How to Sell on Payhip: Fees, Plans and Step-by-Step Guide (2026)
Free Online Selling Course, Lesson 36 · Module 7: Sell Digital Products Beyond Etsy · See all lessons
Want to sell your ebooks, printables, templates, or courses from your own store, not just on Etsy? Payhip is a platform that gives you a ready-made storefront and checkout for digital products, and you can start on a free plan.
Here is the part to understand first: Payhip’s plans all have the same features. What changes is the trade-off between a monthly price and a transaction fee. On the free plan you pay nothing monthly but 5% per sale. Pick the wrong plan for your sales and you either overpay monthly or give away too much per sale.
This lesson explains Payhip’s fees, how to set up your account and payments, how to add your first digital product step by step, and how to choose a plan. Everything comes from Payhip’s pricing page and Help Center, checked in October 2026.
How Do You Sell on Payhip?
Sign up for Payhip for free, then connect PayPal or Stripe under Account, Settings, Payment Details. Go to Products, add a digital product, upload your file (up to 5GB each), enter a title, price, and description, and set it to visible. Buyers can download right after they pay, and your sales go straight to your PayPal or Stripe account.
Payhip Fees and Plans
Payhip’s pricing page lists three plans:
| Plan | Monthly price | Payhip transaction fee |
|---|---|---|
| Free Forever | $0 | 5% |
| Plus | $29/month | 2% |
| Pro | $99/month | 0% |
Good to know:
- All plans have the same features, with unlimited products and unlimited revenue. Payhip says there is no feature-gating.
- PayPal and Stripe still charge their standard fees on every plan.
- Taxes: Payhip says it automatically collects, reports, and remits digital EU/UK VAT and US/Canadian sales tax on your behalf.
- Payouts: Payhip says sales are deposited to you immediately after a transaction is completed.
Pick the cheapest plan: our free Payhip fee calculator compares all three plans for your monthly sales.
Which Payhip Plan Is Cheapest?
The math is simple, before PayPal or Stripe fees:
| Monthly sales | Free (5%) | Plus ($29 + 2%) | Pro ($99) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500 | $25.00 | $39.00 | $99.00 |
| $1,000 | $50.00 | $49.00 | $99.00 |
| $3,500 | $175.00 | $99.00 | $99.00 |
| $5,000 | $250.00 | $129.00 | $99.00 |
Plus becomes cheaper than Free at about $967 a month in sales, and Pro becomes cheaper than Plus above $3,500 a month.
How to Sell on Payhip Step by Step
Step 1: Create Your Free Account
Sign up on Payhip. Payhip says no credit card is required to get started.
Step 2: Connect PayPal or Stripe
Payhip’s Help Center steps:
- Click Account at the top right, then Settings.
- Open the Payment Details tab.
- To use PayPal, click Link PayPal Account and follow the steps.
- To use Stripe, scroll down, select Accept Payments With Stripe, then Connect Your Account or sign up for Stripe.
Payhip says customers can pay with PayPal or with cards such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. If you want to sell subscriptions, Payhip says you need a Stripe account.
Step 3: Add Your Digital Product
- Go to Products and add a Digital Product.
- Click Upload product file. You can upload several files at once, up to 5GB each.
- Enter a title and price, and add a cover image.
- Optional: embed a YouTube, Vimeo, or SoundCloud link to show buyers a preview.
- Write a description that explains what buyers get and how it helps them.
File types: Payhip supports most files, including PDFs, audio, video, and ZIP files. It does not allow EXE, ISO, DMG, VBS, SCR, or JAR files unless you zip them first.
Step 4: Choose a Price Type
- Fixed price: enter a normal price.
- Pay what you want: add a plus sign. “0+” lets buyers pay any amount, including free, and “5+” sets a $5 minimum.
Need help pricing? See our lesson on best selling digital products on etsy for product ideas, and check what similar products sell for.
Step 5: Use the Advanced Options You Need
Payhip’s advanced options include:
- Variations, such as formats or tiers
- Preview file, so buyers can sample the product
- Sales limit, to cap how many copies sell
- Mailing list, to add buyers to your email list once your email provider is connected
- License keys, for software
Step 6: Set Visibility and Go Live
- Visible: public on your store
- Unlisted: only people with the direct link can see it
- Invisible: only you can see it while you edit
Once it is visible, it is live.
Step 7: Test Your Checkout
Payhip suggests testing with a 100% off coupon. Note that test orders appear on your Customers page and cannot be deleted.
What Happens After a Sale
According to Payhip’s Help Center:
- The buyer goes to a download page to get the files right away.
- The buyer also gets a receipt email with a link to download later.
- You get an email for each sale.
- The money goes to your connected PayPal or Stripe account.
Payhip vs Etsy for Digital Products
| Payhip | Etsy | |
|---|---|---|
| Where buyers come from | Mostly your own traffic | Etsy’s marketplace search |
| Listing fee | None | $0.20 per listing |
| Selling fee | 5%, 2%, or 0% by plan | 6.5% transaction fee plus processing |
| Your store | Your own storefront | A shop inside Etsy |
Many sellers use both: Etsy for marketplace buyers and Payhip for their own audience. See etsy fees for Etsy’s full fee list.
Common Mistakes on Payhip
Staying on the wrong plan. Check your monthly sales against the break-even points.
Forgetting payment fees. PayPal and Stripe charge their own fees on every plan.
Leaving products invisible. Set them to visible when you are ready.
Skipping a test order. Use a 100% off coupon, and remember test orders cannot be deleted.
Expecting marketplace traffic. You bring most buyers yourself, through Pinterest, email, or social media. See pinterest for etsy for ideas that also work for your own store.
Key Takeaways
- Payhip has three plans: Free (5%), Plus ($29/month + 2%), and Pro ($99/month, 0%).
- All plans have the same features; PayPal and Stripe fees still apply.
- Connect PayPal or Stripe under Account, Settings, Payment Details.
- Files can be up to 5GB each, and buyers download instantly.
- Plus beats Free at about $967 a month in sales; Pro beats Plus above $3,500.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Payhip free?
Yes. Payhip’s Free Forever plan costs $0 a month with a 5% transaction fee. PayPal or Stripe fees still apply.
How much does Payhip take per sale?
5% on Free, 2% on Plus, and 0% on Pro, plus PayPal or Stripe’s standard fees.
When do I get paid on Payhip?
Payhip says sales are deposited immediately after a transaction is completed, into your connected PayPal or Stripe account.
Does Payhip handle sales tax?
Payhip says it automatically collects, reports, and remits digital EU/UK VAT and US/Canadian sales tax for you.
What can I sell on Payhip?
Digital downloads, online courses, coaching, memberships, and physical products, according to Payhip.
Final Thoughts
Payhip is an easy way to sell digital products from your own store. Start free, connect PayPal or Stripe, upload your first product, and move to Plus or Pro once your monthly sales pass the break-even point.
Next, compare it with what is gumroad, or explore the free online selling course.
You finished: Free Online Selling Course, Lesson 36
Keep going step by step. Each lesson builds on the last one.
