Lemon Squeezy Fee Calculator (2026 Updated Rates)
Lemon Squeezy is a merchant of record for indie SaaS and digital products: it charges 5% + $0.50 per sale and handles global sales tax/VAT for you. Stacked surcharges — international cards +1.5%, PayPal +1.5%, subscriptions +0.5% — can push the effective rate to 8.5%.
Fee breakdown
| Platform | Total fees | Net | vs here | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon Squeezy (this page) | $2.95 | $46.05 | baseline | |
| Wise | $0.71 | $48.29 | +$2.24 More 🟢 | PK → |
| Stripe | $1.72 | $47.28 | +$1.23 More 🟢 | PK → |
| Square | $1.72 | $47.28 | +$1.23 More 🟢 | PK → |
| PayPal | $2.20 | $46.80 | +$0.75 More 🟢 | PK → |
| Paddle | $2.95 | $46.05 | +$0.00 More 🟢 | PK → |
| Gumroad | $7.12 | $41.88 | −$4.17 Less 🔻 | PK → |
SaaS billing vs Merchant-of-Record break-even
| Provider | Monthly | Annual | Eff. rate | vs cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe (+ Billing & Tax)CHEAPEST | $515.00 | $6,180.00 | 5.15% | — |
| Polar.sh | $575.00 | $6,900.00 | 5.75% | +$60.00/mo |
| Paddle | $600.00 | $7,200.00 | 6.00% | +$85.00/mo |
| Lemon Squeezy | $710.00 | $8,520.00 | 7.10% | +$195.00/mo |
| Gumroad | $1,450.00 | $17,400.00 | 14.50% | +$935.00/mo |
Lemon Squeezy fee quick reference (2026)
| Amount | Total fees | You keep | Take rate | Charge to net it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $1.00 | $9.00 | 10.0% | $11.06 |
| $25.00 | $1.75 | $23.25 | 7.0% | $26.85 |
| $50.00 | $3.00 | $47.00 | 6.0% | $53.16 |
| $100.00 | $5.50 | $94.50 | 5.5% | $105.79 |
| $250.00 | $13.00 | $237.00 | 5.2% | $263.69 |
| $500.00 | $25.50 | $474.50 | 5.1% | $526.85 |
| $1,000.00 | $50.50 | $949.50 | 5.1% | $1,053.16 |
Lemon Squeezy fee formula & hidden costs
payment processing 5.00% + $0.50
Worked example: $100.00 gross → $5.50 fees → $94.50 net. Reverse gross-up: charge = (target + fixed) / (1 − rate) → to net $100.00 charge $105.79.
Hidden fees to watch
- International cards add +1.5% and PayPal checkouts add another +1.5%.
- Subscription renewals cost +0.5% per recurring charge.
- PayPal payouts carry an extra 1.5% payout surcharge.
- Chargebacks cost ~$15 each plus the lost sale.
How to pay less in Lemon Squeezy fees
- Use the reverse calculator to pass fees to the client explicitly instead of eating them.
- Batch small orders — fixed per-order fees dominate sub-$10 transactions.
- Avoid currency conversion inside the platform; settle in your own currency via a multi-currency account.
- Compare ScribeYou — Generate client proposals and e-signable contracts in minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What does Lemon Squeezy charge on a $49 SaaS sale?
5% + $0.50 = $2.95, netting $46.05. With an international card it is $3.68 (7.5%); add PayPal and it reaches $4.42 (9%).
Lemon Squeezy vs Stripe for SaaS — what is the break-even?
Stripe costs 2.9% + $0.30 plus ~0.5% for Stripe Tax and 0.7% for Billing subscriptions. Lemon Squeezy's MoR premium is roughly 1.5-2 points — the price of never filing EU VAT or US sales tax yourself.
How much should I charge to net $100 on Lemon Squeezy?
($100 + $0.50) / (1 - 0.05) = $105.80. With a PayPal + international order the same target needs ~$108.35.
Does Lemon Squeezy handle VAT for me?
Yes — as a merchant of record, Lemon Squeezy is the legal seller: it collects, files and remits global sales tax and VAT. That is what the 5% buys over a raw gateway.
Is there a cheaper Lemon Squeezy alternative?
Paddle charges the same 5% + $0.50 all-in with no surcharges; Polar.sh undercuts at 4% + $0.40. Compare them side-by-side in the SaaS MoR panel.