Why your Shopify payout is less than your sales
Short answer
Your Shopify Payments payout isn't your sales total. Shopify deducts processing fees before paying out, takes refunds and chargebacks (plus dispute fees) from your next payout, and can apply adjustments, reserves or holds.1 Taxes and shipping charges in “total sales” also make sales look bigger than what you earned. The payout transactions export shows the amount, fee and net for every line.2
The 7 reasons, from Shopify's help center
- Processing fees. “Each transaction incurs processing fees that are deducted from your earnings before the payout is sent.”1
- Refunds. “The refunded amounts are deducted from your next available payout.”1 The original card fee isn't returned when you refund.3
- Chargebacks. “The payment amount and any associated dispute fees are deducted from your account.”1 In the US the chargeback fee is $15; Shopify says it may be returned if you win.4
- Adjustments, which “could either increase or decrease the final amount.”1
- Reserves, set up to protect against potential losses from disputes.1
- Holds, where part of the funds is held back and the rest paid out.1
- Timing. Payouts count business days only; US stores have a 3-business-day settlement time, and you can choose daily, weekly or monthly payouts.5 Sales on a Friday may land in a later payout than you expect.
“Total sales” includes money that was never yours
Shopify defines total sales as gross sales − discounts − sales reversals + taxes + duties + shipping charges + fees.6 Taxes you collected aren't income, and depending on how PayPal or another provider is set up, those orders may be paid out by that provider rather than in your Shopify Payments payout. Compare payouts with the right sales number, or they'll never match.
How to reconcile a payout
- In your admin, go to Finance and open your payouts, then click a payout date to see its transactions.2
- Export the payout transactions. Each line shows the Amount, Fee and Net.2
- Add up Amount for charges, subtract refunds and chargebacks, subtract the Fee column. That should equal the payout.
- Anything left over is usually an adjustment, a reserve or a hold, and it's listed in the payout details.
A matching payout still isn't profit
Merchants often treat payouts as what they made.7 But a payout hasn't had product costs, shipping labels, ad spend, your plan or apps taken out yet. Your Shopify bill and app charges are billed separately. To see what you actually kept, subtract those too, with the profit calculator for a month or the Shopify Profit Report by product and month.
Questions
Why is my Shopify payout less than my sales?
Shopify deducts processing fees, refunds, chargebacks and dispute fees, and can apply adjustments, reserves or holds. Sales totals can also include taxes and shipping, and PayPal or other providers pay out separately.
How long do Shopify payouts take?
Payout schedules use business days only. Shopify lists a 3-business-day settlement time for US stores, and you can choose daily, weekly or monthly payouts.
Where can I see Shopify Payments fees for each order?
In the payout details, or by exporting the payout transactions. Each line shows the amount, the fee and the net.
Are refunds taken out of my payout?
Yes. Refunded amounts are deducted from your next available payout, and the original card fee isn't returned.
Is my payout my profit?
No. Product costs, shipping labels, ads, your plan and apps still have to come out of it.
Sources
- Shopify Help Center: Lower or missing payouts
- Shopify Help Center: Viewing payout details
- Shopify Help Center: Refunds and Shopify Payments payouts
- Shopify Help Center: Chargeback process
- Shopify Help Center: Payout timing
- Shopify Help Center: Sales reports (common sales report terms)
- Shopify Community: Why is there a discrepancy between my sales and payouts?
Checked October 18, 2026. If something has changed, email hello@groundworkmetrics.com and I'll fix it.