Last Updated: January 2025
Discovering how to cancel a Shopify subscription shouldn’t be a hassle. Whether you’re scaling down your business, exploring new options, or simply taking a break, ending your subscription is a straightforward process that ensures you’re in control of your expenses.
While Shopify serves as a prominent e-commerce platform, there are instances where its drawbacks might push you towards considering options like WooCommerce.
In this concise guide, you’ll be guided through the steps to effortlessly cancel your Shopify subscription, enabling you to make informed decisions and streamline your business operations.
So dive right in and learn how to cancel your Shopify subscription hassle-free.
Considering Cancelling Shopify: Uncovering Its Limitations
Reasons to consider canceling your Shopify subscription:
- Limited Customization: Shopify lacks customization options, frustrating store owners seeking more control over their site’s look and functionality.
- Restricted Template Modification: While Shopify offers templates, modifying them or creating a custom appearance is quite limited.
- High Transaction Fees: Shopify charges a percentage of each transaction, reducing your earnings; e.g., selling a $100 product might result in just $97 in your pocket.
- Payment Options: Shopify has fewer payment choices compared to platforms like WooCommerce, restricting options for your customers.
- Migration Challenges: Shopify’s hosted nature makes migrating your store complex, requiring data export and import when transitioning.
Switching to WooCommerce and managed WordPress hosting empowers you with more control over your site’s data and design, providing a greater level of autonomy.
Pausing Your Shopify Subscription: Simple Steps
When you decide to cancel your Shopify subscription, you effectively remove your store from the platform entirely. Nevertheless, there is a choice; you can opt to temporarily pause your subscription.
The Pause and Build mode serves as an optimal solution when you intend to make alterations to your store, like introducing new products.
Within this scheme, your store remains accessible to customers; however, they won’t be able to make purchases. During this interval, a reduced subscription fee of $9 will be incurred.
To pause your Shopify account, follow these steps:
- Begin by logging into your store’s admin panel.
- Navigate to the lower left corner of the screen and click on the Settings option.
- Proceed to the Plan section. Here, you’ll find the option to Pause or deactivate your store.
- Select the “pause and build” alternative.
- If prompted, consent to the terms and conditions.
- Choose “Switch to Pause and Build.”
- Finally, confirm your decision by clicking the “Confirm Changes” button. This will conclude the process, and your store will transition into Pause and Build mode.
Easy 4-Step Process to Cancel Shopify Subscription
Having explored the reasons for potentially canceling Shopify, let’s delve into the process with four straightforward steps.
Remember, canceling Shopify and closing your store means you won’t have the option to reopen it later if you have a change of heart. With this in mind, it’s advisable to consider pausing your subscription until you’re entirely certain about your departure from the Shopify platform.
Step 1: Prepare Your Account For Cancellation
Before proceeding with the cancellation of your Shopify account, there are a few essential tasks to address.
Firstly, it’s necessary to settle any outstanding balances or charges tied to your account. Upon canceling your subscription within a billing cycle, Shopify will send you a final invoice that needs to be cleared.
Taking precautions, it’s wise to safeguard your site data by backing up and exporting it.
While Shopify retains your data for two years post-cancellation, accessing it after closing your store requires purchasing a new plan. Hence, exporting your store data before canceling Shopify is crucial.
To export your Shopify product data in CSV format, follow these steps:
- Access your Shopify account.
- Navigate to Products > All Products.
- Select all the products you want to export.
- Click on the Export button at the top of the screen.
- In the ensuing pop-up, opt for “All products” and choose your preferred file format.
- Complete the process by selecting “Export products.”
Subsequently, your CSV file will be sent to the email linked to your Shopify account.
Step 2: Remove Applications From Your Setup
Even after the closure of your store, certain apps might continue to incur charges. Thus, it becomes vital to disconnect and uninstall any third-party services or applications obtained from the Shopify App Store.
To accomplish this, follow these steps:
- Access the Apps section within your Shopify account dashboard.
- Within this section, you’ll find a list of all the apps presently installed on your site.
For each app, perform the following actions:
- Review its details.
- Select the option to Delete.
- While doing so, pay special attention to identifying any apps associated with recurring charges.
By conducting this careful review and deletion process, you can ensure a clean break from apps that might incur ongoing fees post-closure.
Step 3: Transfer Your Custom Domain
When you cancel your Shopify account, it won’t automatically renew your domain name. If you have a custom domain, it’s smart to move it to another place to keep it safe.
In your Shopify admin panel, you can adjust some Domain Name System (DNS) settings, like TXT, MX, and CNAME records. Just remember, you can only switch a domain from Shopify 60 days after you bought it.
How you got your domain determines how you transfer it. If you added an outside domain to Shopify, just remove it from the Shopify domain list in Settings > Domains by tapping Remove.“
After that, set the DNS settings for your new host. If you bought the domain from Shopify, you’ll need to move its management to another host or registrar.
Step 4: Close Your Store Via Shopify Setting
While logged into your Shopify account, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings > Plan.
- At the bottom of the screen, below your plan details, find and click the Deactivate Store button.
Next, you’ll need to:
- Provide a reason for deactivating your Shopify account.
- Depending on your chosen reason, you might face additional questions.
Once you’ve selected a reason:
- Click on Continue.
- You’ll then be prompted to re-enter your password.
After entering your password:
- Choose Deactivate now.
- If successful, you should receive confirmation that your store has been deactivated.
To access information about your previous payments:
- Open the View your past bills drop-down menu.
- You can also download these records for your reference.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cancelling Shopify
Frequently Asked Questions About Cancelling Shopify
By now, you should have a clear grasp of the Shopify cancellation process and the associated steps. However, let’s address some common queries to ensure all loose ends are tied up.
Can I receive a refund for my Shopify subscription?
Shopify offers a complimentary 14-day trial that doesn’t require credit card information. You can cancel this trial at any time. Nevertheless, closing stores generally don’t receive refunds from Shopify. Nonetheless, exceptions may occur, so consider contacting the support team to explore your options.
What happens upon canceling a Shopify subscription?
Upon canceling a Shopify subscription, your admin area and store access are revoked. To regain access, you must opt for a new plan and provide credit card details. It’s worth noting that you can’t create a new Shopify store with a previously used domain name.
Is migration from Shopify to WooCommerce possible?
Certainly, transitioning from Shopify to WooCommerce is feasible. To proceed, acquire WordPress hosting. Additionally, transfer your custom domain or register a new one for your WooCommerce site. Lastly, export your Shopify product data and import it into your WooCommerce store.
Saufter: Get A Single View For All Support Tickets
Embark on a customer-centric revolution with Saufter, a dynamic platform that blends self-help and proactive support to elevate your business to new heights.
Key Highlights
- Empower User Autonomy: Grant users the ability to find solutions independently.
- Efficient Automation: Simplify the management of repetitive tasks through intelligent automation.
- Unified Customer View: Access a comprehensive snapshot of customers at a single glance.
- Enhanced E-Commerce: Facilitate returns, exchanges, and order adjustments for customers.
- Proactive Order Support: Offer 24/7 order tracking for proactive assistance.
- Personalized SaaS Automation: Provide tailored self-help for various SaaS interactions.
- Seamless Omnichannel Care: Establish smooth connections with customers across multiple platforms.
- Insights and Alerts: Obtain immediate, actionable insights for well-informed decisions.
- Smooth Integration: Seamlessly integrate with Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, Facebook, and more.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding how to cancel a Shopify subscription is crucial for navigating the e-commerce landscape.
Whether you choose to pause or cancel, following the steps ensures a smooth transition with minimal disruptions. Stay empowered and adaptable as a business owner, ready to explore new opportunities or strategies as needed.
Seeking to elevate your customer support experience?
Your search ends here! Discover the solution through Saufter.
Experience cutting-edge technology that provides e-commerce automation, valuable data insights, and effortless integrations.
Ready to revolutionize your customer service?
Sign Up today to foster enduring relationships and propel business expansion.
