Pricing products for a Shopify store in Canada means starting from your full cost per order, which is the product, packaging, shipping you absorb, card fees, and advertising, then choosing a price that leaves a target margin and still makes sense next to competitors. Shopify’s Canadian pricing page lists the Basic plan at C$49 a month billed monthly, or C$37 a month billed yearly, with online card rates starting at 2.8% + 30¢. Grow and Advanced cost more but have lower card rates. Your plan is a fixed monthly cost, so a store has to sell enough orders to cover it before it earns anything. This guide suits store owners who will price from costs and margin rather than guessing.
How to start is in the Shopify store side hustle guide. Plans, apps, and setup costs are in Shopify store startup costs. Getting the first order is in your first Shopify sale. More selling guides sit in the reselling and ecommerce hub.
What do Shopify plans and card rates cost in Canada?
Shopify plans in Canada start at C$49 a month for Basic billed monthly, according to Shopify’s Canadian pricing page, with online card rates from 2.8% + 30¢ on Basic.
| Shopify plan (Canada) | Monthly billing | Yearly billing (per month) | Online card rate from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | C$49 | C$37 | 2.8% + 30¢ |
| Grow | C$132 | C$99 | 2.6% + 30¢ |
| Advanced | C$517 | C$389 | 2.4% + 30¢ |
These are standard online card rates with Shopify Payments. On Basic, the same page lists 3.5% + 30¢ for Amex and international cards, and a 2% third-party transaction fee if you use another payment provider. Apps, themes, and a domain add to your fixed costs.
Which pricing approaches work for a Shopify store in Canada?
Shopify store pricing approaches in Canada are cost-plus with a target margin, competitor-based pricing, value-based pricing for unique products, bundles to raise order value, and building shipping into the price for “free shipping”.
| Approach | How it works | Works well for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost-plus to a target margin | Price = full cost per order ÷ (1 − card % − target margin), plus the fixed card fee | Every product, as a floor | Leaving out shipping or ads |
| Competitor-based | Price near similar products in Canada | Common products | Matching a competitor with lower costs |
| Value-based | Price on what the product is worth to the buyer | Unique, handmade, or branded goods | Needs strong photos and copy |
| Bundles | Several items at a lower combined price | Raising order value | Bundles below your margin floor |
| Free shipping built in | Shipping cost included in the product price | Light, consistent items | Heavy items that wreck the margin |
Know the difference between markup and margin. Markup is profit as a share of cost; margin is profit as a share of price. A C$12 product sold for C$24 has a 100% markup but a 50% gross margin before other costs.
How do you calculate a product price for a Shopify store in Canada?
Calculate a product price for a Shopify store in Canada by adding every cost per order, choosing a target margin, solving for the price that delivers it after card fees, and then checking how many orders cover your monthly plan and ads.
Step 1: Add costs per order
Product or materials, packaging, shipping you pay, and any per-order app fees.
Step 2: Choose a target margin
Leave room for ads, returns, and discounts.
Step 3: Solve for price
Price = (costs + 30¢) ÷ (1 − card % − target margin).
Step 4: Check fixed costs
Monthly plan, apps, and domain ÷ profit per order = orders needed to break even each month.
Step 5: Set aside tax
Store profit is business income; see the tax set-aside guide.
Illustrative example
This is a teaching sketch with assumed numbers, not a forecast, average, or survey. Suppose you are on Basic with the 2.8% + 30¢ starting card rate. A product costs C$12, packaging C$1, and shipping you absorb C$8, so costs per order are C$21.
At a price of C$39, the card fee is 2.8% × C$39 + C$0.30 = C$1.39. Profit before ads is C$39 − C$21 − C$1.39 = C$16.61, a 42.6% margin. Basic at C$49 a month needs C$49 ÷ C$16.61 = 2.95, so 3 orders a month just to cover the plan. If ads cost you C$10 per order, profit falls to C$6.61.
For a 50% margin, price = (C$21 + C$0.30) ÷ (1 − 0.028 − 0.50) = C$45.13, which you might round to C$45. At C$45 the card fee is C$1.56 and profit is C$22.44, a 49.9% margin.
What does a sample Shopify product margin sheet look like in Canada?
A Shopify product margin sheet in Canada lists each product’s price, costs, card fee, and margin. The table is an illustrative example using Shopify’s Basic starting card rate, assumed product costs, C$1 packaging, and C$8 absorbed shipping, before ads, not a market average.
| Product (illustrative) | Price | Product cost | Card fee | Profit before ads | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small accessory | C$25 | C$8 | C$1.00 | C$7.00 | 28.0% |
| Core product | C$39 | C$12 | C$1.39 | C$16.61 | 42.6% |
| Premium product | C$59 | C$20 | C$1.95 | C$28.05 | 47.5% |
| Gift bundle | C$89 | C$34 | C$2.79 | C$43.21 | 48.5% |
The small accessory shows how absorbed shipping hurts low prices: C$8 shipping is almost a third of a C$25 price. Recheck card rates on Shopify’s page before relying on them.
When should you raise product prices on a Shopify store in Canada?
Raise product prices on a Shopify store in Canada when your supplier or shipping costs rise, when ad costs per order climb, or when products sell out quickly at the current price. Test changes on one product at a time and compare profit per week, not just orders.
Update the margin sheet every time a cost changes.
What Shopify pricing mistakes are common in Canada?
Common Shopify pricing mistakes in Canada are confusing markup with margin, offering free shipping without pricing it in, and ignoring ad costs per order. Each turns orders into losses.
Track cost per order including ads. Set a minimum order for free shipping if it helps. Price bundles above your margin floor.
How do GST/HST and income tax affect Shopify pricing in Canada?
Shopify store profit in Canada is business income reported on Form T2125, and self-employed people pay both CPP shares on net income. GST/HST registration becomes required after you pass the $30,000 small-supplier threshold in a calendar quarter or over four consecutive quarters, across all your side hustles.
Once registered, you charge tax on top of your prices at the rate for where the customer is, per the CRA’s charge and collect page. Decide whether your displayed prices include tax before you register. The GST/HST registration guide covers registration.
Shopify TODO-AFFILIATE plans are listed above. For print-on-demand products, Printful TODO-AFFILIATE is one supplier to compare; put its cost per item into the margin sheet.
This is not tax, legal, or accounting advice.
Which guides sit next to Shopify store pricing in Canada?
Shopify store pricing in Canada sits beside reselling pricing, print on demand, and no-code web design pricing.
What are the common questions?
How much does Shopify cost in Canada?
Shopify's Canadian pricing page lists Basic at C$49 a month billed monthly or C$37 a month billed yearly, Grow at C$132 or C$99, and Advanced at C$517 or C$389, with online card rates from 2.8%, 2.6%, and 2.4% plus 30 cents.
How do I price a product on Shopify?
Add every cost per order, choose a target margin, and solve for the price that delivers it after card fees. Then check it against similar products.
What is the difference between markup and margin?
Markup is profit divided by cost; margin is profit divided by price. A C$12 item sold for C$24 has a 100% markup but a 50% gross margin.
Do I charge GST/HST on Shopify sales?
Only once registered. Registration is required after more than $30,000 of taxable supplies in a calendar quarter or over four consecutive quarters, across all side hustles. This is not tax advice.
How many orders do I need to cover my Shopify plan?
Divide your monthly fixed costs by profit per order. In the illustrative example, C$49 ÷ C$16.61 is about 3 orders a month for the Basic plan alone.
Which sources support this guide?
The rules, rates, and platform requirements in this guide are checked against these primary sources. Retail price ranges are labelled as ranges to verify locally, and they are not quotes.
- Shopify pricing (Canada) — Shopify
- When to register for and start charging the GST/HST — Canada Revenue Agency
- Charge and collect the GST/HST — Canada Revenue Agency
- Form T2125, Statement of Business or Professional Activities — Canada Revenue Agency
- Contributions to the Canada Pension Plan — Government of Canada