Kartra's Essentials plan includes a 5% transaction fee on sales and recurring payments processed for products hosted in your Kartra account.
These fees are separate from your regular Kartra subscription payment and are billed monthly. Transaction fees only apply to the Essentials plan. Other subscription plans do not have this fee.
How transaction fees work
Kartra calculates transaction fees based on the sales activity in your account during each month.
The calculation includes:
Sales: Payments received from customers purchasing your products.
Rebills: Recurring payments received from existing customer subscriptions.
Refunds: Payments returned to customers.
Chargebacks: Payments reversed through a customer's payment provider.
Partial refunds: Portions of payments returned to customers.
Refunds, chargebacks, and partial refunds reduce the amount used to calculate your transaction fees.
Transaction fee calculation
[(Sales + Rebills) – (Refunds + Chargebacks + Partial Refunds)] × 5%
Example:
Sales + Rebills: $1,000
Refunds, chargebacks, partial refunds: $200
Net = $800
5% fee = $40
In this example, your transaction fee for the month would be $40.
Transaction fee billing
Transaction fees are billed monthly, regardless of whether you pay for your Kartra subscription monthly or annually.
For example, if you have an annual Essentials subscription, you'll still receive separate monthly charges for your transaction fees.
If a transaction fee payment fails, Kartra will attempt to charge it again.
To check your current month's transaction fees:
Click your profile avatar in the top-right corner of your Kartra dashboard.
Select Billing.
Open My payment plans.
Locate Transaction fees.
You can review your current month's transaction fee total here.
Refunds, chargebacks, and transaction fee credits
Refunds and chargebacks are deducted when Kartra calculates the transaction fees for your account.
If the calculation results in a negative amount, you won't be charged a transaction fee for that month. Instead, the negative amount is carried forward as a credit toward future transaction fees.
For example, if your refunds and chargebacks exceed your sales and rebills during a month, the resulting credit can reduce transaction fees calculated in a later month.
Transaction fee credits can only be applied to future transaction fees. They cannot reduce the cost of your regular Kartra subscription.
Frequently asked questions
Do Essentials transaction fees apply to every Kartra subscription plan?
Do Essentials transaction fees apply to every Kartra subscription plan?
No. The 5% transaction fee only applies to the Essentials plan. Other subscription plans do not have this transaction fee.
Are transaction fees included in my Essentials subscription price?
Are transaction fees included in my Essentials subscription price?
No. Your regular Essentials subscription payment and transaction fees are billed separately. Paying your monthly or annual subscription fee does not cover transaction fees generated by your product sales.
Do I pay transaction fees if I have an annual Essentials subscription?
Do I pay transaction fees if I have an annual Essentials subscription?
Yes. Transaction fees are billed monthly, even if your Essentials subscription is billed annually.
What happens if my refunds exceed my sales for the month?
What happens if my refunds exceed my sales for the month?
If the transaction fee calculation produces a negative result, you won't be charged transaction fees for that month. The difference is carried forward as a credit that can reduce future transaction fees.
Can I get a transaction fee refunded when I refund a customer?
Can I get a transaction fee refunded when I refund a customer?
Kartra does not issue a direct refund of transaction fees you've already paid. Instead, the applicable adjustment is added as a credit toward future transaction fees.
Can transaction fee credits reduce my Kartra subscription payment?
Can transaction fee credits reduce my Kartra subscription payment?
No. Transaction fee credits can only be applied to future transaction fees. They cannot be used to reduce your regular subscription cost.
Will I still owe transaction fees if I upgrade from Essentials?
Will I still owe transaction fees if I upgrade from Essentials?
Yes. Any outstanding transaction fees remain payable when you upgrade:
Outstanding transaction fees are added to the invoice for your upgrade.
Any prorated adjustment for unused time on your Essentials subscription does not reduce or remove those fees.
No new Essentials transaction fees are charged after the upgrade.
If your account processes a high volume of sales, upgrading to a plan without transaction fees may help reduce your overall costs.