Shopify D2C Net Profit & CAC Economics Guide (2026)
Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) brands on Shopify avoid marketplace commissions, but face Payment Gateway fees (Razorpay, Cashfree), Meta/Google ad Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), and COD RTO losses.
Shopify Unit Economics Expenses
- Payment Gateway Fee: 2% + GST per prepaid transaction.
- Shipping & Logistics: Forward shipping via Shiprocket/Delhivery + COD handling charges.
- Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): Meta / Google advertising cost spent per acquired order.
- COD RTO Rate: 20-30% RTO rate on COD orders requiring reverse shipping allocation.