International card
+0.0%4% + $0.40
$100 → $95.60
Card issued outside your country, payout in your local currency.
Payment Processors
Polar.sh Fee Calculator
Everything about MOR fees — what Polar.sh really costs on every sale.
Merchant of Record Since 2023 Remote
★ 5.0 · 30 reviews
What Is Polar.sh, and Who Is It For?
Polar.sh is a promising newcomer targeting the open-source funding and indie developer space. Its Stripe-like API with merchant-of-record services at 4% (vs Gumroad's 10%) is compelling, but the lack of a WordPress integration means it's not accessible to the WordPress audience without custom development.
Best for
Indie devs and OSS maintainers who want a Stripe-feel MoR.
Used by
Open-source maintainers Developer tooling SaaS indie hackers
Highlights
- Developer-first
- Open-source funding
- GitHub-native subscriptions
Polar.sh at a Glance
- Pricing model
- Merchant of record
- Domestic fee
- 4% + $0.40
- International card fee
- 4% + $0.40
- Currency conversion
- Included
- Monthly cost
- Free — no monthly fee
- Tax handling
- Included (MoR)
- Chargebacks
- Included
Polar.sh Fee Calculator: What Does a Sale Actually Cost?
This Polar.sh fee calculator shows where a sale ends up — drag the slider or type your own amount to see it in real time. Prices are list rates; large merchants can negotiate.
Polar.sh Fee Calculator: Any Sale, Broken Down
Live scenario
US card · USD payoutYou receive
$95.60
$1 Drag or type your amount $1,000+
You keep · 95.6% Polar.sh fee · 4.4%
Fee breakdown
- Card processing 4% × $100
- −$4.00
- Fixed fee per transaction
- −$0.40
- Total fee
- −$4.40
- You receive
- +$95.60
Currency conversion
+0%+0%
$100 → $95.60
Stacked on international when you charge and pay out in different currencies.
Refund · chargeback
Worst case−$18.20
$100 lost + $15 fee
Lost dispute: you forfeit the $100, the $3.20 processing fee, and a $15 dispute fee.
The fine print headline rates don't show
- Sales tax / VAT — included in the MoR rate.
- Chargebacks — covered by the processor.
- Refunds — the processing fee is not returned to the merchant.
- Marketplaces — Stripe Connect adds 0.25% + $2 per active connected account, monthly.
What we like
- Modern developer-first API with Stripe-like feel
- GitHub-native integration for funding OSS projects
- Merchant of record with 4% flat rate (lower than Gumroad)
- Chargeback and tax handling included
- Built-in subscription management
- Open-source friendly with transparent pricing
Where it falls short
- Very new (2023) — less operational track record
- No WordPress plugin or native WooCommerce/EDD integration
- Limited feature set compared to established players
- No mention of EDD compatibility
- Smaller ecosystem and community
How Does Polar.sh Work with WordPress?
No official WordPress plugin
Polar.sh does not have an official WordPress, WooCommerce, or EDD plugin. Integration requires custom development.
How Does Polar.sh Compare?
Side-by-side breakdowns of Polar.sh against every alternative most WordPress merchants weigh.
