Fees and take-home
Lemon Squeezy Fee Calculator
Estimate Lemon Squeezy seller fees for the base ecommerce rate (5% + $0.50 per transaction). Enter the order total before Lemon Squeezy fees. Lemon Squeezy bundles base payment processing into this rate and acts as merchant of record, handling sales tax and VAT.
Formula
- Fee per transaction = Order total * 5% + $0.50
- Total fees = Fee per transaction * Number of transactions
- Net per transaction = Order total - Fee per transaction
- Effective fee rate = Total fees / Gross revenue * 100
Examples
- A $29 order has an estimated Lemon Squeezy fee of $1.95 (5% + $0.50) and leaves $27.05.
- Processing 100 orders of a $19 product produces $1,900 gross and about $145 in fees, netting $1,755.
- On the same $29 order, Gumroad direct costs $3.40 (10% + $0.50) while Lemon Squeezy costs $1.95; the percentage gap matters more on higher-priced items.
When to use this calculator
- Compare Lemon Squeezy with Gumroad and Payhip for digital product sales.
- Estimate the cost of Lemon Squeezy handling sales tax and VAT as merchant of record.
- Decide whether the merchant-of-record convenience is worth the percentage compared to direct Stripe.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the 5% + $0.50 rate covers every situation; international, PayPal, and subscription add-ons can raise the effective rate.
- Comparing only Lemon Squeezy's percentage to Stripe's percentage without accounting for Lemon Squeezy bundling sales tax handling that Stripe does not provide.
- Forgetting that refunds do not return the bundled processing fee.
Frequently asked questions
What are Lemon Squeezy's current fees for sellers?
Lemon Squeezy charges 5% + $0.50 per transaction as the base ecommerce rate. This rate bundles base payment processing into the platform fee, so there is no separate Stripe-style processor fee for a base card sale. International transactions, PayPal transactions, subscription payments, payout choices, and marketing features can add costs beyond this base rate. Lemon Squeezy also acts as merchant of record and handles sales tax and EU VAT collection and remittance on your behalf.
How is the Lemon Squeezy fee calculated on a sale?
For the base ecommerce fee, multiply the order total by 5% and add $0.50. A $29 order is $29 * 0.05 = $1.45, plus $0.50, or $1.95 in fees, leaving $27.05 before any extra add-ons. International transactions, PayPal transactions, and subscription payments may add fees beyond this base calculation.
Does Lemon Squeezy include sales tax handling?
Yes. Lemon Squeezy acts as merchant of record for your sales, which means they sell to the customer on your behalf, collect the appropriate sales tax or VAT, and remit it to the tax authority. This is a meaningful difference from direct Stripe checkout, where you handle tax compliance yourself. For sellers facing EU VAT or US sales tax obligations, the merchant-of-record service can be worth the percentage.
What add-on fees might apply beyond 5% + $0.50?
International card payments may add a percentage on top of the base rate. PayPal-funded transactions may have a different effective rate than card transactions. Subscription billing handling, currency conversion when paying out in non-USD, and affiliate program payouts can also add costs. The 5% + $0.50 figure is the base ecommerce rate, not the all-in cost in every scenario.
Do I get the Lemon Squeezy fee back on refunds?
No. The payment processing portion of the Lemon Squeezy rate is not returned when you refund a customer. Plan for refunds as a real loss that includes both the refund amount and the absorbed fee. The Refund Impact Calculator models this directly.
How does Lemon Squeezy compare to direct Stripe?
Direct Stripe at 2.9% + $0.30 has a lower headline rate than Lemon Squeezy at 5% + $0.50. However, direct Stripe does NOT include sales tax or VAT compliance, does NOT include the merchant-of-record service, and does NOT handle international card surcharges automatically. The right comparison depends on whether you would otherwise pay for separate tax compliance software and how international your customer base is.
Is Lemon Squeezy good for subscriptions?
Lemon Squeezy supports subscription billing including trials, upgrades, downgrades, and cancellations, but subscription payments may add a fee beyond the base ecommerce rate. This calculator models the base ecommerce fee only. If subscription billing is your primary model, include Lemon Squeezy's subscription add-on in your own estimate or compare against Stripe Billing, Paddle, and other subscription-focused options.
Can I sell physical products on Lemon Squeezy?
Lemon Squeezy's main focus is digital products and software. Some physical product use cases may be possible but the merchant-of-record tax handling is optimized for digital goods. For physical inventory with shipping logistics, evaluate Shopify or other dedicated ecommerce platforms. This calculator models the digital product use case.
Related calculators
Sources and assumptions
- Lemon Squeezy ecommerce base rate: 5% + $0.50 per transaction. Base card payment processing is bundled into this rate.
- Merchant of record: Lemon Squeezy collects and remits sales tax and EU VAT on the seller's behalf; the base fee is calculated on the order total.
- International cards, PayPal-funded transactions, currency conversion, subscription billing handling, payouts to non-USD bank accounts, and affiliate program features may add costs that are not modeled here.
- Refunds: payment processing fees included in the Lemon Squeezy rate are not refunded when a customer refunds a purchase.
Rates checked:
Last updated:
This calculator uses Lemon Squeezy's published base ecommerce rate. The real cost of selling on Lemon Squeezy can be higher if a meaningful share of sales come from international cards, PayPal, or other situations that trigger add-on fees. Pair this with the Platform Take-Home Calculator to compare against alternatives.