---
title: "How to Sell an Ebook on Your Own Website"
description: "How to sell a PDF or EPUB from your own site: Stripe Payment Links, Payhip, Lemon Squeezy and Gumroad compared on fees and tax, with notes on delivery."
url: "https://www.superebook.ai/guides/sell-ebooks-on-your-own-website"
published: "2026-10-20"
updated: "2026-10-20"
---

# How to Sell an Ebook on Your Own Website

You can sell a PDF or EPUB from your own page with a payment link or a store embed. The choice that matters most is who handles sales tax, so this compares that and the fees from each provider's own page, and says what we couldn't check about delivery.

By Shri and Sarath · Published October 20, 2026 · 7 min read

Selling from your own site means a buyer clicks a button on your page and pays on a hosted checkout, and a file reaches them afterward. Four common options are Stripe Payment Links, Payhip, Lemon Squeezy and Gumroad. The fees and tax statements below are from each provider's own pages, read between 2026-10-20 and 2026-10-23 (US figures). Pricing changes, so check the current pages before you commit.

## The difference that matters: who handles tax

A merchant of record is the company that legally sells to the buyer, so it collects and remits sales tax or VAT. With Stripe Payment Links directly, you are the seller: Stripe's Payment Links page says you can collect taxes at checkout, and Stripe's pricing page lists Stripe Tax as a separate product, but registering and filing stay your job unless you pay for Stripe's tax plan that also registers and files, or use Managed Payments (below).

- **Gumroad** says it is a merchant of record: "Since January 1, 2025, Gumroad handles ALL your tax obligations," with sales tax collection and remittance worldwide.
- **Lemon Squeezy** says it is your merchant of record: it takes on the liability of tax collection and calculation and pays taxes on your behalf.
- **Payhip** doesn't use the term on the pricing page we read. It says Payhip automatically collects, reports and remits digital EU/UK VAT as well as US and Canadian sales tax on your behalf, and that you can set up other taxes with it.
- **Stripe directly** is not a merchant-of-record setup, but Stripe sells one: Managed Payments, which its pricing page calls a merchant of record solution for digital commerce, at 3.5% per successful transaction on top of Payments fees. Its eligibility page lists e-books among the digital products it supports, on Payment Links too, for businesses in supported countries (the US is one), after Stripe reviews each business.

This is not tax advice. If you sell through your own Stripe account, ask an accountant what you owe where your buyers live.

## The four options

**Stripe Payment Links.** Stripe's pricing page lists 2.9% + 30¢ per successful transaction for domestic US cards, and says accepting payments with a payment link is included with Payments at no extra charge. Stripe's docs describe a no-code, Stripe-hosted payment page, plus an embeddable buy button you paste into your site. Stripe's page doesn't describe delivering a file: its docs say you can show a custom confirmation message or redirect to a URL of your choice, and automate fulfilment through a Stripe partner such as Zapier or through the API and webhooks. So you build the download step yourself.

**Payhip.** Its pricing page lists a free plan with a 5% transaction fee, Plus at $29/mo with 2%, and Pro at $99/mo with no transaction fee, all with every feature. It says PayPal and Stripe still charge their standard rates on every plan. Its page we read doesn't detail embeds or file limits, so check its help pages for the buy-button embed and download rules.

**Lemon Squeezy.** Its pricing page lists 5% + 50¢ per transaction with no monthly fee, with sales tax and VAT handled as merchant of record. Its fees page adds 1.5% for transactions outside the US, 1.5% for PayPal and 0.5% for subscriptions. Stripe bought Lemon Squeezy in 2024, and a January 2026 post on its blog says the goal is an easy move for its users to Stripe Managed Payments, and that support and product updates have slowed meanwhile.

**Gumroad.** Its pricing page lists 10% + $0.50 per transaction on sales through your profile or direct links, and 30% on sales found through its Discover marketplace, with no monthly fee. Its fees help article says the 10% + $0.50 does not include credit card processing (2.9% + $0.30) or PayPal fees, and that the 30% Discover fee includes all processing. Once your paid sales in a calendar month reach $20,000, it says, new direct sales that month are 5% + $0.50, and on a refund it returns its own fee but keeps the processing portion. For an overlay or embed, check Gumroad's help pages: the pricing page doesn't cover it.

## What each costs on a $19 ebook

An example sum on a $19.00 ebook paid by a US card, using only the percentages above. For Payhip and Gumroad, we add Stripe's card rate (2.9% + $0.30) because their pages say processing is charged on top, an assumption that PayPal buyers would change. Lemon Squeezy's row is its standard fee for a US buyer paying by card. The sums assume no sales tax or VAT is added to the price. Examples, not forecasts.

| Option | Fees on the sale | Left after fees | What the fee includes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Stripe Payment Links | $0.85 | $18.15 | Card processing only; you handle tax and delivery |
| Stripe + Managed Payments | $1.52 | $17.48 | Adds the 3.5% merchant of record fee; digital products, after Stripe's review |
| Payhip Free | $1.80 | $17.20 | 5% plus card processing |
| Payhip Plus ($29/mo) | $1.23 | $17.77 | 2% plus card processing; the monthly fee is not in this row |
| Payhip Pro ($99/mo) | $0.85 | $18.15 | Card processing only; the monthly fee is not in this row |
| Lemon Squeezy | $1.45 | $17.55 | 5% + 50¢ as listed; merchant of record |
| Gumroad, direct link | $3.25 | $15.75 | 10% + $0.50 plus card processing; merchant of record |

Fees on one $19.00 sale, US card (figures from each provider's pricing page and Gumroad's fees article, 2026-10-20)

Read the table as shape, not a ranking. Flat fees weigh more on a low price, monthly plans only pay off at volume, and the cheapest row with no monthly fee leaves tax work with you.

## Getting the file to the buyer

- **With Stripe directly,** nothing in Stripe's Payment Links docs delivers a file. Either redirect to a page that offers the download or automate delivery by email or webhook, and think about what stops a link being forwarded.
- **With Payhip, Lemon Squeezy or Gumroad,** each says it sells digital products, but we did not verify their delivery limits (file size, download counts, link expiry) on the pages we read. Check those before you pick.
- **Keep the file simple.** A PDF reads on any device; an EPUB suits e-readers. You can offer both in one purchase if your platform lets you attach two files.
- **Test as a buyer.** Buy your own product with a real card, open the receipt and download on a phone.

## Refunds, disputes and receipts

Digital goods get refund requests and card disputes like anything else. Stripe's pricing page lists a $15.00 fee for each dispute you receive, and its docs list no-code refunds and automatic receipts for Payment Links. Gumroad's fees article says it returns its own fee on a refund. We didn't read the other refund or dispute rules, so check them and then write your own refund policy in plain words on your sales page.

## Which to pick

This part is judgment, a starting point to test. If you don't want to file tax anywhere, a merchant-of-record platform takes on sales tax and VAT in the regions it covers, for a higher cut. If you are comfortable with tax and a little automation, Stripe directly has the lowest listed fee with no monthly charge. If you sell from several places, compare in [KDP vs Gumroad vs Etsy](https://www.superebook.ai/guides/kdp-vs-gumroad-vs-etsy.md), read [Gumroad vs Payhip for ebooks](https://www.superebook.ai/blog/gumroad-vs-payhip-for-ebooks.md), or look at [how to sell ebooks on Etsy](https://www.superebook.ai/blog/how-to-sell-ebooks-on-etsy.md).

> **What we couldn't verify** We didn't confirm how Payhip, Lemon Squeezy or Gumroad deliver files, their embed code, or Payhip's and Lemon Squeezy's refund terms. Check these on each provider's own pages.

**Before you open your shop**

- [ ] Decide who should handle sales tax: you, or a merchant-of-record platform.
- [ ] Work out your fee on your real price with the sums above, including card processing.
- [ ] Check how the platform delivers a PDF or EPUB and whether links can be shared.
- [ ] Write a refund policy and put it on the sales page.
- [ ] Buy your own ebook with a real card and download it on your phone.
- [ ] Keep a copy of every receipt and payout report for your accountant.

## Questions

**What does Stripe charge for Payment Links?** Stripe's pricing page lists 2.9% + 30¢ per successful domestic card transaction in the US, with Payment Links included in Payments at no extra charge. Extras such as a custom domain ($10.00 a month) or post-payment invoices are priced separately.

**Is Gumroad a merchant of record?** Its pricing page says it has been since January 1, 2025, and that it handles sales tax collection and remittance worldwide. Read its terms for the details of your case.

**Does Lemon Squeezy handle sales tax and VAT?** Its pricing page says it is your merchant of record and takes on the liability of tax collection and calculation, and pays taxes on your behalf. The listed fee is 5% + 50¢ per transaction.

**Does Payhip handle VAT?** Its pricing page says it automatically collects, reports and remits digital EU/UK VAT and US and Canadian sales tax on your behalf, and that you can set up other taxes with it. It doesn't use the term merchant of record on that page.

**Can I sell a PDF with Stripe Payment Links?** Payment Links take the payment. Stripe's docs say you can redirect buyers to a page of your choice afterward and automate fulfilment through a partner or its API, so the download step is yours to build.

## Sources

Facts checked on October 20, 2026.

- [Stripe: Pricing & Fees (US)](https://stripe.com/pricing): 2.9% + 30¢ domestic cards; Payment Links included with Payments; Managed Payments (merchant of record) 3.5% extra; $15.00 dispute fee; Stripe Tax listed separately.
- [Stripe Docs: Managed Payments eligibility](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/managed-payments/eligibility): Supported business locations (the US among them), digital media such as e-books, use on Payment Links, and Stripe's eligibility review (read 2026-10-23).
- [Stripe Docs: Use Payment Links](https://docs.stripe.com/payment-links): No-code, Stripe-hosted payment pages; no-code refunds and automatic receipts; collecting taxes at checkout.
- [Stripe Docs: Create an embeddable buy button](https://docs.stripe.com/payment-links/buy-button): The buy button embed you paste into a website.
- [Stripe Docs: After you receive payment from a payment link](https://docs.stripe.com/payment-links/post-payment): Confirmation message or redirect; fulfilment through a Stripe partner or the API and webhooks.
- [Payhip: Pricing](https://payhip.com/pricing): Free 5%, Plus $29/mo 2%, Pro $99/mo 0%; PayPal and Stripe rates on top; VAT and sales tax collection and remittance.
- [Lemon Squeezy: Pricing](https://www.lemonsqueezy.com/pricing): 5% + 50¢ per transaction; merchant of record; tax liability.
- [Lemon Squeezy: Fees](https://docs.lemonsqueezy.com/help/getting-started/fees): The extra 1.5% outside the US, 1.5% for PayPal and 0.5% for subscriptions (read 2026-10-23).
- [Lemon Squeezy blog: 2026 update](https://www.lemonsqueezy.com/blog/2026-update): January 2026: Stripe's 2024 purchase, slower support and updates, and the aim of moving users to Stripe Managed Payments (read 2026-10-23).
- [Gumroad: Pricing](https://gumroad.com/pricing): 10% + $0.50 direct, 30% Discover, merchant of record since January 1, 2025.
- [Gumroad: Gumroad's fees (help)](https://gumroad.com/help/article/66-gumroads-fees): The 10% + $0.50 excludes card processing (2.9% + $0.30) and PayPal fees; the 30% Discover fee includes processing; 5% + $0.50 after $20,000 of sales in a month; Gumroad's fee returned on a refund (read 2026-10-23).

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