Lemon Squeezy Fees Higher Than 5% + $0.50: Why
Quick answer
The 5% + $0.50 base gets add-ons: +1.5% international, +1.5% PayPal, +0.5% subscriptions, +3% affiliates and payout fees, so real cost is often 7% or more.
Most likely fix: Add up the stack
How to fix it
Try these in order — the most common fix is first.
1. Add up the stack
- Open the fees doc in the Lemon Squeezy help center
- Add every surcharge that applies to your sales mix
Did this fix it?2. Reduce exposure
- Promote card payments over PayPal where possible
- Ask sales about custom pricing for volume or products under $10
Did this fix it?3. Compare
- Compare to Paddle, Gumroad or Stripe Managed Payments (3.5% on top of Stripe fees) at your average order value
Did this fix it?
Symptoms
Fees on your payout exceed what the pricing page suggests.
Why it happens
- +1.5% non-US customers
- +1.5% PayPal
- +0.5% subscription payments
- +3% affiliate referrals
- Payout fees outside the US
This guide also covers
- lemon squeezy fees
- lemon squeezy hidden fees
- lemon squeezy international fee
Still not working?
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