Amazon and Shopify print on demand profit both look attractive on the surface, but each channel stacks its own fees on top of print on demand base cost before a seller sees a real number. This walks through what each typically adds, compared against a flat base price with nothing layered on top.
Selling apparel on Amazon commonly means a referral fee, often around 15 percent of the sale price for the apparel category, charged by Amazon regardless of which print on demand provider fulfills the order. On top of that referral fee, whatever print on demand service produces the item still charges its own base cost for the blank and the printing. Two fee layers stack before margin is counted, and referral fee percentages can vary by exact category and change over time.
Running a store on Shopify means a recurring monthly subscription fee (commonly in the $30-40+ range for an entry-level plan, though Shopify's tiers and pricing change from time to time), plus payment processing fees on each transaction. A print on demand app connected to that store usually adds its own subscription or a per-item markup on top of the underlying base cost. That is at least three layers of cost (Shopify subscription, payment processing, and the print on demand app) before base cost and margin even enter the picture.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Bear Grips Pro Shops charges one plan fee ($0, $59, or $105 a month) and one all-inclusive base price per item. There is no separate marketplace referral cut, no added storefront subscription beyond the plan itself, and no third-party app fee layered in. See the exact plan breakdown in the cost to start a clothing line guide.
| Channel | Marketplace/platform fee | Monthly subscription | Per-item base cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | ~15% referral fee (apparel) | Varies by seller plan | Set by the print on demand provider used |
| Shopify + app | Payment processing fee | ~$30-40+ plus app fee | Set by the connected print on demand app |
| Bear Grips Pro Shops | None | $0, $59, or $105 | $19.88 and up, all-inclusive |
Compare the same fee-stack logic on Etsy in the Etsy profit margin guide, or start a flat-fee shop at shops.beargrips.com.
One flat plan fee, one all-inclusive base price, no referral cut and no third-party app fee.
Start FreeGenerally yes, category-based referral fees apply broadly, though the exact rate is set by Amazon and can vary or change.
No. Bear Grips Pro Shops provides the storefront directly, so no separate Shopify subscription is required.
Generally the channel with the fewest stacked fees on top of base cost, which is a direct branded-shop model with one flat plan fee.
Many vendors treat a branded shop as their main margin channel and use marketplaces as an additional discovery channel, run as separate efforts.
Bear Grips Pro Shops