Kajabi’s 2026 Price Jump Just Went Official: Your Q4 2025 Fee‑Arbitrage Playbook (and When Teachable or Gumroad Beats It)

What changed (and why it matters this week)

• Kajabi price increase is scheduled for January 13, 2026. Existing customers keep features/limits, but pricing moves to the new rate; new plans include discounted card rates on Kajabi Payments and add a third‑party payment provider fee if you process via Stripe in regions where Kajabi Payments is available. ^[1]
• Kajabi Payments fee details to watch: plan‑based card rate discounts, 1% embedded FX fee when currencies differ, $0.15 per‑transaction fee if you enable Kajabi Sales Tax. These are small line items that add up at scale. ^[2]
• Teachable’s 2025 plans cut base transaction fees to 0% on Builder/Growth/Advanced (Starter is 7.5%). For many “mid‑GMV” creators, this flips the break‑even math versus marketplace‑style platforms. ^[3]
• Gumroad’s fee structure remains a flat 10% + $0.50 per transaction, with standard card processing (e.g., 2.9% + $0.30) or PayPal on top; marketplace discovery sales are 30%. Great for “no‑platform‑fee” simplicity, but watch effective take rates. ^[4]
• Context: payment rails are trending costlier. Example: Braintree network/authorization fee changes rolled out Nov 3, 2025 in Canada and other network fee tweaks globally—another reason to model processor line items, not just platform cuts. ^[5]

The fee math creators actually feel

Assumptions for quick comparisons

• US buyer, credit card rails, typical 2.9% + $0.30 processing where applicable; your rates may vary.
• Digital product priced at $29 and $99 to show low vs. mid AOV.
• We compare platform fees + obvious per‑transaction costs; taxes, refunds, chargebacks, and FX can change outcomes.

Effective take‑rate examples

• Gumroad on $29: 10% ($2.90) + $0.50 + ~2.9% ($0.84) + $0.30 ≈ $4.54 per sale ≈ 15.7% effective. At $99, ≈ 13.7%. ^[9]
• Teachable Builder (0% base): you pay processing only; subscription cost becomes your “break‑even hurdle.” ^[10]

Who should do what before January 13, 2026

A 7‑day migration and margin‑lift plan

Day 1–2: Inventory and fees

• Pull last 90 days of sales by SKU, AOV, refunds, and processor. Note current effective take rate by stack.
• Snapshot Kajabi’s upcoming pricing and whether you’re in a region where the Stripe third‑party fee would apply on new plans. ^[16]

Day 3: Model scenarios

• Run your SKUs through three scenarios:
  1. Kajabi with Kajabi Payments discounts (add $0.15 tax fee if you use it; add 1% FX if applicable). ^[17]
  2. Teachable Builder (0% base) + standard processing. ^[18]
  3. Gumroad (10% + $0.50 + processor). ^[19]

Day 4–5: Pilot the winner where it’s obvious

• Move 1–2 lower‑AOV SKUs to Teachable Builder or Gumroad; leave flagship offers on Kajabi.
• Set up consistent UTM and post‑purchase surveys to attribute conversion and refunds cleanly.

Day 6: Improve checkout conversion

• Enable wallets (Apple Pay/Google Pay) and BNPL where available (Kajabi Payments supports these—often a conversion lift). ^[20]
• Trim add‑on fees (e.g., cross‑border FX where avoidable) via price localization and matching payout currency.

Day 7: Decide and calendar January

• Pick the stack per SKU for December. Put a date on the calendar (Jan 2–10) to finalize the move before Kajabi’s Jan 13, 2026 pricing takes effect. ^[21]

Real‑world examples

• $29 template pack, 120 units/mo ($3,480 GMV):
  • Gumroad ≈ 15.7% ≈ $546 in fees (ex‑tax/FX) → net ≈ $2,934. ^[22]
  • Teachable Builder: $89 subscription + processing (~2.9% + $0.30) ≈ $89 + ~$139 ≈ $228 → net ≈ $3,252. ^[23]
  • Conclusion: Builder wins on base fees at this volume; Gumroad wins when volume is much lower or sporadic.
• $297 cohort course, 25 sales/mo ($7,425 GMV):
  • Kajabi with discounted KP card rate likely out‑nets alternatives because the subscription replaces per‑sale platform fees and wallets/BNPL can lift conversion (run your exact KP rate). ^[24]

Strategy beats loyalty. Centralize where subscription economics win (high AOV/recurring), and spin out low‑AOV SKUs to a 0% base‑fee or no‑subscription stack until they prove themselves.

Watch‑outs and fine print

• Stripe vs. Kajabi Payments on Kajabi: New plans add a fee if you stick with Stripe in KP‑supported regions; test KP now to see if the discounted rates offset. ^[25]
• Sales tax and compliance: Kajabi Sales Tax costs $0.15/txn; Gumroad is Merchant of Record and handles global sales tax—different operational trade‑offs. ^[26]
• Network fee drift: Card networks (via Braintree et al.) continue tweaking authorization/network fees (e.g., Nov 3 in CA); leave 20–40 bps cushion in your forecasts. ^[27]

Key sources

• Kajabi Evolved Pricing Hub (effective date, KP discounts, Stripe third‑party fee on new plans). ^[31]
• Kajabi Payments Fees (US): card rate discounts by plan, 1% FX, $0.15 sales tax fee. ^[32]
• Teachable plans (Starter/Builder/Growth/Advanced) and transaction fees. ^[33]
• Gumroad pricing and fee breakdowns. ^[34]
• Braintree/PayPal developer network fee updates (Nov 2025). ^[35]

Bottom line

Platform pricing is shifting—again. The creators who win don’t just “pick a platform”; they run the math per SKU. Use Q4 2025 to benchmark your stack, try Kajabi Payments if you’re staying, and selectively route low‑ticket SKUs to a 0% base‑fee or no‑subscription stack. Do the boring fee work now, and you’ll feel it in January.