Essential Costs for Starting Dropshipping on Shopify
Since the basic Shopify plan starts at $24 per month, you can start dropshipping on Shopify for $24. Apart from that, there will be other essential Shopify dropshipping costs.
It can be said that it costs below $100 to start dropshipping on Shopify.
We explained the essential costs for starting dropshipping on Shopify below, which you can keep in mind at the beginning.
Shopify Subscription Plans
Shopify provides various subscription plans optimized for different business needs.
Here's an overview of Shopify pricing plans:
► Basic plan: This plan starts at $24/mo if you pay yearly. If you pay monthly, it starts at $32/mo. It can be ideal for new dropshippers, individuals, and small businesses just getting started.
This plan includes basic reports, up to 1,000 inventory locations, and two staff accounts.
► Shopify plan: Priced at $69/mo paid yearly, this plan offers additional features like gift cards, professional reports, and abandoned cart recovery. If you choose to pay monthly, it starts at $92/mo. It can be ideal for small businesses that are growing.
Shopify Plan includes professional reports, up to 1,000 inventory locations, and five staff accounts.
► Advanced plan: Starting at $299/mo when paid annually, this plan can be suitable for medium to large businesses with high-volume sales. It starts at $399/mo if you pay monthly.
The advanced plan provides a custom report builder, up to 1,000 inventory locations, and 15 staff accounts.
Your choice of plan depends on the scale of your dropshipping business and your budget.
Takeaway: To start with a cost-effective solution, you can begin with the Basic plan, which is for $24/mo when billed annually.
Note: Shopify also offers the first three months for $1/mo for those who want to try it out first. You can begin your dropshipping journey with this offer as well.
Domain Name Costs
Establishing your brand identity is crucial in the dropshipping atmosphere.
A domain name representing your brand is important, so you should invest in this cost.
You have a couple of options when it comes to domain name costs:
- Registering a domain through Shopify: You can purchase a domain directly through Shopify, and it can simplify the setup process. Prices start from $14 per year, and they can vary depending on the domain extension.
- Third-party domain registrars: Alternatively, you can use third-party domain registrars like GoDaddy, Dynadot, NameSilo, or Namecheap, which may offer various prices.
The average cost of domain registration with third-party services is around $10 to $20 per year.
Consider your budget and branding strategy when choosing a domain name and a registrar.
Theme and Design Costs
Your online store's appearance is essential to attract customers and boost engagement. Shopify offers a variety of themes, including both free and premium options.
You can increase your sales and user engagement by using conversion-ready Shopify templates.
Here's what you need to know about theme and design expenses:
- Free themes: Shopify Themes page provides several free themes to get you started. While these are functional, they may lack some advanced capabilities. However, they can be a cost-efficient solution at the beginning.
- Premium themes: Premium themes offer more advanced customization, better support, and unique design capabilities. Prices of premium themes can vary.
Premium themes typically range from $150 to $380. Investing in a premium theme can make your store stand out and help you play with its design more.
As your website's design is your customers' first impression, choosing a converting theme that aligns with your brand and attracts customers is crucial.
Shopify's Themes page provides filter options that help you filter themes according to industry, catalog size, and features. Thanks to these filters, you can quickly find a theme that suits your budget and business needs.
App and Plugin Costs
Shopify's App Store is a treasure of various tools to enhance your dropshipping business.
Look for Shopify dropshipping apps like DSers, Sprocket, and Zendrop, which allow you to import and fulfill products from suppliers easily.
Many dropshipping apps have a free plan, with premium features available for additional fees.
While free apps can be a great starting point, consider upgrading to premium versions or using other paid apps that offer specific features.
Premium plans for these apps generally start at $19/mo and can go up to $100/mo.
Choose apps that directly benefit your business goals and consider starting out with free versions at first.
You can use Popupsmart's Shopify App to make announcements, grow your email list, and offer discounts with gamification. It includes a free plan, so it can be a valuable tool for a cost-effective app for your store.
Payment Processing Fees
Regarding e-commerce, processing payments is inevitable. Shopify offers its payment gateway, Shopify Payments, which can simplify this process.
It's essential to understand the associated payment processing fees, which are:
► Shopify Payments: If you choose Shopify Payments, you can avoid transaction fees altogether.
Apart from Shopify Payments, you will not be charged transaction fees for orders processed through Shop Pay, Shop Pay Installments, and PayPal Express.
Manual payment methods like cash, cash on delivery, and bank transfers aren't charged transaction fees as well.
You might still have to pay credit card fees, which vary depending on your plan and location. Be prepared for these additional costs.
► Third-party payment gateways: Opting for third-party payment gateways like PayPal or Stripe may have slightly higher transaction fees than Shopify Payments. These fees typically range from 2.9% to 2.4% plus 30 cents per transaction.
Considering the associated costs, choose a payment gateway that aligns with your business model and location.
Taxes
Taxes are among the essential costs of dropshipping. As they can differ according to location, it is hard to state a certain amount for dropshipping taxes.
You will need to collect and remit sales taxes if you sell in the USA. These sales tax costs can differ depending on states and cities.
VAT, which is a value-added tax, is a transactional tax that is charged on the sales of products. It is available in more than 100 countries worldwide and is crucial if you want to sell globally.
Apart from these, you need to pay income tax for your income from dropshipping.
You can consult a tax specialist while calculating your taxes, as you might need professional advice related to regulations in your country.
Optional Dropshipping Costs You Should Keep in Mind
Apart from the essential costs for Shopify dropshipping, you might also have optional costs that should be kept in mind.
These additional costs vary according to your business model and needs, but it is also important to consider them.
Here, we gathered potential costs you might have for your dropshipping business.
Marketing and Advertising
Shopify marketing strategies play a big role in the success of your dropshipping business.
Effective marketing helps you reach a wider audience and increase your sales. It's an investment in your business's growth, so paying attention to that can help you grow your business as well.
The expenses of your marketing campaigns can depend on the channels you want to focus on, the type of campaigns that you will create, and many other factors.
The costs of advertisements can also vary significantly, but popular advertising platforms like Facebook Ads and Google Ads allow you to set your budget. On average, you might start with a monthly advertising budget of $100 to $500.
Effective marketing and advertisements can lead to a high return on investment, so don't forget to allocate a reasonable budget to promote your products.
You can explore "How to Add Facebook Pixel to Shopify in 2024 & Useful Tips" for detailed information about adding Facebook Pixel to Shopify.
Logo and Branding Expenses
You might also need to spend a little bit on logo and branding expenses. Since creating a memorable brand identity is vital, you can have additional costs for these.
While you can design a logo using free tools like Canva, consider investing in a professional logo design service. If your budget allows, you can choose a paid tool that provides advanced features.
Prices can range from $20 to $100 or more depending on many factors.
Consider additional branding materials, such as business cards or product packaging, which may also add to your expenses.
Keep in mind that a professionally designed logo can leave a lasting impression on your customers, so you can consider allocating a significant budget for these expenses.
Customer Support and Service Costs
Providing excellent customer service is a crucial aspect of any e-commerce business.
Consider investing in help desk software or services to manage customer inquiries efficiently. Prices can start at $10 per month, but it might depend on your business size and the software you are using.
As your business expands, you might need to hire customer support team members, which will increase your operational costs.
Investing in customer service can pay off in customer loyalty and positive reviews. You can also provide a better experience to your customers by responding to their questions and concerns.
Tip: You can reduce support ticket volume and service costs by using AI chatbot tools like LiveChatAI, Tidio, and so on.
Business Registration & License Filing Costs
Operating a legitimate e-commerce business requires complying with legal regulations. You need to consider costs for legal business registration and license filling.
Depending on your location, you may need to register your business. Business registration costs can vary significantly, ranging from $50 to $800 or more.
You might require legal advice or accounting services to navigate business regulations and taxes. Legal and accounting services' costs depend on the complexity of your business.
Compliance with legal requirements is essential to avoid potential problems in the future. It's an investment in the long-term stability of your business.
Additional Expenses
Always be prepared for additional expenses during your dropshipping cost calculations. Considering these additional costs can help you plan your budget ahead of time.
Don't overlook the potential returns and refunds in your budget. This can vary, but typically, returns and refunds range from 1% to 3% of your sales.
Chargebacks can result in disputed funds, and you may need to pay additional fees. Allocate some funds to cover these instances, just in case they occur.
While these expenses may not be fixed, they occur occasionally. Being prepared is key to managing these costs effectively.
Tips for Cost-Effective Dropshipping on Shopify
Apart from knowing how much it costs to start dropshipping on Shopify, you should also keep things in mind for cost-effectiveness.
It's essential to be mindful of your budget and make effective decisions to get the most out of your resources.
Here are some valuable tips for a cost-effective dropshipping business on Shopify:
- Plan your budget in detail. A detailed budget that includes essential and optional costs will help you act wisely. As your business grows, you can reinvest profits and include more additional costs to improve your store.
- Set clear goals and business objectives. Defining your goals in the first place can guide you while making certain decisions.
- Optimize your product selection with good profit margins. Review your product collections, and stop selling underperforming products regularly.
- Focus on social media and email marketing. Since these channels are free and effective in reaching potential customers, focusing on marketing campaigns can help reduce costs.
- Use user-generated content. As your audience grows, encourage them to write reviews and create UGC to share their experiences with your products. That way, you can use this content as marketing material and reach a wider audience.
- Minimize shipping costs to attract customers. Negotiate shipping rates with your suppliers to save money. You can offer free or low-cost shipping to encourage visitors to shop more.
- Seek professional advice for accounting and legal matters. Consult with professionals to ensure your business complies with regulations. Also, an accountant can provide tax-saving advice and financial insights.
- Regularly analyze your data. Review your financial data, like expenses and revenue, and use analytics tools to regularly track your business' performance.
- Get the most out of Shopify's built-in features. Examine the built-in features of Shopify and take full advantage of them before using third-party apps.
- Stay up to date with the latest trends. Monitor your competitors and trends in the industry and continuously improve your business.
- Gather customer feedback for continuous improvement. Collect feedback and surveys from your customers to make the necessary improvements to your store.
Wrap Up
Shopify's user-friendly solutions and e-commerce features make it easy to start a dropshipping business.
When you decide to start a dropshipping, you need to consider the costs of it beforehand. As we have explained in this blog post, considering the essential and additional costs of starting dropshipping on Shopify can help you plan your budget wisely.
Don't underestimate optional costs while preparing for essential costs, and continuously improve your efforts for cost-effectiveness.
You can also consider our tips for cost-effective Shopify dropshipping and enhance your dropshipping business accordingly.
By keeping these in mind, you can prepare yourself for all the costs of Shopify dropshipping and start growing your business each day!
Frequently Asked Questions
What's The Minimum Budget to Start Dropshipping on Shopify?
The minimum budget for starting a dropshipping business on Shopify can be as low as $24 per month for the Basic plan, plus domain registration costs starting from $10 per month.
Considering other essential costs like payment processing, theme and design, and more, you can have a budget lower than $100 at first to start dropshipping on Shopify.
Do I Need to Hold Inventory When Dropshipping on Shopify?
No, you don't need to! One of the advantages of dropshipping is that you don't need to hold inventory. Your suppliers handle product storage and shipping. That way, you can focus on marketing and sales.
Why Choose Shopify for Dropshipping?
Shopify's intuitive dashboard and user-friendly solutions make it accessible even if you're new to e-commerce.
E-commerce features, including product listings, inventory management, and more, can help you make the dropshipping process smoother.
Apart from these, the Shopify App Store offers various apps to enhance your dropshipping business. As Shopify's pricing plans can be suitable for businesses of all sizes, you can choose what suits your budget and needs.
Visit these blog posts before leaving:
- What Is The Difference Between Drop Ship vs. Direct Ship?
- 13 Key Funnel Metrics to Consider to Drive Growth
- How to Increase Shopify Sales Fast: Your Ultimate Playbook
