Bear Grips Pro ShopsShopify Print on Demand Fees: The Full Cost Breakdown
- Print on demand on Shopify stacks at least four separate cost lines: subscription, payment processing, apps or theme, and per-order production plus shipping.
- Shipping is often charged to the buyer separately, which can raise cart abandonment.
- Bear Grips Pro Shops replaces the whole stack with one plan from $0 to $105 a month.
- Knowing the full stack before launch avoids the surprise-invoice problem sellers report after month one.
The fees for running print on demand on Shopify rarely show up as one number. They arrive as several separate line items across a few different accounts: the Shopify subscription, a payment processing rate, any paid apps or theme, and the per-order production and shipping cost from the connected print on demand app. This breakdown lays out each piece so a seller can see the real total before launch, not after the first month of invoices.
The four-line cost stack
| Line item | What it covers | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify subscription | Storefront, checkout, hosting | Around $29-39/mo on entry tiers |
| Payment processing | Card processing on every sale | Standard card rate, higher without the built-in gateway |
| Apps and theme | Extra functionality, design | $0-100/mo depending on how many are installed |
| Production plus shipping | Per-piece printing, packing, and shipping | Varies by app, shipping is often billed to the buyer separately |
Why the shipping line matters most
The most overlooked cost is shipping charged to the buyer at checkout. When a $28 t-shirt shows a $32 total after a $4-6 shipping charge appears at the last step, cart abandonment climbs. Sellers running Shopify plus a connected app should test showing the all-in price up front rather than adding shipping at checkout, since that last-step price jump is a well-documented conversion killer in apparel ecommerce.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.What an all-in-one plan replaces
Bear Grips Pro Shops folds the entire stack into one plan. The Free plan is $0/mo with 3 live products at a higher per-item base price. Self-Service VIP is $59/mo with 200 live products at the lowest base prices. Done-For-You VIP is $105/mo with 250 live products and a full white-glove build (design applied to 15 trending products monthly, front and back mockups, curated color variants, and professionally written product pages). Free US shipping is built into the base price on every plan, not billed separately at checkout.
How to estimate the real monthly total either way
Before committing to either path, a seller should total up: the platform subscription, any apps or theme costs, expected monthly order volume times the per-piece production cost, and whether shipping is included or charged separately. Running that number for a projected first-month order volume, rather than looking at the subscription price alone, is the only way to compare the two paths honestly.
See the All-In Price Before You Launch
One plan, one base price, free shipping included. Free to start, no minimums, no surprise invoices.
Start FreeFrequently Asked Questions
Does Shopify charge extra if I do not use its built-in payment processor?
Many platforms, Shopify included, apply a higher processing rate when a seller routes payments through a third-party gateway instead of the built-in one. Check current rates directly with Shopify since these change over time.
Is shipping always charged separately on Shopify print on demand apps?
It depends on the connected app and how the seller configures pricing. Many apps default to charging shipping at checkout unless the seller manually builds it into the item price.
Does Bear Grips Pro Shops charge any per-order fee on top of the plan price?
No. The plan price and the product base price are the two numbers. Free shipping is included in the base price on every plan.
What is the actual base price difference between Free and VIP plans?
VIP base prices run $4 to $11 lower per item than the Free plan, depending on the product. A tee is $19.88 VIP versus $23.93 Free, for example.
