How to Cancel Shopify - Step by Step Guide

How to Cancel Your Shopify Subscription

A clear guide to pausing or deactivating your Shopify store - what happens to your products, orders, and customer data, and what to export before you go.

Before You Cancel Shopify

Three things to check before you start the Shopify cancellation process.

  1. Export your store data first. Before cancelling, export your products, customers, and orders as CSV files from Shopify Admin > Settings > Export. Once your store is closed, this data is no longer accessible from the admin panel.
  2. Consider pausing instead of cancelling. Shopify offers a Pause and Build plan for a reduced monthly fee. This suspends your storefront (customers cannot buy) but keeps all your data intact and lets you continue building. This is a good option if you plan to return.
  3. Cancel all third-party app subscriptions separately. Apps installed from the Shopify App Store have their own billing separate from your Shopify plan. Cancelling Shopify does not automatically cancel those app subscriptions - cancel each app before closing your store.

How to Cancel Shopify - Step by Step

These steps apply to all Shopify plans (Basic, Shopify, Advanced, Plus). The process is completed through the Shopify admin panel - you cannot change billing from the Shopify mobile app.

  1. 1
    Sign in to your Shopify admin

    Go to yourstore.myshopify.com/admin and sign in.

  2. 2
    Go to Settings then Plan

    Click "Settings" in the bottom-left of the admin sidebar, then click "Plan."

  3. 3
    Click Deactivate store or Pause and build

    At the bottom of the Plan page, find the option to "Pause and build" (lower cost) or "Deactivate store" (full cancellation). Click the appropriate option.

  4. 4
    Select a reason and confirm

    Shopify will ask for a cancellation reason. Complete the form, then confirm the store deactivation.

  5. 5
    Store deactivation is complete

    Your store is deactivated. Existing orders and data remain accessible briefly for export. After the deactivation, your myshopify.com subdomain becomes unavailable.

What About Your Other Subscriptions?

Cancelling Shopify is a good moment to review your full SaaS stack. Most teams discover 2-4 subscriptions they had forgotten about once they do a proper audit. CostLoop is a free subscription tracker that gives you one dashboard for every tool you pay for - renewal dates, costs, owners, and cancellation links all in one place. Free plan tracks up to 5 subscriptions, no credit card required.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to my Shopify store data when I cancel?

When you deactivate your Shopify store, customers can no longer access it. Your product, customer, and order data is retained by Shopify for a period after deactivation (check current Shopify policy for exact timeframes), but you cannot access the admin panel after the subscription ends. Export all data before deactivating.

Can I pause Shopify instead of cancelling?

Yes. The Shopify Pause and Build plan lets you freeze your storefront for a small monthly fee. Customers cannot place orders, but all your products, themes, and data stay intact and you retain full admin access to continue building. This is the best option if you want to temporarily stop selling without losing your store setup.

Does Shopify offer refunds when you cancel?

Shopify does not offer prorated refunds on monthly plans. Since Shopify bills monthly at the start of each period, cancelling mid-month means you have already paid for that month. No further charges occur after deactivation. Annual plan refunds are not standard - contact Shopify support to discuss your situation.

Do I need to cancel my Shopify apps separately?

Yes. Apps installed from the Shopify App Store have separate billing agreements with each app developer. Deactivating your Shopify store does not automatically cancel these app subscriptions. Cancel each app through the Shopify admin (Apps > the app > Delete app) before deactivating your store to stop those charges.

Keep Track of Every Subscription You Still Pay For

After cancelling Shopify, make sure you know exactly what else is renewing and when. CostLoop shows you all your subscriptions, their costs, and upcoming renewal dates in one simple dashboard.

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