When you sell an online course or paid membership, the headline price you charge is rarely the amount you keep. Stripe takes a small slice (%) for securely processing the payment. Then, depending on which platform you use, the platform itself can take another slice on top, before the money lands in your bank account.
That second slice is the transaction fee, and most creators massively underestimate what it costs them. A 10% transaction fee on a $99 monthly community is $9.90 per member, every month, gone before you account for anything else. Across 100 members across a year, that single fee is just under $12,000 of recurring revenue you never see.
This guide explains what a transaction fee actually is, how it differs from payment processing, what each major creator platform charges in 2026, and the practical ways to avoid one. The short version: you can.
What a transaction fee is (and what it isn’t)
A transaction fee on a creator platform is a percentage the platform charges you on every sale you process through their checkout, on top of standard payment processor fees.
It’s important to be clear that this is separate from the payment processor’s own fee. Stripe takes 2.9% plus 30 cents per US transaction (their standard rate as of 2026). You’re paying Stripe regardless of which platform you use, because Stripe is the company actually moving the money from your customer’s card to your bank account.
The transaction fee is a second fee, charged by the course platform itself, that goes to them. It’s the platform saying: “We provided the website, the member portal, the checkout interface, the email automation, and the record keeping that made this sale possible. We get a cut of the sale on top of your monthly subscription.”
A simple example using a $99/month community sold through a platform that charges a 5% transaction fee:
- Stripe takes ~$3.20 (2.9% + $0.30)
- Platform takes $4.95 (5% transaction fee)
- You receive: ~$90.85 per member, per month
- The platform’s fee is ~$5 of that gap
If the same platform charged 0% transaction fees instead, you’d receive ~$95.80 per member, per month. The difference is small per member, but at scale across recurring revenue it compounds quickly.
Why platforms charge transaction fees
The honest answer: because they can, and because it lets them advertise lower-looking subscription tiers.
A platform that wants to advertise a $9/month entry tier needs that to be financially viable for them. If they charged 0% transaction fees on a $9 plan and a creator did $5,000/month in member revenue through it, the platform would essentially be losing money on that account. The 10% transaction fee is the way they keep low-priced plans profitable: cheap to start, expensive once you actually use it.
This is why you’ll often see two-tier structures on creator platforms:
- A low-priced plan with a high transaction fee (typical examples: 7.5%, 10%)
- A higher-priced plan with 0% transaction fees
The break-even between the two is usually around the point where your monthly transaction volume crosses $1,000 to $1,500. Below that, the cheaper plan with the higher fee actually saves you money. Above that, the more expensive plan with no fee is mathematically a better deal.
The rare platforms that charge 0% transaction fees on every plan, regardless of price, are the ones whose business model assumes you grow into a real business. That includes Kourses on every plan, and Teachable’s Builder plan and above. Kajabi charges no platform transaction fee but processing fees of 2.9% + $0.30 still apply via Kajabi Payments, or a 0.5–2% surcharge if you use your own Stripe account.
How transaction fees compound
The compounding cost is the part that surprises most creators. The fee feels small per transaction, but it’s a fixed percentage of every sale, every month.
Three concrete scenarios on the same membership business, charging $99/month per member, all using a platform that charges a 5% transaction fee:
| Stage | Members | Monthly revenue | Transaction fee paid | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Just launched | 10 | $990 | $49.50 | $594 |
| Growing | 50 | $4,950 | $247.50 | $2,970 |
| Established | 250 | $24,750 | $1, 237.50 | $14,850 |
| Scaled | 1,000 | $99,000 | $4,950 | $59,400 |
That last row matters. At a meaningful scale, a 5% transaction fee is a full-time-employee’s salary, paid annually to the platform on top of your subscription. A 10% transaction fee at the same scale is roughly $118,000 a year.
The decision creators most often regret is staying on a low-tier plan with a high transaction fee long after the math stopped favouring it. The transition usually happens too late, after a year of paying significantly more in fees than the higher tier would have cost.
What the major creator platforms charge in 2026
A snapshot of current transaction fees as of late April 2026, verified live from each platform’s pricing page:
| Platform | Plan | Monthly cost | Transaction fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Kourses** | All plans | from $9/month | **0%** |
| **Kajabi** | All plans | from $179/month | 0.5–2% surcharge (own Stripe) |
| **Teachable** | Starter | $39/month | 7.5% |
| **Teachable** | Builder | $89/month | 0% |
| **Teachable** | Growth | $189/month | 0% |
| **Skool** | Hobby | $9/month | 10% (inc. Stripe processing) |
| **Skool** | Pro | $99/month | 2.9% (inc. Stripe processing) |
| **Mighty Networks** | Launch | $95/month | 2% |
| **Gumroad** | Per-sale (no monthly fee) | n/a | 10% |
* Using Kajabi Payments instead avoids the surcharge but standard processing fees of 2.9% + $0.30 apply.
Two observations from that table that creators don’t always notice:
The lowest-priced plans almost always have the highest transaction fees. The only platform with 0% from its entry plan is Kourses (0% from $9).
Everywhere else, a “$9/month” or “$39/month” entry plan comes with a 2% to 10% surcharge that quickly outpaces the subscription savings.
Skool’s fees are all-in including payment processing — 10% on Hobby and 2.9% on Pro. There is no separate Stripe fee on top. However, at 2.9% the Pro plan is still charging what Stripe charges elsewhere for zero platform cut. The same revenue running through Kourses at 0% would keep that 2.9% per sale entirely.
How to avoid transaction fees
Six practical ways creators reduce or eliminate transaction fees:
1. Use a 0% transaction fee platform. The simplest answer. Platforms like Kourses, Kajabi, and Teachable’s higher tiers charge no platform fee at all, only the standard Stripe processing fee. If transaction fees feel meaningful at your current scale, the math nearly always favours moving.
2. Move up tiers strategically. If you’re on a platform with tiered transaction fees (Skool, Teachable Starter), there’s a break-even point where the higher subscription saves you more than it costs. For most creators that’s around $1,000 to $1,500 in monthly transaction volume. Calculate the break-even on your specific platform and watch for it.
3. Sell annual plans, not monthly. This doesn’t reduce the transaction fee percentage, but it changes the cadence. Selling a $1,000 annual plan triggers one transaction fee per year instead of twelve. The total fee is the same, but you collect cash up front and reduce churn-related rework.
4. Use external checkout for high-ticket sales. Some creators use a separate platform (SamCart, ThriveCart, or a direct Stripe Checkout) for one-off high-ticket sales and only use the course platform for delivery. This routes around the platform’s transaction fee on those specific sales. Worth the complexity if you’re selling $1,000+ items.
5. Sell digital downloads outside the platform. If you’re selling digital products that don’t need a member portal (ebooks, templates, swipe files), platforms like Gumroad’s flat 10% can be undercut by selling direct via Stripe Checkout (~3% all-in). For membership and course platforms, this only applies to side products.
6. Negotiate enterprise rates. At higher revenue tiers, most platforms have undocumented custom pricing. If you’re processing six figures monthly through a platform with a fee, contact their sales team and ask for a custom rate. They’ll often reduce or waive the fee to keep you on the platform.
Transaction fees vs payment processing fees: a quick clarifier
A common confusion: when someone says “Stripe takes 2.9%”, they’re talking about the payment processor fee. When they say “the platform takes 5%”, they’re talking about the transaction fee. These are separate, and you usually pay both.
| Fee | Charged by | Typical rate | What it pays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payment processing fee | Stripe / PayPal / etc. | 2.9% + $0.30 | Moving the money from card to your bank |
| Transaction fee | The course platform | 0% to 10% | The platform's revenue share on each sale |
The payment processor fee is unavoidable, you have to use a card processor to take card payments. The transaction fee is fully avoidable by choosing a platform that doesn’t charge one.
Transaction fees FAQ
What is a transaction fee on an online course?
A transaction fee is a percentage the course platform charges you on every sale, on top of the standard Stripe or PayPal processing fee. It’s separate from your monthly subscription and goes to the platform, not the payment processor. Common rates range from 0% (Kourses, Kajabi, Teachable Builder+) to 10% (Skool Hobby, Gumroad).
How is a transaction fee different from Stripe’s fee?
Stripe is the company that moves the money from your customer’s card to your bank account, they charge 2.9% + $0.30 per US transaction for that service. The course platform’s transaction fee is an additional cut the platform takes for hosting your course and providing the checkout. They’re separate fees with separate recipients.
Which course platforms have 0% transaction fees?
As of April 2026: Kourses on all plans, Kajabi on all plans (no platform fee, though processing fees apply), Teachable on Builder and above (Starter still has 7.5%). Mighty Networks charges 2% on Launch, dropping to 0.5% on Growth. Skool charges 2.9% on Pro and 10% on Hobby, both all-in including payment processing. Most platforms have at least one plan with 0% transaction fees, usually a higher-priced tier.
Are transaction fees worth paying for a cheaper plan?
Sometimes, depending on your revenue. The break-even is usually around $1,000 to $1,500 in monthly transaction volume. Below that, the cheaper plan with a higher transaction fee actually saves you money. Above that, the higher-tier plan with no transaction fee comes out ahead. Run the math at your specific revenue level before deciding.
Can I negotiate transaction fees down?
At enterprise revenue (typically six figures monthly), most platforms have undocumented custom pricing. Contact the platform’s sales team and ask. They’ll often reduce or waive the fee to keep your account.
Do transaction fees apply to free content?
No. Transaction fees only apply to actual sales. If you give away content for free or run a free community, no transaction fees are charged regardless of which platform you use.
What’s the typical transaction fee on a membership platform?
Across the major platforms in 2026, the range is 0% (Kourses, Kajabi, Teachable Builder+, Mighty Networks Launch) to 10% (Skool Hobby, Gumroad’s flat-fee model). The median for entry-tier plans across the space is 5% to 7.5%. Higher tiers usually drop to 0%.
The bottom line
Transaction fees are the most underestimated cost in the creator economy. The fee feels small per sale but compounds into a significant line item once your business is real. At scale, the difference between a 0% and a 10% transaction fee is the difference between hiring an employee and not.
The good news is they’re avoidable. Choose a platform with 0% platform transaction fees from the start (Kourses charges nothing on top of processing on any plan), move up to a fee-free tier on platforms that have them (Teachable Builder, Skool Pro), or use external checkout for high-ticket sales.
If you’re starting from scratch and want a platform that charges 0% transaction fees from $9 a month, Kourses is built around that promise. If you want a deeper comparison of where to host, the best membership platforms guide covers the full landscape.
Transaction fee data accurate as of April 29, 2026. Verified live from each platform’s pricing page on April 28-29, 2026.
