Paddle pricing
By Marcus Reyes, Editor. Verified against the vendor's pricing page on 2026-09-27.
How Paddle's pricing works
Paddle has no plan tiers. It is one pay-as-you-go rate, and everything is inside it.
5% + 50c per checkout transaction
- Card processing and localized checkout
- Subscription billing and failed-payment recovery (Retain)
- Sales tax and VAT registered, charged, filed and remitted as Merchant of Record
- Fraud and chargeback protection, and buyer billing support
- No monthly fee and no migration fee
Products priced under $10 need custom pricing; high-volume businesses can arrange a custom rate.
Is it worth the money?
What works
- As Merchant of Record, Paddle takes the whole sales-tax, VAT and GST job off your plate: it registers, charges, files and remits across 100-plus jurisdictions, so a global software business does not have to stand up its own tax compliance.
- One rate covers a lot of ground. The 5% + 50c includes payments, subscription billing, fraud and chargeback protection, failed-payment recovery through Retain, and buyer billing support, with no monthly fee and no migration fee.
- Paddle states there is no lock-in period and that your data is yours to migrate to another provider. That is the reassurance that matters most before you hand your billing to a third party, though it is worth getting in writing.
- It is not a bet on a startup. Paddle has run since 2012, reports more than 10,000 customers and says it has processed over 190 million transactions, so the infrastructure is proven at scale.
What to watch
- It only serves software and digital products. Paddle's own Acceptable Use Policy says it is not a fit for physical goods or human services, and its prohibited list rules out medical and weight-loss advice, business or investment opportunities, gambling and adult content. Most physical-product, supplement and biz-opp sellers cannot open an account at all.
- It costs more than a raw processor: 5% + 50c against Stripe's 2.9% + 30c. You are paying for the tax and compliance work, so it only pays off when that work is a real burden, and the fixed 50c hurts on low-ticket products.
- Account risk is the loudest long-term complaint. Founders report opaque risk reviews that end in suspension or closure, with payouts held afterward while they still owe customers refunds and active subscriptions. A June 2025 FTC settlement is the backdrop to stricter underwriting since. Keep a cash buffer and a backup provider ready.
- Payouts are monthly, not on demand. Your balance settles after month-end and arrives around the 15th, so cash flow is slower than a gateway that pays out on a rolling schedule.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Paddle cost?
Paddle is pay-as-you-go at 5% + 50c per checkout transaction, with no monthly fee and no migration fee. Products priced under $10 need custom pricing, and high-volume businesses can arrange a custom rate.
Does Paddle have a free trial?
There is nothing to trial in the usual sense. Paddle has no monthly fee, so you pay 5% + 50c only when you make a sale. The commitment is passing underwriting, not a subscription.
Is the 5% + 50c all I pay?
Card processing, sales tax handling, fraud protection and billing support are all inside that rate. The costs to watch are the fixed 50c, which stings on low-ticket sales, and payouts that arrive monthly rather than on demand.
What we read
From Paddle
- https://www.paddle.com
- https://www.paddle.com/billing/checkout
- https://www.paddle.com/billing/tax-and-compliance
Other sources
7 discussions and reviews read for this page. Quotes are excerpts; open a link to read the original in context.
- [aup] Understanding Paddle's Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
- [aup-prohibited] Paddle prohibited categories
- [reddit-warning] I want to share my experience with Paddle as a warning to other SaaS founders
- [reddit-earlystage] Do not use Paddle if you're an early-stage startup
- [ftc] Paddle Will Pay $5 Million to Settle FTC Allegations
- [trustpilot] Paddle Reviews | Read Customer Service Reviews of paddle.com
- [pricing] All-in-One Pricing, No Hidden Costs | Paddle