Short answer: an online store builder that shows no monthly cost is rarely the whole bill. When you sell from Instagram or WhatsApp, the money also goes to the payment gateway fee, GST on that fee, your own domain, the courier and, if you use them, WhatsApp business messages. Add these up for your own orders before you pick a tool.
What “no cost” usually means on store builders
We read the pricing pages of several Indian store builders on 27 Oct 2026. The pages differ, but the no cost options on them shared some common limits:
- Your shop sits on the builder’s subdomain, not your own web address.
- The builder’s name or badge shows on your shop until you upgrade.
- There is a cap on products or on orders per month, with a per order charge or a paid upgrade after it.
- Online payments, or your own domain, come only with a paid upgrade on some builders, and some offer only cash on delivery at the entry level.
None of this is wrong. It is how these tools pay for themselves. It only means the right question is not “what does the builder cost?” but “what does one month of selling cost me?”. Our guide to ecommerce website cost in India covers the bigger picture.
Payment gateway fee, and GST on that fee
If customers pay by UPI or card on your site, a payment gateway processes the money and takes a fee. Builders that use your own gateway usually leave this fee outside their own price.
One example from an official page: Razorpay’s pricing page, read on 27 Oct 2026, showed a standard rate of 2% per successful domestic transaction, with GST added on the fee. GST at 18% is added on that fee, so the effective cost works out to about 2.36% of each payment. Razorpay says UPI MDR itself is zero, but the 2% is a platform or technology fee.
NPCI says the fee on UPI payments above Rs 2,000 starts after Diwali, on a date NPCI notifies. Small merchants who take UPI QR payments of up to Rs 1 lakh a month to their own account are exempt. Read UPI MDR charges after Diwali 2026 for the latest. To compare gateway quotes line by line, see our guide to payment gateway charges in India.
Domain, courier and WhatsApp message costs
Your own domain
A shop on a subdomain works, but your own web address looks more trustworthy on an Instagram bio. Two builder pages we read on 27 Oct 2026 estimated a domain at roughly Rs 500 to Rs 1,500 a year in one case and Rs 700 to Rs 1,200 a year in the other. Check the renewal price, not only the first year price.
Courier
No store builder delivers your parcel. Courier charges depend on weight, distance and the courier you pick, and cash on delivery orders can add a COD charge and returns. Ask your courier for its COD charge and return terms before you offer COD.
WhatsApp business messages
Replying to a customer from the WhatsApp Business app on your phone costs nothing extra. Automated order updates sent through the WhatsApp Business Platform use message templates, and Meta charges for them. One builder page we read on 27 Oct 2026 said these template charges are billed separately from its own price.
A worked month for a small saree seller
This is an example with made-up round numbers, not a real shop. Say a seller in West Bengal takes 30 prepaid orders in a month at Rs 800 each, through a store builder with no monthly fee that uses her own Razorpay account at the standard rate read on 27 Oct 2026.
- Sales: 30 x Rs 800 = Rs 24,000
- Gateway fee at 2%: Rs 480
- GST at 18% on that fee: Rs 86.40
- Gateway total: Rs 566.40 for the month
- Domain: one twelfth of the yearly price, if she buys one
- Courier: 30 parcels at her courier’s rate
- WhatsApp templates: only if she sends automated updates
The builder showed nothing per month, but selling still cost her a few hundred rupees in fees before courier. That is normal. The point is to know the number before you sign up.
Store builder or an order link on WhatsApp?
A full store builder makes sense when you have a catalogue that customers want to browse, you want online payments and you want to grow beyond a few orders a day. If you sell a handful of pieces a week and customers already message you, an order link or a simple catalogue on WhatsApp may be enough for now. Our guide on how to sell on Instagram without a website covers that route.
Questions to ask before you sign up
- Is there a cap on products or orders, and what happens after it?
- Does my shop stay on your subdomain, and what does my own domain cost?
- Does your name or badge show on my shop?
- Are UPI and card payments included, or do I bring my own gateway?
- Who charges the payment fee, what is the rate, and is GST added on top?
- Is there a commission or per order charge, and on which orders?
- Are WhatsApp message charges included or billed separately?
- How do I export my products and orders if I leave?
For how commission and monthly fee models compare, read commission vs monthly fee.
FAQ
Is a “free” ecommerce website really without cost in India?
The builder itself may cost nothing to start, but selling still has costs: the payment gateway fee and GST on it, a domain if you want your own address, courier charges and, on some tools, a cap on products or orders. Add these up for your own order count.
Do I pay GST on payment gateway fees?
Yes, GST is added on the gateway’s fee. Razorpay’s pricing page, read on 27 Oct 2026, lists its 2% rate plus GST. Whether you can claim it back depends on your GST registration, so ask your CA.
Do I need my own domain to sell online?
No. A subdomain works to start. Your own domain is a small yearly cost that can make your shop link look more trustworthy.
Is a WhatsApp order link enough to start?
For a few orders a week, often yes. Move to a store when browsing, online payment and order tracking start taking too much of your time.
One more option
Indi Andaz is another way to set up an online store: No monthly fee, 5% only on delivered online orders, payment processing included. GST applies on the fee.
New here? Start with our Start here page.
Sources (accessed 27 Oct 2026): Razorpay pricing page, razorpay.com/pricing; pricing pages of Indian store builders flomerce.com, sitesplaced.com, limpo.in, os.d2c.in, onshop.in and storzu.com.
About the author: Pritam Nandi is the founder of Prilix Labs, the company behind Indi Andaz. He builds Indi Andaz from Ashoknagar Kalyangarh, West Bengal, to help local Indian shops sell online and bill at the counter from one place.
Indi Andaz by Prilix Labs: an online store with UPI, card and COD checkout, plus GST billing at the counter.
Prilix Labs, Ashoknagar Kalyangarh, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal 743222
Email: indiandazsocial@gmail.com
Phone: 8653001257
© 2026 Prilix Labs
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