Compare
How the 1% compares.
Most app pricing follows one of four models. Here is what each one charges you for, with the same three example stores run through all four.
The models
Four ways an app can charge
The rate matters less than what the rate is applied to.
| Model | You pay | Your bill grows with | On ShopLyft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat monthly | The same fee every month, whatever happens. | Nothing. A quiet month costs the same as a busy one. | The Studio plan, $29 a month |
| Per-order fee | A fixed amount for each order, whether or not the app had a part in it. | Your number of orders. | Not offered |
| Percentage of all sales | A percentage of your store's total sales. | Your whole store, including sales the app had nothing to do with. | Not offered |
| Percentage of proven sales | A percentage of only the orders that carry the app's own mark. | The sales the app can show it made. | The free plan, 1% |
Worked examples
Three example stores, four bills
The stores
Monthly sales of $4,000, $20,000 and $80,000. Every order is $50, so that is 80, 400 and 1,600 orders a month.
The assumptions
Flat: $29 a month. Per order: $0.20. All sales: 1%. Proven sales: 1%, with 10% of sales carrying the app's mark.
The $29 and the proven 1% are my two plans. The other prices and the 10% share are round numbers for the math, not any real app's price list or a promise about your store. Your Billing page shows your real share.
| Model | $4,000 a month | $20,000 a month | $80,000 a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat monthly$29 a month | $29.00 | $29.00 | $29.00 |
| Per-order fee$0.20 on every order | $16.00 | $80.00 | $320.00 |
| Percentage of all sales1% of every order | $40.00 | $200.00 | $800.00 |
| Percentage of proven sales1% of the 10% that carry the app's mark | $4.00 | $20.00 | $80.00 |
Same rate, different base
The all-sales model and the proven-sales model both charge 1%. In these examples the all-sales bill is ten times bigger, because it charges on every order instead of only the ones the app made.
When flat wins
In the $80,000 store the app proves $8,000 of sales, and 1% of that is $80. That is past the $2,900 break-even, so my flat Studio plan at $29 costs less. Switch either way on Shopify's plan page. Try the calculator with your numbers.
What counts as proven
The rules behind "proven"
An order counts only when the order itself shows the app was involved. Views, clicks and widget opens never count.
- The amount is the order subtotal after discounts, before tax and shipping, in your store currency.
- An order counts at most once per app.
- Refunds reverse the fee in proportion.
- Development stores are never charged.
- Every counted order is listed on the app's Billing page.
| App | Counted when | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| PerkJar | The order used a code PerkJar issued: a REF- referral code or a PERK- points reward. | Whole order subtotal |
| RallyCrew | The order used a creator code, typed in or applied by a creator link. | Whole order subtotal |
| NextBatch | A line is a subscription on a NextBatch plan: the first checkout and every renewal. | Subscription lines only |
| Wayfind | The cart carries a quiz result Wayfind saved, and the quiz was finished in the 7 days before the order. | Whole order subtotal |
Before you install anything
Questions worth asking any app
These work for my apps and for anyone else's. Here are my answers.
| Question | My answer |
|---|---|
| What exactly makes an order count? | A code the app issued, a subscription line on a plan it created, or, for Wayfind, a quiz result saved on the cart. Nothing else. |
| Does an order count just because the shopper is a member, a subscriber or saw a widget? | No. A loyalty member who orders with no code costs you nothing. |
| Is there a time window, and how long? | For PerkJar, RallyCrew and NextBatch, no window. The proof is on the order itself, so a click from last week doesn't count unless the code is on the order. Wayfind has a 7 day window: a quiz has no code, so the result saved on the cart counts only if the quiz was finished in the 7 days before the order. |
| Is the fee on the app's part of the order or the whole order? | PerkJar and RallyCrew count the whole subtotal of an order that used their code, and Wayfind the whole subtotal of an order that carries a quiz result. NextBatch counts only the subscription lines. |
| Can I see every counted order? | Yes, one row per order on the app's Billing page, with the code and the fee. |
| Do refunds give the fee back? | Yes, in proportion. Refund half the order and half the fee comes back. |
Want to know when they launch?
The apps are coming to the Shopify App Store. Send me a note and I will email you when they are live.