Variable Platform Fee (VPF)

Variable Platform Fee (VPF) is the percentage-based component of Shopify Plus pricing. Plus uses a hybrid floor-plus-variable model: each merchant pays whichever is higher of a fixed monthly floor or a percentage of monthly Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV).

Standard VPF rates are 0.35% on D2C revenue and 0.18% on B2B revenue, with a $40,000 per month cap. Smaller brands pay the floor ($2,300/month on a 3-year term, $2,500/month on a 1-year term). Larger brands cross into VPF territory above approximately $7.9M annual D2C revenue or $15.3M annual B2B revenue.

The B2B/D2C split is the most important variable in any Plus pricing model. A brand with material B2B revenue pays significantly less than the published $2,300/month headline rate would suggest. For the worked math at $2M to $100M, see the Shopify Plus Pricing 2026 article.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Shopify Plus variable platform fee?

A percentage of monthly GMV that replaces the fixed fee once it is higher: 0.35% on D2C revenue and 0.18% on B2B revenue, capped at $40,000 a month.

When does the VPF kick in?

When the percentage exceeds the monthly floor. On a 3-year term that is about $7.9M a year in D2C revenue or about $15.3M in B2B revenue.

Is B2B revenue charged at the same VPF rate?

No. B2B revenue is charged at 0.18%, about half the D2C rate, which is why the D2C and B2B split matters so much in a Plus quote.

Related terms: Shopify Plus, Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), Shopify Plus vs Shopify. For hands-on help, see the Shopify Plus pricing calculator.