How to Sell Physical Products on Your Website Without Monthly Fees

So you’re ready to sell physical products on your website, but you’re not sure where to start. Maybe you’re a photographer selling photo albums or a coach selling a book—whatever you’re selling, you need an easy way for people to buy from you.

The good news? You don’t need to set up a full ecommerce platform like Shopify to start selling. In fact, there are simpler, more beginner-friendly, and often more affordable ways to add payment options to your existing website.

In this post, I’m walking you through three straightforward ways to sell physical products on your website. We’ll cover the pros, cons, and fees for each option so you can choose what works best for your business.

And here’s the best part: all three of these options can be connected to your Showit website, so you can keep the beautiful, custom site you already have.

Selling digital products instead? If you’re looking to sell ebooks, courses, templates, or other digital downloads, the process is a bit different. Digital products need to be delivered automatically (within seconds of purchase), which requires different tools than what works for physical products. I’ve written a complete guide on how to sell digital products on your website that covers the best platforms for automatic delivery.

Option 1: Stripe Payment Links

Stripe is a payment processor that you can connect to other softwares, but it also lets you create a product and a simple payment link. Think of it as a direct checkout page for each physical product you sell.

How it works:

You create a product in your Stripe dashboard, set the price, and Stripe generates a unique payment link. You can share this link anywhere—on your website, in emails, on social media, or via text. When someone clicks the link, they’re taken to a Stripe-hosted checkout page where they can complete their purchase.

The fees:

As of right now, Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. So if someone buys a $50 product, you’ll pay $1.75 in fees. There are no monthly fees, setup fees, or hidden costs. You only pay when you make a sale.

Pros:

• Free to get started – No monthly subscription or setup fees
• Simple payment links – Easy to create and share
• Pay only when you sell – You’re only charged when a transaction happens
• Widely recognized and trusted – Like PayPal, Stripe is a well-known, trusted payment processor
• Professional checkout experience – Customers stay within a branded, secure Stripe checkout (not redirected elsewhere)
• Lower fees – Compared to other options, Stripe’s fees are competitive

Cons:

• Slightly technical setup – While creating payment links is straightforward, some people find Stripe’s dashboard a bit intimidating at first
• Manual product management – If you have lots of products or variants, managing each one individually can get tedious

Best for:

Business owners who want a clean, professional payment experience without monthly fees. Great if you have a handful of physical products and want something simple that keeps customers on a branded checkout page.

How to set it up:

Since most of my clients choose this option, here’s how to set it up:

1. Create a free Stripe account
2. Click “Product Catalog” then “Create Product” and add your product details
3. To create a URL link to that product that can be shared on your website, click “Payments” then “Payment Links”
4. From there click “Create Payment Link”
5. Select the product you want to create a link for from your list of products, then click “Create link”
6. You’ll see a little clipboard icon next to the product link – clicking that copies the link. That’s the link you’ll share with your designer or add to your site yourself If you’re creating multiple products, you’ll need a link for each one. Be sure to note for your designer which link belongs to which product

How to connect it to your website:

When your designer connects Stripe to your Showit website, you’ll simply provide them with the payment link URL for each product. They’ll link it to a button or image on your site, and when visitors click it, they’ll be taken directly to the secure checkout page.

Option 2: PayPal Payment Links

PayPal is one of the most recognizable payment platforms in the world, and it offers an easy way to create payment links for your physical products.

A quick note: PayPal offers something called “button codes,” which are pre-made pieces of HTML code with PayPal’s branding built in. Don’t use these – they look tacky and unprofessional on your site. Instead, use PayPal’s URL payment links and have your designer connect them to a beautifully branded button on your website. This keeps your site looking cohesive and professional.

How it works:

You log into your PayPal Business account, create a payment link for your product, and PayPal generates a shareable URL. You can add this to your website, share it in emails, or post it on social media.

The fees:

PayPal charges 3.49% + $0.49 for online checkout transactions. So on that same $50 product, you’d pay $2.24 in fees. Like Stripe, there are no monthly fees unless you opt for advanced features.

Pros:

• Widely recognized and trusted – Many customers are already familiar with PayPal and feel comfortable using it
• Easy to set up – PayPal’s interface is straightforward, even if you’re not tech-savvy
• Fast account creation – You can get started quickly

Cons:

• Higher fees – PayPal’s fees are noticeably higher than Stripe, especially for online transactions
• Less professional appearance – PayPal checkout pages are branded with PayPal’s logo and design, which can feel less cohesive with your brand
• Customers leave your site – Unlike Stripe, customers are redirected to PayPal’s site to complete the purchase, which can disrupt the buying experience

Best for:

Business owners who want the fastest, easiest setup and whose customers are already comfortable with PayPal. Good if you’re selling to an audience that might be less tech-savvy or prefers the familiarity of PayPal.

How to connect it to your website:

When working with your designer, you’ll provide them with the PayPal payment link URL. They’ll connect it to a branded button on your Showit site, so when customers click, they’re taken to the PayPal checkout to complete their purchase.

Option 3: A Paid Shop Platform

If you need more robust ecommerce features for your physical products – like inventory management, shipping calculators, product variants, or a full shopping cart experience – you might want to consider a dedicated shop platform.

Popular options include:

• Shopify – Starting at $39/month
• BigCommerce – Starting at $29/month
• WooCommerce – Free plugin, but requires web hosting ($10-50/month)
• Square Online – Free plan available with payment processing fees

The fees:

In addition to the monthly platform fee, you’ll also pay payment processing fees when someone makes a purchase. These typically range from 2.9% + $0.30 to 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction, depending on the platform and payment method.

Pros:

• Full ecommerce features – Inventory tracking, shipping options, discount codes, customer accounts, and more
• Professional shop experience – Customers get a complete shopping cart and checkout flow
• Scalable – Built to handle growth as your product line expands

Cons:

• Monthly fees – You’ll pay a subscription fee whether you make sales or not
• More complex setup – These platforms have steeper learning curves and often require more time to set up properly
• Higher overall costs – Between monthly fees and transaction fees, costs can add up quickly

Best for:

Business owners who are selling multiple products regularly and need features like inventory management, shipping calculators, or a full shopping cart. If selling products is a major part of your business (not just a side offering), a dedicated platform makes sense.

How to connect it to your website:

Most shop platforms allow you to create product links or embed buy buttons that can be added to your Showit site. If you choose this route, you can either keep your main website on Showit and link to your shop, or work with your designer to integrate shop elements directly into your Showit pages.

If this is the option you’re leaning toward, I recommend researching each platform to see which features align with your needs. Each one has detailed setup guides to help you create your products and connect them to your site.

Which Option is Right for You?

Here’s a quick recap to help you decide:

Choose Stripe if: You want a professional, branded checkout experience with lower fees and no monthly costs. This is what most of my clients choose, and it works beautifully for selling physical products like books, albums, or other tangible goods.

Choose PayPal if: You want the fastest setup and your customers already trust PayPal. Good if ease of use is your top priority and you don’t mind slightly higher fees. Just remember to use the payment link (not the button codes) for a more professional look.

Choose a shop platform if: You’re selling many physical products regularly and need features like inventory management, shipping calculators, and a full shopping cart experience.

My recommendation? Start with one of the free options (Stripe or PayPal) to test the waters, then grow into a paid platform as your product line expands and your needs become more complex. There’s no need to pay monthly fees until you’re ready for those advanced features.

No matter which option you choose, the most important thing is getting started. Pick the solution that feels manageable for you right now – you can always upgrade or switch later as your business grows.

Need help setting this up? If you’re working with a designer to create or update your Showit website, they can handle all the technical setup for you. All you need to do is create your products and provide the payment links – your designer will make sure everything connects seamlessly to your site. Ready for a Showit website that showcases your vibe and makes selling simple? Let’s work together.