E-commerce & Seller Fees
Ko-fi Fees verified 2026-06-13Ko-fi Fee Calculator
Calculate exactly what Ko-fi takes from your earnings and what you keep. Choose your plan and income type — Ko-fi charges 0% on tips on the Free plan and 5% on shop sales, memberships, and commissions. Ko-fi Gold eliminates the platform fee entirely. Enter your amount to see the breakdown.
The method
How it works
Ko-fi has a simple, transparent fee model. On the Free plan, tips and direct donations carry a 0% Ko-fi platform fee — the platform earns nothing on those. Shop sales, memberships, and commissions on the Free plan are charged a 5% Ko-fi service fee. Ko-fi Gold, which costs $12 per month, removes that 5% entirely — all income types become 0% platform fee.
On top of Ko-fi's own fee, your chosen payment processor (Stripe or PayPal) charges a standard processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Ko-fi does not add a processing markup — you connect your own Stripe or PayPal account and the processor charges you directly. This means on a $25 donation via the Free plan, your only deduction is the $1.03 Stripe/PayPal fee; Ko-fi takes nothing.
For the Gold plan to pay for itself, you need to be generating enough shop/membership/commission income that the 5% you save exceeds $12. That break-even point is $240/month in shop-type income (5% × $240 = $12). Above that, Gold saves you money every month.
Worked example
You sell a $25 digital product in your Ko-fi shop on the Free plan.
- Sale amount
- $25.00
- Ko-fi platform fee (5% — Free plan shop)
- $1.25
- Stripe processing (2.9% + $0.30)
- $1.03
- Total fees
- $2.28
You receive $22.72
Guide
About the Ko-fi Fee calculator
Our Ko-fi fee calculator is a free tool that shows exactly what Ko-fi takes from your tips, shop sales, memberships, and commissions — and what you actually keep. Ko-fi is one of the most popular creator-support platforms for artists, illustrators, writers, streamers, and content creators who want a low-friction way to receive support from fans. Understanding its fee structure is essential for pricing digital products, memberships, and commissions correctly.
How Ko-fi's fee structure works.
Ko-fi operates on two plans: a Free plan and Ko-fi Gold. The core distinction is what the platform charges on different types of income.
On the Free plan, tips and direct donations carry a 0% Ko-fi platform fee. When a supporter sends you a tip, Ko-fi takes nothing from that transaction — you only lose the payment processor's standard fee. This makes Ko-fi tips one of the lowest-fee ways for creators to accept direct support online.
Shop sales, memberships, and commissions on the Free plan are charged a 5% Ko-fi service fee. This applies to anything you sell through the Ko-fi Shop, any recurring membership payments, and any commission payments you receive through the platform.
Ko-fi Gold costs $12 per month (or a reduced rate annually) and removes all platform fees. Everything — tips, shop sales, memberships, commissions — becomes 0% Ko-fi fee. Only the underlying payment processor fee remains.
What the payment processor charges.
Ko-fi doesn't process payments itself. You connect your own Stripe or PayPal account, and the processor charges you directly. The standard Stripe rate in the US is 2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction (PayPal's rate for receiving payments is similar). Ko-fi does not add a surcharge on top of this.
This means on a $25 tip via the Free plan, your only deduction is the Stripe/PayPal processing fee — roughly $1.03. Ko-fi takes $0.00. On a $25 shop sale via the Free plan, you also pay the 5% Ko-fi fee ($1.25), bringing total fees to about $2.28 and your payout to $22.72.
Does Ko-fi take a cut of donations and tips?
No — Ko-fi does not take a cut of tips and donations on the Free plan. This is one of Ko-fi's most prominent selling points and a key difference from platforms like Patreon (which charges 5–12% depending on the plan) and Buy Me a Coffee (which charges a flat 5% on everything). The 0% tip fee is why many creators use Ko-fi as a supplementary income stream alongside other platforms.
Is Ko-fi Gold worth it?
Ko-fi Gold is worth it if your monthly Ko-fi income from shop sales, memberships, or commissions exceeds $240. Here's why: Ko-fi Gold costs $12/month and saves you the 5% platform fee on shop/membership/commission income. The break-even is $12 ÷ 0.05 = $240/month in those fee-bearing income types. If you're earning more than that from your Ko-fi shop or memberships, Gold saves you money. If you're primarily earning from tips, Gold makes no financial difference — you were already paying 0% on tips.
For example, if you earn $500/month in Ko-fi shop sales, the Free plan costs you $25 in Ko-fi fees. Gold costs $12. You save $13/month by switching. At $1,000/month in shop revenue, the saving grows to $38/month ($50 in fees vs $12 for Gold).
Ko-fi fees compared to Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee.
Ko-fi's 0% tip fee is its defining advantage over comparable platforms. Patreon charges 5–12% of all creator income depending on the plan tier — there's no zero-fee option. Buy Me a Coffee charges a flat 5% on every transaction regardless of type. Substack takes 10% of paid subscription revenue. Ko-fi's Free plan is genuinely free for tip-based income, which is unusual in the creator economy.
For shop and membership income, Ko-fi's 5% Free plan rate is competitive with Gumroad (10% on the free plan) but higher than platforms like Etsy (6.5% transaction fee) for physical goods. For digital products, Ko-fi's 5% is broadly in line with the market.
How to calculate your Ko-fi payout.
For a tip on the Free plan: your payout = amount − (amount × 2.9% + $0.30). For a shop sale on the Free plan: your payout = amount − (amount × 5%) − (amount × 2.9% + $0.30). For any income on Gold: your payout = amount − (amount × 2.9% + $0.30). Use the calculator above to run any scenario instantly.
Accuracy and what this calculator covers.
All rates in this calculator are taken from Ko-fi's official help pages and pricing, verified on 2026-06-13. The Free plan fee (0% tips, 5% shop/memberships/commissions) and the Gold plan ($12/month, 0% platform fee on everything) are Ko-fi's current published fee structure. Payment processing (2.9% + $0.30, standard Stripe/PayPal US rate) is shown separately and can be toggled off if you want to isolate the Ko-fi platform fee. International payment processing may carry additional surcharges not modelled here. Check the sources below and your Stripe or PayPal dashboard for the exact figures before making pricing decisions.
Keep calculating
Related calculators
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does Ko-fi take a cut of tips?+
No — Ko-fi charges 0% on tips and donations on the Free plan. When a supporter sends you a tip, Ko-fi takes nothing. You only pay the standard payment processor fee (Stripe or PayPal, typically 2.9% + $0.30). This makes Ko-fi tips one of the most creator-friendly ways to accept direct support online.
What percentage does Ko-fi take from shop sales?+
On the Free plan, Ko-fi charges a 5% platform fee on shop sales, memberships, and commissions. On top of that, you pay the payment processor's standard fee (2.9% + $0.30 for Stripe or PayPal). On Ko-fi Gold ($12/month), the 5% platform fee is reduced to 0% on everything — you only pay the processor fee.
Is Ko-fi Gold worth it?+
Ko-fi Gold is worth it financially if you earn more than $240/month from shop sales, memberships, or commissions. The Gold plan costs $12/month and removes Ko-fi's 5% platform fee on those income types. The break-even is $12 ÷ 5% = $240/month. If you earn more than that from fee-bearing income, Gold saves you money. If your Ko-fi income is mostly from tips, Gold makes no financial difference — tips are already 0% on the Free plan.
What is Ko-fi's payment processing fee?+
Ko-fi does not process payments directly — you connect your own Stripe or PayPal account. Those processors charge a standard fee of around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction in the US. Ko-fi adds no surcharge on top. The exact rate may differ outside the US or for international cards.
How does Ko-fi compare to Patreon for fees?+
Ko-fi's Free plan charges 0% on tips, which is significantly better than Patreon's 5–12% platform fee on all creator income. For memberships and shop sales, Ko-fi's 5% Free plan fee is comparable to Patreon's Lite plan (5%). Ko-fi Gold at $12/month with 0% fees can be cheaper than Patreon for high-earning creators, since Patreon's fee never goes to zero regardless of revenue.
Does Ko-fi charge fees on memberships?+
Yes — on the Free plan, Ko-fi charges 5% on recurring membership payments. This applies to monthly and annual memberships set up through Ko-fi. Ko-fi Gold removes this fee, reducing it to 0%. The payment processor (Stripe or PayPal) still charges its standard processing fee on each recurring payment.
What fees does Ko-fi charge on commissions?+
Ko-fi charges 5% on commissions on the Free plan. Commissions are treated the same as shop sales for fee purposes. Ko-fi Gold reduces this to 0%. You also pay the payment processor's fee (2.9% + $0.30) on each commission payment received.
Sources & methodology
Written & verified by Deep Kakadiya, Founder & developer, Trilumos. Last updated 2026-06-13.