Quick Overview: There's No Need to Agonize Over Plan Choice — It Comes Down to Monthly Sales
BASE offers two pricing plans — "Standard" and "Growth" — and plenty of sellers aren't sure which one to pick. The short answer: from a store-building perspective, there's essentially no difference in functionality, and the decision comes down to something quite simple. This guide compares the two plans on fees and monthly cost, walks through how to decide based on your monthly sales, covers the discount for paying annually, and looks at when to reconsider your plan after launch — all based on BASE's official information.
The Difference Between Standard and Growth
According to BASE's official pricing page, here's how the two plans compare:
| Item | Standard Plan | Growth Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Setup fee | ¥0 | ¥0 |
| Monthly fee | ¥0 | ¥198,960 (tax incl.) for a 12-month lump sum — ¥16,580/month — or ¥19,980/month billed monthly |
| Processing fee | 3.6% + ¥40 | 2.9% |
| Service usage fee | 3% | 0% |
The structure is straightforward: Standard has no monthly fee but a higher fee rate, while Growth charges a monthly fee in exchange for a lower fee rate. Note that on both plans, payments via PayPay, Amazon Pay, or PayPal carry an additional 1% system fee on top of the processing fee.
Functionality Is Essentially the Same Across Both Plans for Store Building
A common misconception when choosing a plan is thinking "surely some features are Growth-only." But we couldn't find official information pointing to any major functional restriction by plan for the core elements of building a store — shop design, BASE Apps, product registration counts, and so on. In other words, choosing a plan isn't about "which plan has better features" — it's purely a cost decision about which fee structure fits your sales volume. If you're building your store for the first time, there's no need to worry about functionality; starting on the Standard plan is fine.
How to Decide Based on Monthly Sales
So at what monthly sales level should you switch to Growth? BASE's own guidance states that once monthly sales exceed roughly ¥500,000, Growth works out cheaper in fees than Standard. For shops with monthly sales of ¥3,000,000 or more, BASE says you can run at some of the lowest effective rates in the industry.
The logic: compare Standard's fees (6.6% of sales + ¥40 per order) against Growth's fees (2.9% of sales) plus its monthly cost (¥16,580-¥19,980). The total cost on Growth starts coming out lower somewhere around the ¥400,000-¥500,000 monthly sales mark, which lines up with BASE's own "¥500,000" benchmark. The actual break-even point shifts with your average order value and order count, so it's worth running the numbers for your own shop.
The Discount for Paying Annually
Growth offers two payment options. Billed monthly, it's ¥19,980/month; paid as a 12-month lump sum, it's ¥198,960 (tax included) — working out to ¥16,580/month. That's a difference of ¥3,400 per month, or roughly ¥40,000 over a year. If you've decided to switch to Growth and expect a reasonably steady monthly sales volume going forward, paying annually is the cheaper option.
When to Reconsider Your Plan
BASE lets you change plans after you've already opened your shop. A practical approach is to start on Standard during the build phase, then watch your actual monthly sales data once orders start coming in, and consider switching to Growth from there. You might time the switch for the month your sales consistently clear ¥500,000, or ahead of a busy season if your product has strong seasonality. The reverse applies too — if sales settle down after you've switched to Growth, the monthly fee can start to feel like a burden, so it's worth periodically checking whether your current plan's fee structure still fits your monthly sales.
FAQ
Q. Which plan should a newly built shop choose?
A. Since there's essentially no functional difference during the build phase, it's common to start on the Standard plan, which has no setup fee or monthly fee. A sensible order is to consider switching to Growth once sales pick up.
Q. Does switching to Growth remove limits on design or product count?
A. We couldn't find official information pointing to any major functional restriction by plan for the core elements of building a store. The difference between plans is mainly about fee structure — there's no need to assume a big functional gap when choosing.
Q. Should I pay annually or monthly?
A. Paying annually (¥198,960 for 12 months, ¥16,580/month) is ¥3,400/month cheaper than paying monthly (¥19,980/month). If you've committed to Growth and expect reasonably steady sales ahead, paying annually is the lower-cost option.
Summary and Key Takeaway
Choosing a BASE plan isn't a comparison of which one has better features — it's a straightforward cost question about which fee structure works better for your monthly sales volume. Start without hesitation on Standard during the build phase, and once your monthly sales approach BASE's official ¥500,000 benchmark, run the numbers using your own order count and average order value, and consider switching to Growth from there. Keeping this simple decision rule in mind means you don't burn time agonizing over plan choice, and can focus on actually building your store.
That said, repeatedly recalculating the break-even point as sales evolve tends to get pushed aside amid day-to-day operations. Leap offers an AI E-Commerce Agent that supports building and running an e-commerce site entirely through conversation with AI. If you want consistent support from build-out through ongoing operations, take a look at what Leap offers.
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