Shopify Payments rates are set per country. A the UK merchant on Basic pays 2% + 25p, not the 2.9% + 30¢ figure quoted on Shopify's global pricing page.
5 Key Facts
Shopify Payments UK Basic rate is 2% + 25p per online transaction (consumer cards).
- Grow cuts the rate to 1.7% + 25p; Advanced to 1.5% + 25p; Plus to 1.3% + 25p.
- Amex and international cards run 3.1% + 25p on every plan.
- Using a third-party processor adds a 2% fee to every sale unless you are on Plus.
- The US rate on Basic is 2.9% + 30¢: UK merchants pay materially less than the global page suggests.
If you run a Shopify store in the UK, the card rates on Shopify's global pricing page are not your rates. Shopify sets Shopify Payments pricing per country, and the difference between regions is bigger than most merchants expect: a UK merchant on Basic pays 2% + 25p while a US merchant on the same plan pays 2.9% + 30¢.
This piece covers what the UK merchants pay on each plan, the surcharges that push the rate up, and how to tell whether staying on Shopify Payments or moving to a third-party processor is cheaper at your volume.
Geographic note: All figures below are from the Shopify UK pricing page, checked 1 September 2026. Shopify sets rates per country, so a merchant in Ireland or elsewhere in Europe may see slightly different figures in their admin.What Shopify Payments charges in the UK in 2026
Shopify prices card processing per plan tier. Higher plans carry lower rates, and the gap between plans is larger than most merchants realise.
Shopify UK lists Amex at 3.1% + 25p. International cards also run 3.1% + 25p — a 1.1 percentage point jump from the standard rate on Basic.
On a £50 UK debit sale on Basic: 2% of £50 is £1.00, plus 25p fixed = £1.25, which is 2.5% effective. On Plus the same sale costs 1.3% of £50 plus 25p = £0.90, or 1.8% effective.
Plan upgrade maths: at £50k/month on Basic you pay 2% + 25p per transaction. Moving to Advanced cuts the rate to 1.5% + 25p. On £50k of domestic card volume that is roughly £275/month saved against a £210/month plan uplift, and the gap widens with volume.
The 2% third-party surcharge
The card rate is only half the story. If you use a processor other than Shopify Payments, Shopify adds a 2% fee on every transaction. On a 100-unit sale routed through a third-party gateway, you pay the gateway's fee plus 2% to Shopify.
Stores on Plus that use Shopify Payments as their sole provider have the surcharge waived. For high-volume merchants weighing Plus against a cheaper processor, this waiver is often the deciding line in the maths.
Surcharges that push the rate up
Premium and international cards. Shopify UK lists Amex at 3.1% + 25p. International cards also run 3.1% + 25p — a 1.1 percentage point jump from the standard rate on Basic.
Local payment methods. Each method has its own rate in the UK:
Disputes. Shopify charges a dispute fee per chargeback regardless of outcome; in the UK this has historically sat at £20 per dispute on Shopify Payments.
Is Shopify Payments the right choice in the UK?
Shopify Payments is competitive when:
- You process under £500k per month
- Most of your volume is domestic consumer cards
- You rely on Shopify's checkout, Shop Pay, and its conversion lift
- You would rather not run two dashboards and two payout schedules
A third-party processor is worth quoting when:
- You process over £500k per month and the blended gap exceeds 1 percentage point
- International cards are a big share of your mix (a 1.1pp jump matters)
- You are already on or near Plus, where the surcharge waiver changes the comparison
- You qualify for interchange-plus pricing (Adyen, Checkout.com) that prices below 2% blended
Shopify Payments UK starts at 2% + 25p on Basic. Stripe UK publishes 1.5% + 20p for European cards. Adyen at interchange-plus will land lower at volume.
What the free audit looks like
The comparison is a fixed piece of work: pull three months of statements, work out your effective blended rate including the surcharge and premium-card mix, and model what an interchange-plus provider would charge at your volume.
Tonkr runs this audit for free. No charge for the initial read. You get a one-page summary showing what you pay today, what you should be paying at your volume and card mix, and where the gap is. If you want us to run the switch or the negotiation, that part is on a success basis. We only get paid if we save you money.
Want to know your effective rate?
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Sources
- Shopify UK pricing — Basic 2%+25p, Grow 1.7%+25p, Advanced 1.5%+25p, Plus 1.3%+25p, Amex and international 3.1%+25p, Klarna 4.99%+30p, third-party fee 2%. Retrieved 1 September 2026. www.shopify.com/uk/pricing
- Shopify Payments Help Center — Third-party transaction fee policy; Plus waiver when Shopify Payments is the sole provider. Retrieved 1 September 2026. help.shopify.com/en/manual/payments/shopify-payments
