Polar.sh Fees in 2026: Starter vs Pro vs What You Actually Keep

Polar’s published pricing used to be one number: 5% + 50¢. In 2026 it is a ladder — Starter, Pro, Growth, Scale — plus a grandfathered Early Member rate and a 1.5% international-card add-on that applies on every plan. This is the independent walkthrough of what you actually keep, using Polar’s own fee docs.^[1]

Starter vs Pro vs Growth vs Scale

Starter is the default for new organizations (created on or after May 27, 2026): no monthly fee, 5% + 50¢, standard support. Paid plans swap that Merchant-of-Record premium for a fixed monthly fee and a lower variable rate. Polar publishes the crossover points above — stay on the cheaper tier until you cross them.^[1]

Paid plans also unlock preview features Polar does not ship on Starter: shared Slack-channel benefits, reset proration, and off-session charges. Those are product reasons to upgrade, not fee reasons.

Early Member: keep it if you still have it

Organizations created before May 27, 2026 stay on 4% + 40¢ indefinitely, with a +0.5% subscription surcharge that Starter/Pro/Growth/Scale no longer charge. The trap: the moment you upgrade to a paid plan, Early Member is retired for that organization. You can move between Pro, Growth, and Scale after that, but dropping back to Starter is 5% + 50¢ — not 4% + 40¢.

If you are still under the Pro breakeven and you have Early Member, do not “upgrade to save.” You already have the better rate.

The add-ons Polar does not put in the headline

• +1.5% international cards (non-US) on every plan, including Early Member.
• +0.5% subscriptions — Early Member only. New plans have no separate subscription fee.
• $15 per dispute, win or lose. Polar can also refund a customer within 60 days to cut chargebacks; the original processing fee is not returned on refunds.
• Payouts pass through Stripe’s fees (Polar adds no markup): $2 per active payout month, 0.25% + $0.25 per payout, plus 0.25%–1% cross-border conversion.

Worked example: a $30 sale from Sweden

Polar’s own docs use a $30 product, 25% Swedish VAT, paid with an international card. The charge is $37.50. Fees on that one transaction:^[1]

The international add-on is the same dollar amount on every plan. The plan you pick only changes the base cut.

Polar vs Lemon Squeezy, Paddle, and Stripe

On sticker rates, Polar Starter and Paddle look identical (5% + 50¢). Paddle’s rate is all-in; Polar then adds 1.5% for international cards. Polar Pro undercuts both once you clear ~$1.4k/month.

Lemon Squeezy also starts at 5% + 50¢, then stacks PayPal, subscription, affiliate, and a 5% recovered-cart fee. Stripe is cheaper on the card (2.9% + 30¢ domestic) if you are willing to be the merchant and file the tax yourself.

If you already sell on Polar

Pick the plan off Polar’s breakeven table, not vibes. Then close the recovery gap Polar leaves open. Snagr connects to a Polar organization in one OAuth click and emails abandoned checkouts, failed renewals, and cancellations — free until it recovers your first payment, then $19/month flat, no revenue share, with a 5% holdback so the lift is real.

FAQ

How much does Polar.sh charge in 2026?

Starter is free and takes 5% + 50¢ per transaction. Pro is $20/month at 3.8% + 40¢. Growth is $100/month at 3.6% + 35¢. Scale is $400/month at 3.4% + 30¢. International cards add 1.5% on every plan.

When does Polar Pro pay for itself?

Polar’s own breakeven vs Starter is about $1,379/month in sales. Below that, stay on Starter. Above it, Pro’s lower rate covers the $20 and you get prioritized support.

What is Polar Early Member pricing?

Organizations created before May 27, 2026 keep 4% + 40¢ (+0.5% on subscriptions) with no monthly fee. Upgrade to a paid plan and Early Member is gone for that org — downgrading later lands you on Starter (5% + 50¢), not the old rate.

Does Polar take a cut of recovered abandoned carts?

No. Polar does not send abandoned-checkout emails, so it has no recovered-cart surcharge. Lemon Squeezy does: +5% of each cart it recovers.