Is Selling Online Courses On Payhip Profitable
Last updated: April 2026 ·affiliate disclosure
Most online course sellers on Payhip see net profit margins between 75% and 85% after platform fees—which is genuinely competitive compared to alternatives like Teachable or Udemy. Whether you're actually profitable depends on your course price and marketing spend, not the platform itself. A $97 course with a 5% conversion rate on your own traffic will be profitable. A $27 course where you're buying ads at $0.50 per click won't be.
Payhip Fees for online courses Sellers
Payhip charges 5% + $0.50 per transaction for digital products, including online courses. If you sell a $100 course, you pay $5.50, leaving you with $94.50. There's no monthly subscription fee, which is rare—most competitors charge $29 to $299 monthly on top of transaction fees. Payment processing adds another 2.2% + $0.30 (Stripe standard), so your all-in cost per $100 sale is roughly $7.70, or 7.7%.
Profit Margin Benchmarks
Good margins: $97+ courses with pricing power and organic traffic get you 85%+ net margins after all fees. You're pocketing $80+ per sale. Average margins: $47 to $97 courses with some paid ads see 75% to 80% net margins. You're hitting $35 to $75 per sale. Poor margins: $27 or lower courses, or any price point with heavy advertising spend, drop you to 50% to 70% net margins. You're fighting hard for each $15 to $18 in actual profit.
Calculate your actual numbers
The margins above are averages. Your real profit depends on your specific price, costs, and volume.
Run Your Payhip Profit Calculation →Verdict: Is It Worth It?
Payhip is profitable for online courses if you have an audience or low-cost marketing channel already. The 5% + $0.50 fee structure is legitimate—better than Udemy's 50% cut or Teachable's monthly overhead. But Payhip won't drive traffic for you. You need your own email list, organic reach, or paid ads with positive ROI. Don't expect Payhip alone to make you money; expect it to not take most of what you earn.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the exact Payhip online course fees?
Payhip charges 5% + $0.50 per course sale, plus 2.2% + $0.30 for payment processing. On a $100 course, you pay $7.70 total, or 7.7%. There are no monthly subscription fees or setup costs, which makes Payhip cheaper than most course platforms that charge $29 to $299 monthly.
What profit margins should I expect selling courses on Payhip?
Net margins typically range from 75% to 85% after all fees on higher-priced courses ($97+). A $100 course nets you roughly $92 after Payhip and payment processing fees. Lower-priced courses ($27 to $47) are less profitable per unit because the fixed $0.50 fee eats a larger percentage of revenue.
Is Payhip cheaper than other course platforms for fees?
Yes. Payhip's 5% + $0.50 transaction fee (7.7% all-in) beats Teachable ($29 to $299/month + 5%), Thinkific ($36 to $499/month), and Udemy (50% commission). You only pay when you make sales, and there's no monthly cost if you're selling even one course per month.
Do I need to pay Payhip fees upfront or only on sales?
Only on sales. Payhip charges nothing upfront—no setup fee, no monthly subscription, no annual cost. You pay 5% + $0.50 only when someone buys your course. This makes it low-risk if you're testing a course idea or just starting out.
Tools that improve these margins
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We monitor platform fees quarterly and email you when something affects your margins.