Selling downloads with no commission — and what 0% really means
Every platform says something about fees. Here is how to read those claims, where the money actually goes, and what a genuinely commission-free setup looks like.
0% commission means the platform takes nothing from your sale — but your payment processor still charges its own fee. Stripe and PayPal charge roughly 2.9% + 30c per transaction, and no platform can remove that because it is not theirs to remove. What varies is the platform's own cut on top: 10% at Gumroad, 9% on Beacons' free tier, 5% on Payhip's, and 0% on SitesPlaced at any volume. Watch for revenue caps too — Sellfy advertises 0% and adds 2% above each plan's annual limit.
TL;DR
- • 0% commission = the platform takes nothing. Payment processing (about 2.9% + 30c) is separate and unavoidable everywhere.
- • Read the caps: 'zero transaction fees' with an annual sales limit is a commission with better marketing.
- • Money should land in your own Stripe or PayPal account, on your payout schedule.
- • Above roughly $150-300/month, a flat fee beats any percentage — permanently.
- • The real question is not the fee, it is who is the merchant: you, or the platform.
The three costs, separated
- • Platform commission — what the store builder takes. This is the one that varies from 0% to 10%.
- • Payment processing — Stripe or PayPal's own fee, around 2.9% + 30c. Charged everywhere, by them, not the platform.
- • The monthly plan — the flat fee, if there is one.
A platform can only honestly promise to remove the first. Anyone claiming to remove the second is either absorbing it into a higher price or being loose with words.
Where 'zero fees' hides a fee
- • Annual revenue caps with an overage percentage — the fee applies only to people doing well, which is a smart design and still a fee.
- • Payouts held by the platform and released on their schedule rather than your processor's.
- • Higher plan tiers required for basic things like removing branding or connecting a domain.
- • Per-app charges on marketplace platforms, where the base plan is cheap and the stack is not.
The test that cuts through all of it: does the money go from your buyer into YOUR payment account, or into the platform's and then to you? If it is the second, they can always change the terms.
What a genuinely 0% setup looks like
- You connect your own Stripe or PayPal account — you are the merchant, not a sub-account of the platform.
- The buyer pays and the money lands in your balance directly. Nobody holds it in between.
- The platform charges its monthly fee, or nothing, and never touches the transaction.
- If you leave, your payment relationship, your customers and your files are unaffected.
| Platform | Monthly | Cut of each sale | On $1,000/month |
|---|---|---|---|
| SitesPlaced | $0 free, or $14.99 | 0% | $14.99 |
| Gumroad | $0 | 10% + 50c | about $105 |
| Beacons (free) | $0 | 9% | about $90 |
| Payhip (free) | $0 | 5% | about $50 |
| Payhip Growth | $29 | 2% | about $49 |
| Sellfy Starter | $29 | 0% under the cap | $29 |
| Stan Store | $29 | 0% | $29 |
Figures from each platform's own pricing page, checked late August 2026. Payment processing fees (Stripe, PayPal) apply on all of them including ours. Competitor prices are from their own pricing pages, checked late August 2026. Plans change — confirm before you switch.
When a percentage is genuinely better
Being fair about this matters more than winning the argument.
- • You sell rarely. 10% of $80 is $8; a $15 monthly fee is worse and would keep charging in quiet months.
- • You want the tax burden gone. Merchant-of-record platforms take a bigger cut and become the legal seller — for many people that is worth every cent.
- • You are testing an idea and want zero fixed cost while you find out if anyone wants it.
Frequently asked questions
Does 0% commission mean I pay nothing at all?
No — your payment processor still charges its own fee, usually around 2.9% + 30c per transaction with Stripe or PayPal. That is charged by them, on every platform, and nobody can waive it. 0% commission means the store builder takes nothing on top.
Is a 'zero transaction fee' plan with a revenue cap really 0%?
Not once you pass the cap. Sellfy, for example, advertises zero transaction fees and applies 2% above each plan's annual sales limit until you upgrade. It is a commission that only applies to sellers who are doing well.
Where does my money go?
On SitesPlaced, straight into your own Stripe or PayPal account on their normal payout schedule. We never hold it, which also means we cannot delay it or deduct from it.
At what point does a flat fee beat a percentage?
Roughly $150/month against Gumroad's 10%, and around $300/month against a 5% platform. Below those, pay-per-sale is cheaper and you should use it.
Keep 100% of every sale
0% commission on every plan including free, with money paid straight into your own Stripe account. $14.99/month only for a domain and unlimited downloads.
