Merchant of Record included. Keep more as you grow.
Sell WordPress plugins, themes, scripts and services without separately building the marketplace, checkout, payment, VAT, invoicing and licensing infrastructure around them. Start by keeping 70% of standard sales and unlock up to 88% as your lifetime WPBay sales grow.
- Free seller account
- Keep 70%–88%
- Merchant of Record included
- Gateway fees covered
- No standard payout fee
- VAT and transaction tax handling
- Licensing and automatic updates
- No exclusivity requirement
The more you sell on WPBay, the more of each standard sale you keep
Your rate is based on cumulative WPBay sales. You do not have to become an exclusive seller to unlock the higher tiers.
A $100 organic sale is easy to understand
Your product’s base price is $100. Applicable buyer taxes are handled separately through checkout and do not reduce the seller-share calculation described here.
At the starter rate, WPBay’s standard commission is $30 and your seller earnings are $70.
After reaching the top published tier, the same $100 standard organic sale produces $88 in seller earnings.
What is included in the WPBay marketplace commission?
WPBay is not simply a Stripe wrapper. The commission supports the marketplace and the commercial infrastructure surrounding a sale.
Merchant of Record
WPBay is the contractual seller to the customer for standard marketplace transactions.
Payment processing
WPBay operates checkout and processes customer payments rather than requiring each seller to run their own gateway stack.
Gateway fees
Standard customer payment-gateway processing costs are covered by WPBay rather than deducted separately from ordinary seller earnings.
Buyer-facing taxes
Applicable VAT and customer transaction-tax handling are managed by WPBay under the Merchant of Record structure where required.
Customer invoicing
Customers receive their marketplace invoice or purchase documentation from WPBay.
Subscription billing
Sell monthly or yearly recurring products without separately building the recurring checkout and billing layer.
Licensing infrastructure
Use WPBay purchase codes, licence activation limits, product plans and API/SDK validation.
Automatic updates
Plugins and themes using the WPBay SDK can deliver new versions through the standard WordPress update interface.
Refund administration
WPBay administers refunds and payment disputes for marketplace transactions under its policies.
The customer buys from WPBay. You build and maintain the product.
CODE IKIGAI SRL, operating WPBay, acts as Merchant of Record for standard marketplace purchases.
That creates a clean split between the commercial transaction and the software itself.
WPBay handles the customer-facing transaction. You remain the creator and owner of your product and continue to control its development, pricing, updates and product-specific support.
Merchant of Record detailsKnow when the standard rate applies — and when another deduction can exist
Most standard organic sales use the tiered commission above. Affiliate-generated orders are different because an affiliate is also being paid for generating the sale.
Standard organic sale
No additional affiliate deduction applies when the order is generated organically, through your own referral, or through WPBay’s own marketing efforts.
- Your applicable 12%–30% WPBay commission
- Standard gateway processing covered
- Standard payout fee covered
- Marketplace infrastructure included
- Merchant of Record layer included
- Applicable buyer tax handled separately
Affiliate-generated sale
When an outside affiliate generates the order, affiliate compensation is an additional acquisition cost for that specific transaction.
- 25% affiliate commission for a standard first-tier referral
- Up to 30% where the two-tier affiliate structure applies
- Applied only to the affiliate-generated order
- Affiliate amount is credited to the referring affiliate(s)
- No affiliate deduction on ordinary organic sales
Affiliate commissions are paid when affiliates generate the customer
WPBay’s affiliate program currently pays a 25% first-tier commission and uses a 30-day referral cookie.
That means affiliate-generated sales carry a larger acquisition cost than organic sales — because another party brought the customer.
If your product sells organically, through your own referral, or through WPBay’s marketplace marketing, this additional affiliate deduction does not apply.
Affiliate program detailsFirst-tier affiliate commission
Paid when an affiliate is responsible for generating the sale.
Withdraw earnings from $50
WPBay currently uses seller-requested withdrawals instead of forcing a fixed automatic payout schedule.
When your eligible balance reaches $50, you can request a withdrawal through your seller dashboard using one of the supported payout methods.
WPBay currently states that it does not enforce a standard clearing period, although refunds, disputes, fraud flags or account reviews can still affect whether funds are eligible for withdrawal.
Choose how customers pay for your software
The commission model does not force every seller into the same pricing structure.
One-time purchases
Sell a traditional one-time software licence when that model fits your product and support strategy.
Monthly subscriptions
Offer a lower initial commitment while generating recurring revenue tied to continued access or maintenance.
Annual subscriptions
Build recurring revenue with fewer billing events and stronger upfront cash flow.
Multiple licence tiers
Create plan structures for different site allowances, customer types or feature levels.
Free trials
Eligible subscription products can reduce purchase friction by letting customers evaluate the product before the first paid period.
Freemium
Publish a Lite version through WordPress.org and sell the premium version through WPBay, subject to WordPress.org rules.
Everything around the transaction that you would otherwise have to assemble yourself
Stripe & PayPal checkout
WPBay supports PayPal and major credit/debit cards through Stripe for customer purchases.
Payment authentication
The payment infrastructure supports relevant Strong Customer Authentication and 3D Secure flows rather than requiring sellers to build them independently.
Software licensing
Validate purchases, manage site activations, detect product plans and support paid or trial users through the WPBay SDK.
Automatic WordPress updates
Valid licences can receive plugin and theme updates through the standard WordPress update workflow.
REST API
Use WPBay’s API when your licensing architecture or integration needs something beyond the standard WordPress SDK.
Recurring subscriptions
Sell monthly and annual plans with billing handled through the marketplace.
Free trials
Use trial periods for suitable subscription offers and show the customer what they will pay when the trial ends.
Coupons & promotions
Run genuine discounts, introductory offers and coupon-based promotions using WPBay’s supported tools.
Customer reviews
Eligible buyers can leave ratings and written feedback, while sellers can publicly respond to reviews.
Affiliate network
WPBay operates the affiliate tracking and payout infrastructure rather than requiring each seller to create a separate affiliate platform.
Marketplace discovery
Your product can be discovered alongside other WordPress software instead of depending entirely on traffic you generate yourself.
Promotional opportunities
WPBay can surface selected products through marketplace placement, promotional campaigns and newsletters.
WPBay is designed to be more than a billing API
If all you need is card processing, a direct payment gateway may be cheaper. WPBay is built for developers who also want the surrounding commercial infrastructure and marketplace.
Marketplace distribution
WPBay gives your product a second discovery channel rather than simply processing traffic you already acquired elsewhere.
Merchant of Record
WPBay becomes the commercial seller for standard marketplace transactions and handles the buyer-facing payment and tax layer.
WordPress-specific licensing
The SDK and API are designed around product licences, site activations, plans and WordPress updates.
Product review
New marketplace products go through pre-publication review before becoming available to buyers.
Buyer account infrastructure
Orders, downloads and other marketplace purchase information remain available through the customer’s WPBay account.
Non-exclusive by default
WPBay can be another revenue channel rather than forcing you to rebuild your entire business around one provider.
A marketplace for products that need more than a checkout button
WordPress plugins
Commercial plugins, WooCommerce extensions, automation products, developer tools and other WordPress functionality.
WordPress themes
Commercial themes that require distribution, updates, licences, customer accounts and support.
Scripts & developer products
Approved standalone or WordPress-related scripts and digital developer products supported by the marketplace.
WordPress services
Supported service categories can be sold as clearly defined marketplace packages.
Freemium businesses
Use WordPress.org as your free distribution channel and WPBay as the commercial home for the premium version.
Established sellers
Add WPBay alongside an existing store or marketplace instead of making an immediate all-or-nothing migration.
WPBay pricing questions
How much does WPBay charge sellers?
WPBay uses a tiered marketplace commission. New sellers start with a 30% commission, meaning the seller keeps 70% of standard sales. The published commission falls to 25% after $500 in lifetime WPBay sales, 20% after $2,000, 15% after $10,000 and 12% after $50,000.
Do I have to pay to create a WPBay seller account?
No. WPBay currently describes seller registration as free to join. Seller earnings are generated when your approved products sell.
Does WPBay charge payment gateway fees on top of the marketplace commission?
WPBay’s current seller documentation states that standard payment-gateway processing fees are covered by WPBay for customer purchases made through the platform. They are not listed as an additional ordinary deduction from the seller’s standard earnings.
Are taxes deducted from my advertised base price?
WPBay’s current seller documentation states that applicable customer taxes are handled through checkout and added where required. The seller commission is calculated from the product sale amount before those customer taxes rather than treating collected VAT as seller revenue.
Are affiliate commissions included in the normal WPBay commission?
No. When an outside affiliate generates a sale, the affiliate commission is an additional deduction for that specific order. WPBay currently documents a 25% first-tier affiliate commission and up to 30% total affiliate allocation where its two-tier structure applies. Organic sales, your own referrals and sales attributed to WPBay’s own marketing do not receive that additional affiliate deduction.
Do I have to sell exclusively through WPBay?
No. WPBay is non-exclusive by default. You may sell through your own website or other marketplaces, subject to their terms and WPBay’s pricing policies.
Can I sell subscriptions?
Yes. WPBay supports one-time purchases and recurring monthly or yearly subscriptions. Sellers can also create multiple licence and product-plan options.
Can I offer a free trial?
Yes, where supported for the relevant subscription configuration. Trial terms should clearly show the trial duration, whether payment information is required, the post-trial price, renewal terms and cancellation information.
Does WPBay include software licensing?
Yes. WordPress plugins and themes can use the WPBay SDK for licence activation and validation, site limits, plan detection, trial/paid-user checks and automatic WordPress updates. A REST API is also available for custom integrations.
Does WPBay handle VAT and sales tax?
For standard WPBay marketplace purchases, WPBay acts as Merchant of Record and handles applicable buyer-facing VAT or transaction-tax obligations where required. Sellers remain responsible for their own accounting, income or corporate taxes and other obligations connected to the earnings they receive.
How do payouts work?
WPBay currently uses seller-requested withdrawals with a minimum eligible balance of $50. Supported payout methods listed in current seller documentation include PayPal, Skrill, Payoneer and Wise. WPBay currently states that it covers the standard seller payout fee.
Is there a clearing period?
WPBay’s current seller documentation states that it does not enforce a standard clearing period. Funds still need to be eligible for withdrawal, so refunds, disputes, fraud reviews or account flags can affect availability.
Who handles refunds and chargebacks?
WPBay administers marketplace refunds, payment disputes, chargebacks and fraud review under its platform policies. Because seller earnings are based on valid completed transactions, a refund, reversal or chargeback can reduce or reverse the related seller earnings.
Can I keep my existing store and just add WPBay?
Yes. That is one advantage of WPBay’s non-exclusive model. You can use WPBay as an additional marketplace and commercial infrastructure layer while continuing to operate other permitted sales channels.
You build the product. WPBay handles the commercial infrastructure around the sale.
Start free, sell without exclusivity, choose one-time or recurring pricing, and unlock a larger seller share as your WPBay business grows.