Nowadays if we see options to launch ecommerce store we have some big known player like Shopify and other that are taking % on each of your order, initially for the business it is not an issue but as they grow from $0 to $100K and beyond they getting concerned that around 2-3% these platform take that as a transaction fee on top of payment processor fee which is also being added from third party if used.

Let me tell you what happened with Sara and maybe you'll see yourself in this story.

Sara's Journey

Sara opened an artificial jewellery store and started it from the scratch, her first choice to choose platform XYZ, she is also non-technical business owner only knowing her business which is creating and selling jewellery, she heard from one of her friend that the go to platform is XYZ and she agreed.

Sound familiar? Because that's exactly how most of us start, right? We ask our friends, we Google "best ecommerce platform," and boom - everyone says the same names. Shopify, BigCommerce, whatever. We don't really question it because, hey, if everyone's using it, it must be good.

As starting her business sales started from $0 to $500/month and for that is happy to give like 2-3% to XYZ platform. I mean, $14.50 in fees for $500 in sales? That's nothing when you're just starting out and excited about every single order coming in.

After sometimes her business grown up massively, now her monthly revenue is around $10k, now a 2-3% transaction fees starting concerning him + subscription model + apps and other things.

This is where it gets interesting, and this is where I think most business owners have that "wait a minute" moment.

Let's Do the Math That Nobody Talks About

So Sara's making $10K monthly now. Good for her, right? Let's see what that actually costs:

• Transaction fees: $290/month (2.9% of $10,000)
• Monthly subscription: $79/month (because she needs the advanced features now)
• Payment processor fees: $180/month (that's on top of platform fees)
• Essential apps: $150/month (because basic features aren't included)

Total monthly cost: $699

That's $8,388 per year. Just think about that for a second. Sara's paying almost $8,400 a year just to... exist on someone else's platform?

And here's the crazy part - let's say Sara keeps growing (which she should, she's doing great):

At $25,000/month revenue:

• Platform costs jump to $1,475/month
• That's $17,700/year

At $50,000/month revenue:

• Platform costs hit $2,750/month
• That's $33,000/year

You see what's happening? The more successful Sara becomes, the more money she has to give away. And for what exactly?

This Is Just One Example of a Small Business

And there are many that goes this journey. Global ecommerce sales are projected to reach $8.3 trillion in 2025, which means millions of business owners are facing this exact same problem. The more they succeed, the more they pay.

As a business when we do all effort on our own then why we should give the % of anyone continously with monthly subscription + payment processor etc etc?

That's the question that kept bugging me. Sara's doing all the work - she's creating the products, marketing them, handling customer service, managing inventory, shipping orders. The platform isn't working any harder when she sells $50K instead of $5K. So why does she have to pay more?

The Wake-Up Call Most Business Owners Experience

Here's what we've noticed talking to business owners - there's always this moment. Maybe it's when they're looking at their monthly statement, or when they're doing taxes, or when they're trying to figure out why their profit margins aren't what they expected.

They realize they're not just paying for a service anymore. They're paying a tax on their success.

Shopify charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction on the Basic Plan and 2.4% + $0.30 per transaction on the Advanced Plan when using Shopify Payments. And if you don't use their payment system? They add another 0.5-2% penalty fee on top of whatever you're already paying your processor.

It's like they're saying "use our system or we'll punish you."

The Hidden Costs That Add Up Quick

What really gets me is the apps situation. You sign up thinking you're paying $29 or $79 a month, but then you realize:

• Want abandoned cart recovery? That's an app - $29/month
• Need better analytics? Another app - $15/month
• Inventory management that actually works? Yep, another app - $39/month
• Email marketing integration? You guessed it - $25/month

Before you know it, you're paying $200-400/month just for apps that honestly should be basic features. Some businesses find that essential apps quickly push their total monthly cost to $150+ on top of the base plan.

And that's just the subscription stuff. The real killer is those transaction fees that never go away, never get smaller, no matter how big you get.

Why This Business Model Doesn't Make Sense in 2025

Look, I get it. Ten, fifteen years ago, building an online store was complicated. You needed developers, designers, hosting experts - the whole thing was a nightmare. Back then, paying premium for an all-in-one solution made sense.

But today? Mobile commerce sales are expected to reach $900 billion in 2025, and the technology to run these stores has become pretty standard. The 2023 ecommerce conversion rate is averaging 2.27%, which means the real value isn't in the platform anymore - it's in your products, your brand, your customer relationships.

Yet we're still paying like it's 2010.

What Really Bothers Me About Platform "Loyalty"

You know what's funny? So many business owners feel "loyal" to the platform that helped them start. I hear this all the time: "Well, Shopify got me started, so I should stick with them."

But here's the thing - platforms aren't loyal back. They're literally programmed to take more money as you become more successful. That's not loyalty, that's just good business... for them.

It's like being grateful to your landlord for raising your rent every time you get a promotion.

The Real Numbers: What Switching Actually Costs vs Staying

Let's be honest about what it actually costs to switch vs what you save:

One-time switching costs:

• New platform setup: $500-2,000
• Moving your data: $500-1,500
• Design tweaks: $1,000-3,000
• Training your team: $500-1,000
• Total one-time: $2,500-7,500

Annual savings for a $50K monthly business:

• No more transaction fees: $17,400/year
• Lower subscription costs: $2,400/year
• Total savings: $19,800+ per year

Even if switching costs you $7,500, you break even in less than 5 months. After that, it's pure money back in your pocket.

The Questions That Change Everything

When business owners go through this, they start asking these questions:

• If I'm driving all my own traffic, why am I paying a percentage?
• If I'm handling customer service, fulfillment, and inventory, what exactly justifies 3% of every sale?
• What could I do with an extra $20,000-30,000 per year in my business?
• Would I sign this contract today if I were starting fresh?

That last question really hits home. If someone came to a business owner today and said "hey, want to pay us 3% of every sale you make forever, plus monthly fees, plus app fees?" they'd laugh them out of the room.

But that's exactly what we've all agreed to.

We Built Orderain with This Thing in Mind

And we really care that what you earn should stay with you. That's why we built Orderain completely differently.

No transaction fees. Ever. Period. Your success shouldn't cost you more.

Transparent pricing that doesn't change based on how well you're doing.

All the features you actually need included, not sold separately as "apps."

You keep 100% of your profits after standard payment processing (which you'd pay anywhere).

Look, we're not trying to revolutionize ecommerce or anything fancy like that. We just think that if you're doing all the work to build and grow your business, you should get to keep the money you earn.

What Our Customers Actually Save

Real numbers from real businesses:

Marcus (fitness supplements) - $60K monthly revenue

• Was paying: $21,600/year in platform fees
• Now saves: $19,800/year
• "I bought a new delivery truck with what I saved in the first year"

Lisa (handmade jewelry) - $15K monthly revenue

• Was paying: $4,320/year in platform fees
• Now saves: $3,600/year
• "That savings paid for my first employee"

David (outdoor gear) - $35K monthly revenue

• Was paying: $12,600/year in platform fees
• Now saves: $11,400/year
• "I reinvested it all into inventory and grew 40% faster"

The Psychology Behind Why We Stay

You know what I think happens? We get comfortable. The platform is working, orders are coming in, and switching feels like this big scary thing. Plus, 26% of shoppers abandon their carts to find better prices elsewhere, so we're already stressed about conversions.

But here's what I learned: the scariest thing isn't switching platforms. It's realizing how much money you've been giving away for no good reason.

The Bottom Line That Nobody Wants to Say

Every month you stay on a percentage-based platform is money you'll never get back. Every successful sale is profit walking out the door.

And here's the thing - these platforms are counting on you not doing the math. They're counting on you being too busy, too comfortable, or too scared to make a change.

But you didn't build your business to make someone else rich.

90% of businesses migrating to flexible, scalable platforms report significant revenue and sales growth - probably because they have more money to reinvest instead of paying platform taxes.

What Happens Next Is Up to You

Look, I'm not going to sit here and tell you that switching is easy or that it doesn't require some work. It does.

But I will tell you this: every business owner I know who made the switch says the same thing - "I wish I'd done this sooner."

Because at the end of the day, your business growth shouldn't be someone else's business model.

You've earned the right to keep what you've built.

Want to see how much you could actually save? Most businesses save 15-25% on their total ecommerce costs with Orderain. That's money you can put back into growing your business instead of paying platform taxes. Let's do the math together.