How to Cancel Shopify
To cancel a Shopify subscription, the store owner must deactivate the store from Shopify admin → Settings → Plan and complete the in‑admin cancellation flow; the cancellation is scheduled to take effect at the end of the current billing cycle and may be subject to pending charges and trial rules.
How to cancel
Follow these exact steps in your Shopify admin to cancel your subscription. Only the store owner can deactivate the store. Staff with billing permissions may request a billing review, but that is a separate action.
- 1
Sign in to your Shopify admin as the store owner.
- 2
Go to Settings → Plan.
Click Cancel plan or Deactivate store and follow the prompts. You’ll be asked to choose a reason and confirm with your account password.
- 3
Confirm the cancellation.
Shopify schedules the deactivation to take effect at the end of your current billing cycle (you will retain access until that date).
- 4
If you are in a free trial or promotional period, special trial rules apply and the flow will note them during cancellation.
- 5
If you can’t access the cancellation option: verify you’re logged in as the store owner, check whether you selected a paid plan during the trial, and confirm the store isn’t on Shopify Plus (which has different processes).
Troubleshooting common blockers
Cannot deactivate
Sign in as the store owner. Staff billing permissions do not permit deactivation. Check whether you selected a paid plan during a trial; Shopify Plus uses a different process.
Sign-in or two-step authentication problem
Use the recovery guidance in Shopify’s deactivation help before attempting cancellation.
Pause and Build is missing
It requires an eligible paid store, owner access, and an ended trial; Shopify Plus is excluded. Contact Support if your store qualifies but the option is absent.
Pause vs Cancel — which to choose?
| Outcome | Pause and Build | Deactivate |
|---|---|---|
| Customer checkout | Disabled | Store closes when deactivation takes effect |
| Admin access | Retained for editing | Ends on deactivation; reactivation is possible |
| Plan billing | Reduced fee | Ends under the cancellation terms; pending charges may remain |
| App charges | May continue | Handle app billing and refunds separately |
| Best fit | You plan to reopen | You want to close the store |
Before either action: Check domain transfers and third-party app charges separately. Pausing or deactivating the Shopify plan does not resolve every linked service.
Before the store closes
- •Export order, product, and customer exports before deactivation if you may need them later.
- •Check third‑party app billing separately; uninstall apps you don’t want charged and contact app developers for refunds.
- •Keep evidence (invoices, cancellation confirmations, screenshots) in case you need Shopify Support for billing or refund reviews.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to my store data after cancellation?
Shopify documents options for deleting data and reactivating a store; deactivation schedules at billing-cycle end and some store data is retained to allow reactivation, but export any data you need before cancelling.
Can I pause my subscription instead of canceling?
Yes — the Pause and Build option disables checkout while keeping admin access and apps active, but it has eligibility requirements (store owner, off trial, not Shopify Plus); contact Shopify Support if the option should be available but isn’t visible.
How do I reactivate my store later?
Shopify allows reactivation; follow the reactivation instructions in your admin and Shopify’s reactivation help to restore your plan and site access.
Will I receive invoices or qualify for a refund after cancellation?
Shopify’s plan refunds are limited and generally not issued for the unused portion of a billing period; refund-review time windows depend on subscription type (for example, monthly subscriptions have a 7‑day window for refund consideration), and meeting a window does not guarantee a refund — gather invoice numbers and billing details before contacting Support.
Sources
Official provider pages for the plans, billing terms, and account actions discussed in this guide. Confirm the terms shown in your own account before making changes.
| Source | Status |
|---|---|
| Deactivate store | Official source |
| Pause store | Official source |
| Refund policy subscriptions | Official source |