WooCommerce profit calculator
Use this page to calculate what a WooCommerce store actually keeps. The formulas below are the same ones ProfitLeakGuard applies per order once your store is connected.
The formula
Net profit = net revenue − cost of goods − variable order costs − fixed costs.
Written out for an ecommerce store: net profit = (gross revenue − refunds − discounts) − COGS − shipping cost − payment fees − pick, pack and packaging − return handling − advertising − fixed overhead.
The two lines merchants most often forget are return handling and the shipping gap: the difference between what you charge for shipping and what the carrier invoices you.
A worked example
A store does €100,000 revenue in a month. Refunds are €7,000 and discount codes €5,000, so net revenue is €88,000. COGS at 45% of net revenue is €39,600. Carriers invoice €6,400 while customers paid €2,900 in shipping. Payment fees are €2,200, packaging and picking €3,100, return handling €2,400, ads €12,000 and fixed costs €9,000.
Net profit = 88,000 − 39,600 − 6,400 + 2,900 − 2,200 − 3,100 − 2,400 − 12,000 − 9,000 = €16,200, a 16.2% net margin on gross revenue. The shipping gap alone (€3,500) and returns (€7,000 refunded plus €2,400 handling) are larger than most owners assume.
Calculate it yourself
The interactive calculators do this maths for you, including per-product and per-return breakdowns.
Where the numbers come from in WooCommerce
Pull orders, refunds, coupons, shipping lines and cost-of-goods fields from your WooCommerce store for the period you want to measure. Carrier costs come from your carrier invoices, not your shipping settings — the two rarely match once surcharges, fuel and oversized parcels are included.
Estimates, not your numbers. Everything on this page is based on public ecommerce benchmarks and the signals a public storefront exposes. It is an indication of where profit typically leaks — not a measurement of your finances. Connect your store to replace estimates with your actual numbers.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good net profit margin for a WooCommerce store?+
It depends on category and size. Many small and mid-sized stores land somewhere between 5% and 15% net margin; below that, a single bad discount season or a rise in returns turns the year negative. Use your own category benchmark rather than a universal target.
Should advertising be in the profit calculation?+
Yes, for a true net figure. Keep it as a separate line so you can also see contribution margin (before ads and overhead) — that is the number that tells you whether more volume would actually help.
Do refunds count as revenue?+
No. Deduct refunds from gross revenue first, then subtract the cost of handling them. A refunded order usually costs you both the shipping out and the shipping back.