All guides

A clear breakdown of ecommerce platform pricing in 2026, from subscriptions and payment fees to apps and developer time, with a method to compare total cost.

Compare hosted ecommerce platforms, open-source software and marketplaces on cost, control, effort and risk, with decision criteria for small U.S. sellers.

Practical ways to lower ecommerce platform costs, from trials and annual billing to trimming apps, negotiating processing and timing upgrades around your sales volume.

Understand how ecommerce payment processing fees work, including flat-rate and interchange-plus pricing, gateway surcharges, chargeback fees and how to compute your effective rate.

Learn which factors push ecommerce platform costs up or down, including sales volume, product type, payment mix, apps, staff and customization, with examples.

A decision framework for choosing an ecommerce platform by product type, budget, skills, payments, integrations and growth plans, with questions to ask before you commit.

Which documents and information payment providers, banks and platforms usually ask for when you open an online store, from EIN and bank details to policies and licenses.

A practical step-by-step roadmap for launching an online store in the United States, from business setup and platform choice to payments, taxes, policies and testing.

A step-by-step guide to switching ecommerce platforms without losing data, search rankings or sales, including costs, redirects, testing, timing and a payback check.

A realistic week-by-week timeline for launching an ecommerce store, including payment approval, product setup, sales tax registration, testing and the first month after launch.

How U.S. sales tax works for online stores, including economic nexus after Wayfair, marketplace facilitator laws, registration steps, exemptions and how platforms help.

How chargebacks, rolling reserves and payout holds work for new ecommerce stores, why they happen, how to respond to disputes and how to keep dispute rates low.

Straight answers to common questions about ecommerce platforms in the U.S., including costs, free plans, LLCs, sales tax, payments, SEO, support, and when to upgrade or switch.

The most common and costly mistakes new online sellers make when choosing and running an ecommerce platform, from ignoring total cost to skipping sales tax and backups.

Learn the warning signs of scams aimed at new store owners, including fake platform support, guaranteed traffic offers, overpayment fraud, phishing and shady contracts, and how to respond.

Weigh the pros and cons of running your own ecommerce store versus selling only on marketplaces, with break-even math, hidden costs and signs that it is time to build your own site.