Off-the-shelf works for starting out
- Low upfront investment.
- A store up and running fast.
- The commission is small because sales are small.
For companies that already sell online
Custom e-commerce with no per-sale commissions
We build your custom online store, wholesale and retail, with your payment methods, Andreani and FedEx, and no platform cut of each sale.
The math
What does your platform charge you today?
Pick how much you sell and where: see the per-sale commission your platform charges over 1, 2 and 3 years.
This is what you're losing in commissions
On Tiendanube Esencial: 2% of every sale, when you collect with a payment method other than Pago Nube.
- In 1 year
- USD 48,000
- In 2 years
- USD 96,000
- In 3 years
- USD 144,000
That's USD 4,000 a month. Sell twice as much and you lose twice as much.
- With Pago Nube, Tiendanube doesn't charge this percentage, but you're tied to its gateway and its fees.
- If your own platform costs less than USD 48,000 in its first year, you recover it in 12 months or less.
- You pay your payment method's fee (Mercado Pago or another) on any platform: this counts only what the platform charges.
With USD 200,000 a month on Tiendanube Esencial, collecting with a method other than Pago Nube, you lose USD 48,000 in commissions in 1 year, USD 96,000 in 2 years and USD 144,000 in 3 years.
What you pay in commissions each year
Platform commission per year, in US dollars, on Tiendanube Esencial and Impulso, when you collect with a payment method other than Pago Nube (with Pago Nube, Tiendanube doesn't charge it).
| Monthly sales | 2%Esencial | 1%Impulso |
|---|---|---|
| USD 25,000 | USD 6,000 | USD 3,000 |
| USD 50,000 | USD 12,000 | USD 6,000 |
| USD 100,000 | USD 24,000 | USD 12,000 |
| USD 250,000 | USD 60,000 | USD 30,000 |
VTEX publishes no rates. At the estimated 0.7%–1.1%, you pay between USD 2,100 and USD 3,300 a year on USD 25,000 a month, and between USD 21,000 and USD 33,000 on USD 250,000.
Sources and assumptions
- Only the commission the platform charges on each sale is counted. The plan fee and the payment method's fee (Mercado Pago, Payway or another) are paid separately and are left out of the math.
- Tiendanube charges a transaction cost when you collect with a payment method other than Pago Nube, on the order total including shipping: 2% on Esencial, 1% on Impulso, and 0.7% on Escala.
- The calculator and the table use Esencial, the highest published rate, and Impulso, the plan Tiendanube labels “most chosen”. Tiendanube also has Escala (0.7%) and Evolución, a custom plan whose rate is negotiated and not published.
- Published monthly plan fee: Esencial ARS 27,999, Impulso ARS 79,999, Escala ARS 244,999, and Evolución on request. It is adjusted every quarter (January, April, July and October).
- With Pago Nube, Tiendanube waives that cost, but Pago Nube charges its own processing fee: on Escala, by card or MODO, from 2.65% + VAT (money released in 30 days) to 5.59% + VAT (in 1 day); by bank transfer, 0.85% + VAT.
- VTEX publishes no rates: it charges a fixed fee plus a percentage set in each contract, on the full value of each approved order (including shipping and taxes; canceled orders count too). The 0.7%–1.1% range is an estimate based on its 2025 annual report (Form 20-F) and its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call: its subscription revenue was about 1.1% of the volume it processed (USD 234.9 million out of USD 20.5 billion), and the variable part alone about 0.7%.
- According to the same annual report, VTEX is implemented by certified agencies, at a cost paid separately from the contract, and its contracts run from 12 to 36 months. VTEX does not publish what the implementation costs.
- Sales in US dollars: no exchange rate needed.
- Tiendanube: plans and pricing
- Tiendanube: what transaction costs are
- Tiendanube: how transaction costs are calculated
- Tiendanube Evolución
- Pago Nube: what the fees are
- VTEX: understanding the value of approved revenues
- VTEX: 2025 annual report (Form 20-F)
Sources checked on November 8, 2026.
When each one fits
Off-the-shelf platform or your own e-commerce?
Once you sell a lot, a Tiendanube or VTEX alternative with no per-sale commission can make more sense.
Once you sell a lot
- The commission grows with every sale, every month.
- Your wholesale rules, your ERP and your logistics have to fit what the platform allows.
- The platform sets the fees and the rules.
Why WAIA
E-commerce development with a dedicated team
We don't just build the online store: we also look at your plant or factory to improve your internal processes.
Off-the-shelf platform like Tiendanube Esencial or Impulso
- Commission per sale
- A % of every sale if you don't collect with Pago Nube: 2% on Esencial, 1% on Impulso.
- Implementation
- You or a partner set it up, with templates and apps.
- Team
- The platform's support.
- Work at your plant
- Not part of the service.
VTEX
- Commission per sale
- A fixed fee plus a % set by contract: about 0.7%–1.1% of sales in total (estimate).
- Implementation
- By certified agencies, at a separate cost, with contracts of 12 to 36 months.
- Team
- The agency you hire.
- Work at your plant
- Not part of the service.
WAIA your platform, your rules
- Commission per sale
- No commission: you pay for the build and a fixed monthly fee.
- Implementation
- Fast, and your current store keeps selling in the meantime.
- Team
- People dedicated to your business, not just AI.
- Work at your plant
- We go to your plant to improve how you handle stock, warehouse, customer service and logistics, with one goal: helping your e-commerce team sell more.
The extras
What we add to help you sell more
Gamification in your store
A prize wheel and scratch cards with daily attempts and prizes, like on the Neumáticos Verona store.
Visit the store (opens in a new tab)
Sales techniques
Countdowns and limited-time offers that create urgency, bundles and product recommendations.
AI WhatsApp agents
They automatically follow up with anyone who leaves an abandoned cart.
At Neumáticos Verona: 25% of abandoned carts are recovered by the WhatsApp bot
AI virtual try-on
Like the one we built for Sonder: your customers see how it fits before they buy.
In development
Live shopping
We're innovating in live shopping: buying live through social media.
B2B and B2C
One online store for wholesale and retail
Both channels on one platform: the same catalogue, the same real-time stock, integrated with your ERP.
Wholesale (B2B)
- Price lists by customer type.
- Minimum order quantities.
- A private catalogue.
- Fast reorders of frequent orders.
Retail (B2C)
- Checkout under your brand.
- Payment in installments.
- Promotions and discounts.
All in one place
Payment methods and shipping, built in
Payment methods
- Mercado Pago
- Payway
- MODO
- Credit and debit cards
- Bank transfers
- International gateways
Shipping
- AndreaniWe're an Andreani partner for shipping within Argentina.
- FedExWe work with FedEx for international shipping.
Results
Real stores, measurable results
SonderA scalable wholesale and retail online sales channel+50%increase in sales profitability+30%savings on payment gateway feesRead the case
Neumáticos VeronaDigitalising an industry where online sales weren't a priority25%of abandoned carts are recovered by the WhatsApp botRead the caseOpenCart Gold Partner Argentina We're an official OpenCart partner in Argentina.
Next step
How we build your online store
The math first, then the code.
We map how you sell today
Channels, wholesale and retail terms, payment methods, logistics and what you pay today in commissions.
We give you the investment and the payback math
With your numbers and before we start: what it costs and how many months it takes to pay back from the commissions you stop paying.
We build and integrate
Catalogue, prices by customer type, payments, shipping with Andreani and FedEx, stock and ERP. Your current store keeps selling in the meantime.
We launch and stay with you
We go live and keep providing support based on what your operation needs.
Frequently asked questions
What is custom e-commerce?
An online store built for your company instead of a template on an off-the-shelf platform: catalogue, wholesale and retail pricing, payment methods, shipping and your ERP integration follow the way you sell. There's no per-sale platform commission: you pay for the build and a fixed monthly fee. Your payment method's fee still applies, as in any store.
How much commission do you pay on Tiendanube or VTEX?
It depends on the plan. When you collect with a payment method other than Pago Nube, Tiendanube charges 2% of every sale on Esencial, 1% on Impulso (the plan it labels most chosen) and 0.7% on Escala; Evolución negotiates its rate and doesn't publish it. With USD 200,000 in monthly sales, that's USD 4,000, USD 2,000 or USD 1,400 a month. With Pago Nube, Tiendanube doesn't charge that percentage, but you're tied to its gateway and its fees. VTEX publishes no rates: estimated from its public financial filings, it falls between 0.7% and 1.1%, that is, between USD 1,400 and USD 2,200 a month; it is also implemented by certified agencies, at a cost paid separately from the contract, and its contracts run from 12 to 36 months. The plan fee and the payment method's fee are paid separately. Published prices as of November 2026.
Can I have an online store with no per-sale commission?
Yes. With your own e-commerce, like the ones WAIA builds, no platform takes a percentage of each sale: you pay for the build and a fixed fee that doesn't go up when you sell more. Your payment method's fee (Mercado Pago or another) still applies, as in any store. Tiendanube doesn't charge its percentage either if you collect with Pago Nube, but you're tied to its gateway and its fees.
Do I still pay Mercado Pago or another payment method?
Yes. You pay your payment method's fee on any platform, off-the-shelf or your own. What you stop paying is the percentage the platform charges on top. And since you're not tied to a single gateway, you can negotiate the rate directly with the processor.
When does your own e-commerce make more sense than Tiendanube or VTEX?
When what you pay in a year of commissions is more than what your own platform costs in its first year: then you recover it in 12 months or less. With USD 200,000 in monthly sales on Tiendanube Esencial (2%), collecting with a payment method other than Pago Nube, you lose USD 48,000 in commissions in one year, USD 96,000 in two and USD 144,000 in three; on Impulso (1%), half that. On VTEX, at the estimated rate of 0.7% to 1.1%, that's USD 16,800 to USD 26,400 a year. If you're just starting out, an off-the-shelf platform is usually the better choice.
How much does custom e-commerce cost in Argentina?
It depends on the scope: catalogue, wholesale rules, integrations and logistics. You pay for the build and a fixed monthly fee. After a meeting to understand your case, we give you both figures and the payback math with your sales, before we start.
What does a WAIA e-commerce include?
Catalogue and prices by customer type, wholesale and retail selling with shared stock, Mercado Pago, Payway, MODO, cards and bank transfers, shipping with Andreani (we're a partner) within Argentina and with FedEx abroad, and integration with your ERP. You can add gamification, AI WhatsApp agents for abandoned carts and an AI virtual try-on.
Can we sell wholesale and retail from the same store?
Yes, on a single platform with shared real-time stock: price lists by customer type, minimum order quantities, a private catalogue and fast reorders for wholesale customers, and checkout, installments and promotions for retail.
Can we migrate from Tiendanube, VTEX or another platform?
Yes. We map what you have today (catalogue, customers, price lists and integrations) and plan the migration so your current store keeps selling until the new one is ready.
Let's run the numbers with yours
Book a 30-minute demo: we look at how much you sell, what you pay today in commissions and whether your own e-commerce makes sense for you.
No cost, no commitment. If an off-the-shelf platform still makes more sense at your volume, we'll tell you.
