| Sam Shipping Protection | Seel | |
|---|---|---|
| App Store rating | 4.9★ (107) | 4.9★ (296) |
| Who keeps the protection fee | Self-funded: you keep the fees | Provider-funded: the app keeps the fees |
| Share of fees you keep | 100% | Not published |
| App cost | Starter Free · Standard $9/month · Plus $29/month | Free to install |
| Built for Shopify |
Sam and Seel both give shoppers a way to protect their order at checkout, but they sit on opposite sides of the shipping protection market. Seel is provider-funded: it handles and pays refunds. Sam is self-funded: your store keeps the fee and decides each claim.
Listing data below was checked on the Shopify App Store on October 5, 2026. Sam is our app, so we stick to published facts about Seel.
How does Seel Worry-Free Purchase work?
Seel’s App Store listing says shoppers can make final-sale items returnable, offset carbon emissions, and protect orders from loss, damage or delay, and that “Seel pays associated refunds”. It also offers real-time order updates and one place for customers to return or report order issues.
Seel is free to install. Its listing launched in July 2021 and shows 4.9★ from 296 reviews, with the Built for Shopify badge. The listing does not publish how the shopper’s fee is shared with the merchant.
How does Sam work?
Sam Shipping Protection adds a protection offer to the cart, cart drawer and thank-you page, and to checkout on Shopify Plus. The fee goes to your store. When a customer files a claim on your claims page, you resolve it with a full or partial refund, Shopify store credit or a reorder. Sam is free for 50 protected orders a month, then $9/month for unlimited orders, or $29/month with the Plus checkout extension.
How do Sam and Seel compare?
| Sam | Seel Worry-Free Purchase | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Self-funded | Provider-funded |
| Who keeps the protection fee | You (100%) | Not published on the listing |
| Who pays refunds | You, from the fees | Seel, per its listing |
| Coverage | Lost, damaged, stolen orders, on your rules | Loss, damage, delay; returnable final-sale items |
| App cost | Free to 50 orders, then $9 or $29/month | Free to install |
| Built for Shopify | Yes | Yes |
| Rating | 4.9★ (107) | 4.9★ (296) |
What does the choice mean for your margin?
With a provider-funded app, the fee your customers pay funds the provider’s program, so the protection line earns your store nothing directly. With a self-funded app, the fee is revenue and claims are your cost.
For example, a store with 1,000 orders a month where half of customers add a $3 fee collects $1,500 in fees. If 1.5% of protected orders end in a $45 claim, claims cost about $338, and Sam costs $9. That leaves roughly $1,153 a month. These are example numbers; use your own in the shipping protection calculator.
Which should you choose?
Choose Seel if you never want to pay or decide a refund yourself, or you want returnable final-sale items as part of the same offer.
Choose Sam if you want the protection fee as revenue, want claims handled under your own brand and rules, and want a flat, predictable app cost.
New to the two models? Read self-funded vs third-party shipping protection or the shipping protection guide. Comparing more apps? See the best shipping protection apps.
Frequently asked questions
How does Seel make money if it is free to install?
Seel is provider-funded: it offers protection to shoppers and, per its listing, pays the associated refunds. Its App Store listing does not publish how the shopper fee is split, so ask Seel about your terms.
What does Seel cover that Sam does not?
Seel's listing includes making final-sale items returnable and offsetting carbon emissions, besides protection from loss, damage or delay. Sam focuses on shipping protection and claims for lost, damaged and stolen orders.
Who keeps the protection fee with Sam?
You do. Sam is self-funded: the fee goes to your store with your Shopify payouts, and you resolve claims with a full or partial refund, store credit or a reorder.
Sources
Part of our guide: Shipping protection →