How to Cancel Your Shopify Subscription in 6 Easy Steps
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How to cancel Shopify subscription the right way? If you're closing your store, switching platforms, or taking a break, you need to follow the correct steps to avoid unexpected charges. In this guide, Nextsky explains the essential steps to deactivate your store properly, what to prepare beforehand, and alternative options if you're not ready to close your store permanently.
Why should you cancel your Shopify store?
Merchants choose to cancel their Shopify stores for a variety of strategic and operational reasons. Below are some of the most common factors that lead store owners to discontinue their subscriptions:
- Business performance issues: If your store isn’t generating enough profit, maintaining a Shopify subscription may not be cost-effective.
- Shifting business model: If you move to a different business approach that doesn’t require Shopify, cancelling your plan helps cut unnecessary costs.
- High transaction fees: Shopify charges transaction fees unless you use Shopify Payments, which can reduce your profit margins.
- Limited customisation & payment options: Shopify has design and payment restrictions that may not suit businesses needing more flexibility.
- Migration challenges: Moving your store to another platform can be complex, as Shopify controls hosting and data storage.
- Selling your store: If you plan to sell your business, you may need to deactivate or transfer your Shopify account.
- Temporary break: If you need a break but don’t want to cancel completely, Shopify offers a Pause and Build option.
Understanding these factors can help you decide whether canceling your Shopify subscription is the right choice.
Understanding these factors can help you decide whether canceling your Shopify subscription is the right choice.
How to cancel Shopify subscription with 6 steps
Step 1: Go to yourstore.myshopify.com/admin and log in using the store owner’s account. Only the store owner has permission to cancel the subscription; staff accounts do not have sufficient access rights.
Step 2: From the left-hand menu, click Settings → Plan. This section manages billing and displays your current plan, usage details, and options such as “Change plan” or “Deactivate store.”
Step 3: Before proceeding, make sure you have:
- Completed or canceled any pending orders
- Paid all outstanding charges
- Exported any necessary reports
Skipping this step may create difficulties if you need support later.
Step 4: Shopify will display notifications, warnings, and guidance to help you review your decision before closing the store. Review the details and click Continue if you wish to proceed.
Step 5: Shopify will ask you to select a cancellation reason from a dropdown list. Choose the most appropriate reason and click Continue.
Step 6: A confirmation window will appear informing you that you will lose access to all store data. If you are sure you want to cancel, enter your admin password and select Deactivate store to complete the process.
Important things to consider before canceling or deleting a Shopify store
- Self-deactivation: Only you can deactivate your store. Shopify or any third party cannot deactivate it on your behalf.
- Domain name: Deactivating your store may result in losing control of your domain, even if you decide to reactivate the store later.
- Domain and ownership: If the domain was purchased through Shopify, it will remain registered under your account after the store is closed. However, you should transfer or properly manage the domain before deactivation to avoid losing DNS control or being charged for automatic renewal.
- Outstanding payments: Make sure all invoices, including transaction fees and shipping charges, have been fully paid.
- Third-party apps: Cancel all app subscriptions to prevent additional charges.
- Pending orders: Complete or resolve any unfulfilled orders to avoid affecting customer experience.
- Notifications: Inform customers, suppliers, and partners in advance about the store closure.
- Data backup: Export and store important data before canceling, such as product lists, customer lists, order history, discount codes, gift cards, and financial reports.
Cancel Shopify subscription vs delete Shopify account
Many merchants confuse canceling a Shopify subscription with permanently deleting a Shopify account. However, these actions are not identical.
|
Action |
Result |
|
Cancel subscription |
Your store is deactivated and inaccessible to customers |
|
Delete Shopify account |
Your account and all store data are permanently removed |
|
Pause store |
Store remains active but checkout is disabled |
In most cases, canceling a Shopify subscription only deactivates the store. Shopify may retain store data for a limited period, allowing you to reactivate the store if needed.
Pausing your Shopify store instead of canceling
Instead of permanently deleting your Shopify account, you can pause your business with the "Pause and Build" plan. This flexible option saves costs while keeping your store intact.
Understanding Shopify's pause and build plan
If you need a break, operate seasonally, or are preparing for a new strategy, Shopify's "Pause and Build" plan is ideal. For just $9/month, you can manage your store, update products, and edit the storefront, while customers can access and leave reviews, though checkout functionality is disabled.
How to pause your Shopify store
To apply this option, follow these simple steps:
- Log in to your store with the owner's account.
- Go to Admin → Settings → Plan.
- Click Deactivate store and select the "Pause and Build" plan.
Resuming sales after pausing
To resume selling, go to Settings → Plan and choose a new plan.
What happens after canceling your Shopify subscription?
Your data and settings aren't immediately lost when you cancel your Shopify store. However, to ensure a smooth transition, note these key points:
- Immediate impact: Your store goes offline instantly (hidden behind a password or showing a 404 error). New orders can't be placed, but previously completed orders continue processing.
- Data retention: All data, including products, customers, orders, and themes, is preserved for two years (previously 30 days). You can log in anytime to reactivate and resume operations without rebuilding from scratch.
- Billing stops: Shopify halts charges after the current billing cycle ends. Review statements to ensure no app or domain fees are overlooked.
- SEO and visibility: URLs will gradually be removed from search engine indexes. If moving to another platform, set up 301 redirects to maintain rankings.
- Remaining elements: Gift cards remain usable if the store is restored. Unfulfilled orders may require manual processing.
How to reactivate your Shopify store after cancellation
During the retention period, reactivating your store is quick and straightforward. However, if the retention period expires, you must start from scratch.
Reactivating within the retention period
With a few simple steps, you can reopen your store and resume business:
- Log in to your Shopify admin panel.
- Click Reopen <shop-name>.myshopify.com.
- Select a new plan from the displayed options.
- Enter payment details under Review and Subscribe.
- Click Subscribe to complete the process. After these steps, your store will be reactivated and ready for new orders.
After the retention period
If the retention period has passed, Shopify permanently deletes all data. You must rebuild your store, re-upload products, and reconnect apps. This process is more straightforward if you've previously exported or backed up your data.
Alternatives to deleting your Shopify store
If you're leaving Shopify but still want to continue selling online, migrating to another eCommerce platform may be a better option.
- WooCommerce: WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin that transforms your website into an online store. It offers flexibility, no transaction fees, and a vast selection of plugins and themes. However, it requires technical knowledge and self-managed hosting.For a deeper Shopify vs WooCommerce comparison, see our detailed guide.
- BigCommerce: BigCommerce is a hosted e-commerce solution with built-in SEO tools, scalability, and multiple payment integrations. It has lower transaction fees than Shopify but can be more expensive overall.
- Magento: Magento (Adobe Commerce) is a powerful open-source platform ideal for businesses that need advanced customization. It provides extensive scalability but requires technical expertise and dedicated hosting.
- Wix: Wix is a beginner-friendly website builder with e-commerce capabilities. It offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface and affordable pricing but lacks some advanced e-commerce features found in Shopify. For a deeper Shopify vs Wix comparison, see our detailed guide.
Canceling your Shopify subscription requires careful planning. Whether closing, switching platforms, or taking a break, follow the right steps to avoid unnecessary charges. Before deactivating your store, ensure you export important data, cancel third-party apps, and manage your domain properly. If you're unsure about closing your store permanently, consider alternatives such as pausing your store or selling your Shopify business instead.
