Selling $1 to $5 Digital Products: How Much Fees Really Take (2026)
Fixed per-sale fees hit cheap products hardest. Here is what each platform keeps on a $1, $3, and $5 sale, and three ways to keep more.
On a $1 sale, fees take between 38% and 93% depending on the platform. On a $5 sale it drops to 14–29%. The fix is not a cheaper platform alone: bundle small items so the fixed fee is paid once instead of three times.
Fees taken per sale
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Platform | Fee formula | $1 sale | $3 sale | $5 sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payhip Free | 5% + card 2.9% + $0.30 | $0.38 (38%) | $0.54 (18%) | $0.70 (14%) |
| Etsy | 6.5% + 3% + $0.25 + $0.20 listing | $0.55 (55%) | $0.74 (25%) | $0.93 (19%) |
| Lemon Squeezy | 5% + $0.50 | $0.55 (55%) | $0.65 (22%) | $0.75 (15%) |
| Gumroad (direct) | 10% + $0.50 + card 2.9% + $0.30 | $0.93 (93%) | $1.19 (40%) | $1.45 (29%) |
Etsy figures leave out Offsite Ads. Lemon Squeezy notes small extra fees on some payments from outside the US.
Three ways to keep more
- Bundle. Three $5 items sold as one $15 bundle on Payhip Free cost about $1.49 in fees, against $2.09 when sold separately. That is $0.60 more per buyer.
- Raise the floor price. Moving from $3 to $5 cuts the fee share on Payhip Free from 18% to 14%, and on Gumroad from 40% to 29%.
- Pick a platform without a $0.50 fixed fee if most of your catalog is under $5. Payhip charges a percentage only, plus normal card processing. See Payhip plans (affiliate link).
When a $1 product still makes sense
- As a lead magnet that brings buyers to a higher-priced product.
- When you sell it inside a bundle or as an add-on at checkout.
As a stand-alone product, a $1 sale on most platforms leaves you with less than 70 cents.
Try your own price in the digital product fee calculator.
Sources: Payhip pricing (affiliate link), Lemon Squeezy pricing, Gumroad pricing, Etsy fees.
For a full breakdown of listing, transaction and processing charges, read Etsy fees for digital downloads.
Related: Gumroad fees explained · Etsy vs Payhip · Payhip vs Gumroad
Not sure which platform fits your numbers? Put in your price and monthly sales and see what you keep on every platform at once. If you are just starting, a Payhip store costs $0 until you sell, so you can set it up first and decide later.
