Thinkific offers 0% transaction fees on all purchases for all subscription plans.
Even though the platform doesn’t charge a fee per sale, payments are subject to processing fees by your gateway provider.
Key Takeaways:
- Thinkific does not charge transaction fees, regardless of subscription plan
- Although the platform does not take a cut, users are subject to payment processing fees on every transaction
Thinkific Transaction Fees for Each Plan
A significant benefit of using Thinkific is that the platform does not charge its users a transaction fee, unlike some of its competitors.
Moreover, if your sales volume and number of students enrolled grows, there is no tiered fee structure or volume limit.
Thinkific’s Free plan allows you to test its features and have access to 0% transaction fees at no upfront cost.
| Thinkific Plan | Transaction Fee |
|---|---|
| Free plan | 0% |
| Basic plan | 0% |
| Start plan | 0% |
| Grow plan | 0% |
| Expand plan | 0% |
Thinkific Transaction Fees vs. Payment Processing Fees
Thinkific’s 0% transaction fees should not be confused with potential payment processing fees.
To sell on the platform, you’ll need to enable payments using a provider or payment gateway such as Thinkific Payments, Stripe, or PayPal.
The payment gateway will process payments from your customers and disburse the payments to you and, in return, charge a small fee for the service.
We’ll explore the payment processing fees below, but they typically include a fixed cost per transaction and a small percentage.
Thinkific Payment Fees
Thinkific Payments is the platform’s payment gateway and is commonly used by course sellers.
Therefore, to help you understand the fees, we’ll use this option as an example.
Sellers from the United States are subject to a one-time processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30.
Additional charges for international cards, currency conversion, subscription, and payment plans are priced at 1%, 2%, and 0.5%, respectively.
| Country | One-Time Payment Transaction | International Cards | Currency Conversion | Subscriptions & Payment Plans | Payout Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2.9% + $0.30 | +1% for international cards | +1% if required | +0.5% subscription fee | 2 business days |
| United Kingdom | 1.4% + £0.20 | +1.1% for EEA cards 2.9% + £0.20 for international cards | +2% if required | +0.5% subscription fee | 3 business days |
| Germany | 1.4% + €0.25 | 2.9% + €0.25 | +2% if required | +0.5% subscription fee | 3 business days |
Thinkific Payments claim that they use the same fee structure as Stripe, therefore changing processors will not save you money.
PayPal also charges processing fees comparable in price to these options.
Thinkific Student Refund Fees
Just as Thinkific doesn’t charge transaction fees, they also don’t charge fees to send refunds to a customer.
However, your payment processor may charge a fee, which we’ll cover below.
Thinkific Payments
When you refund a customer, there are no additional processing fees. However, they will not reimburse you for the initial processing fees charged.
PayPal and Stripe
Both PayPal and Stripe have the same policy as Thinkific Payments and don’t charge any additional fees when refunding customers.
Other Processors
If you’re using a different payment processor from those mentioned above, they may charge a fee. Check the refund policy to confirm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Thinkific Take a Fee?
Thinkific does not charge a fee for products purchased on the platform on any of its plans.
What Percentage of Sales Does Thinkific Take?
Thinkific charges 0% transaction fees on all sales, regardless of subscription plan. However, for customers to checkout, you’ll need to use a payment processor, who will typically charge a small percentage and flat fee per payment.
