While Shopify doesn’t provide the clearest information about how much the service costs, it says the plan starts at $2,000 monthly. Customers with more complex or higher volume business structures will pay a variable fee.
For $2,000+ per month, you get some valuable services, including:
Up to 18% higher conversion and 60% faster checkout.
Customized checkouts with localized shopping experiences.
Advanced discounting and shipping rate tools.
Managing all your Shopify stores, staff, and automation from one dashboard.
Automation of advertising campaigns and discounts.
Easy integrations with other tools.
On top of that minimum $2,000 per month fee, you’ll need to pay other costs, including:
Credit card processing fees.
App fees.
Maintenance fees.
Shopify Plus Platform Fee
Shopify Plus charges a platform fee for using the service. The company says that plans start at $2,000 per month and can scale up from there, depending on your monthly revenue.
In comparison, Shopify’s standard service levels have fees that range from $39 per month to $399 per month. This means you’re paying five times more for Shopify Plus than the advanced tier in Shopify’s standard service.
Credit Card Processing Fees
Shopify helps you build an ecommerce site and accept online payments in multiple formats, including credit and debit cards. Credit card issuers and networks charge interchange fees to compensate them for the work required in processing card transactions.
If you choose to use Shopify Payments as your payment gateway and processor, Shopify will pass those transaction fees along to you, meaning you’ll have to pay a fee for each credit card payment you receive. The platform states that credit card rates will vary by country, so you need to contact a Shopify Plus representative to get the latest information for your location.
Choosing third-party payment processing will result in paying that processor the transaction fees, plus paying Shopify a 0.15% to 0.30% fee to cover compliance costs.
The lowest tier of Shopify’s standard service, Shopify Basic, charges 2.9% + $0.30 for online transactions and 2.7% for in-person transactions that use cards. Shopify Advanced lowers the fee to 2.4% + $0.30 for online transactions and 2.4% for in-person transactions.
App Fees
One of Shopify’s strengths is that it offers a powerful suite of APIs, integrations, and apps that you can use to customize your store or add unique features for your customers. The Shopify App Store makes it easy to browse different apps to add to your site and choose the ones that work best for you.
Some apps are free to install. This is common for social media apps like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram. These apps let you connect your social media accounts to your store and run ad campaigns to drive sales.
Other apps charge monthly or annual fees. These can do anything from help you customize your store design to change how shipping works or assist with inventory management.
Fees will vary from one app to another, so it’s worth looking for the apps that offer the most bang for your buck in functionality.
Maintenance Fees
One thing that people rarely think about when it comes to websites and ecommerce businesses is maintenance. Web servers and other IT equipment require constant upkeep and maintenance. Without proper care, these tools can fail and cause outages for your site.
The good news with Shopify Plus is that Shopify handles all of the hosting and maintenance for you. The company promises 99.9% uptime and does not charge any specific maintenance fees.
Can You Negotiate These Fees With Shopify?
As with anything in the business world, you can always negotiate with Shopify to see if you can secure a lower cost for Shopify Plus or get more tailored services.
The real question is whether Shopify will be open to negotiating with you. Reports vary on this—some claim that Shopify holds fast to its pricing and isn’t willing to budge, while others claim that Shopify might be willing to work with you.
There’s no harm in trying to negotiate. The worst thing that can happen is that Shopify will say no, but just be ready to decide whether the fee is worth paying if that is the case.
How Much Do Shopify Plus Apps Cost?
The cost of Shopify Plus apps varies considerably. Some apps are free, while others charge monthly or annual fees. Many offer free trials or free basic plans to give you a chance to try the service before paying for it.
For example, if you want to install a social media app like TikTok or Facebook, you won’t have to pay anything because the social media company makes money when you pay for ads.
On the other hand, an app like Upsell Product Add-Ons charges $29.99 per month for Shopify Plus stores. In exchange, it gives you tools that you can use to easily upsell or cross-sell products to customers who are about to check out.
Depending on the number and type of apps you want to install, you might pay nothing or hundreds of dollars per month.
What Does It Cost to Migrate Data to Shopify Plus?
If you already have an ecommerce store, it can feel like a huge amount of effort to migrate your site and data to Shopify’s platform.
The good news for business owners is that Shopify helps companies with migration and does not charge a fee for that service. However, some stores will need outside resources to help with migration, which may result in costs. There is also a cost in time—it can take 90 days or more to migrate.
How Much Does Shopify Plus Design Cost?
Signing up for Shopify is just one piece of the puzzle. Even with its helpful tools, you’ll need to figure out how to design your ecommerce site. You can rely on a free Shopify theme or buy a paid theme.
If you’re running a major company with a high volume, you’ll likely want to hire a developer to build a custom site for you. The price for this can vary widely, but expect to pay at least $5,000.
Final Word
Shopify Plus is a powerful service for large enterprises looking to build their ecommerce presence. Starting at $2,000 a month, the service is expensive but can be worth it if you create a successful ecommerce business.
