---
articleType: Reference
categories:
  - Billing
  - Payments
last_updated: '2026-05-14'
primaryTopic: transaction-fees
relatedModules:
  - name: settings-billing
    route: /admin/dashboard/settings/billing/
  - name: settings-checkout
    route: /admin/dashboard/settings/checkout
  - name: samples-order
    route: /admin/dashboard/contributions/orders/samples/order
shortDescription: Understand the different payment processing fees from Stripe, PayPal, and BNPL that are applied to your customer orders.
tags:
  - transaction-fees
  - payment-processing
  - stripe
  - paypal
  - bnpl
  - afterpay
  - klarna
  - platform-fees
  - digital-products
  - pricing
title: Transaction fees
tasks:
  - Check transaction fees on an order
  - Understand payment processing fees
  - Calculate credit card processing fees
  - View estimated fees for a product
  - Compare payment method fees
  - Calculate the digital product platform fee
terms:
  - transaction fees
  - processing fees
  - credit card fees
  - Stripe fees
  - PayPal fees
  - payment fees
  - BNPL fees
  - Afterpay
  - Klarna
  - buy now pay later
  - platform fees
  - digital product platform fee
  - list price
  - 5% platform fee
  - discounted checkout amount
labels:
  - billing
  - payments
  - fees
  - digital-products
  - pricing
contextString: Applies to all Fourthwall creators. Fees vary by payment method and whether the transaction is domestic or international.
breadcrumbPath: "FAQs > General FAQs > Transaction fees"
path: frequently-asked-questions/payments-and-pricing/transaction-fees
---

# Transaction fees

Fourthwall has no monthly fees or fixed costs for creators. Physical products have no platform fee. You only pay payment processing fees per order. Digital products have a 5% platform fee on the Free plan and 0% on Fourthwall Pro.

## How do transaction fees work?

Fourthwall uses Stripe to process credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and local payment methods. The payment processing fee is 2.9% + $0.30 for domestic credit card transactions and 3.9% + $0.30 for international credit card transactions. These rates match what Shopify, Patreon, and Squarespace charge for credit card payments.

## Payment processing fees

- **Credit card / Apple Pay / Google Pay (domestic):** 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (via Stripe)
- **Credit card / Apple Pay / Google Pay (international):** 3.9% + $0.30 per transaction (via Stripe)
- **PayPal (domestic):** 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction
- **PayPal (international):** 4.99% + $0.49 per transaction
- **Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) — domestic:** 6% + $0.30 per transaction (Afterpay/Klarna)
- **Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) — international:** 7% + $0.30 per transaction (additional 1% for international supporters)

BNPL is disabled by default on your shop. You can enable it in your [checkout settings](/manage-my-shop/shop-settings/buy-now-pay-later-options).

## How are transaction fees calculated?

Transaction fees are calculated on the total amount the supporter pays, including shipping and sales tax. Each fee has two parts: a flat fee per transaction (e.g., $0.30 for credit cards) and a variable percentage of the total amount processed.

**Example with no discount:** A supporter orders a t-shirt for $25.00, with $6.00 shipping and $2.50 sales tax. The order total is $33.50. The credit card processing fee is $1.27 ($0.30 + 2.9% x $33.50).

**Example with a discount:** If the same $33.50 order has a $5.00 discount code, the new total is $28.50. The processing fee drops to $1.13 ($0.30 + 2.9% x $28.50). Fees are only charged on the amount actually processed by the payment provider.

## Digital product platform fee

Fourthwall charges a 5% platform fee on digital product sales for creators on the Free plan. On Fourthwall Pro, the digital product platform fee is 0%. Physical products never have a platform fee on any plan.

The platform fee is calculated on the **original list price** of the digital product, not the discounted checkout amount. Promo codes and discounts reduce what the supporter pays but do not reduce the platform fee.

This is different from payment processor fees:

- **Payment processor fees** (Stripe, PayPal, BNPL) are calculated on the **amount paid** at checkout.
- **Digital product platform fee** is calculated on the **original list price**, before any discounts.

Example: A supporter buys a $10 ebook with a 20% off promo code and pays $8 at checkout.

- **Platform fee (Free plan):** $0.50 (5% of the $10 list price)
- **Stripe processing fee:** $0.53 (2.9% of $8 + $0.30)
- **Platform fee (Fourthwall Pro):** $0

The platform fee stays at $0.50 even though the supporter paid $8, because it is based on the list price.

## How do I check estimated fees for my product?

Go to [**Products > All Products**](https://my-shop.fourthwall.com/admin/dashboard/products/all/?redirect) and open any product. Scroll to the **Selling price** section and click **Learn more**.

[Image: Selling price section showing price field set to $26.00 with profit estimate and Learn more link]

In the popup, you will see **Manufacturing costs** (production costs), which represent the total expense to create and prepare one unit. Check the box for **Include estimated payment processing fees** to see the estimated fee per transaction. This gives you a realistic view of your final profit and helps explain why your payout might be lower than expected.

[Image: Profit breakdown popup showing selling price, manufacturing costs, estimated payment processing fees, and profit per unit]