You can cancel a Shopify subscription through your account settings, and the process takes about five minutes

Log into your Shopify admin, go to Settings, then select Billing. On the Billing page, scroll to the bottom and click "Cancel subscription." Shopify will ask you to confirm the cancellation and may offer you a discount to stay — you can accept or decline. Once you confirm, your store will move to a free Shopify trial plan for 14 days, then close entirely unless you restart a paid plan before the trial ends.

Your store's data — products, customer information, orders — stays in your Shopify account for 90 days after cancellation. You can reactivate your subscription during that window and restore everything. After 90 days, Shopify deletes the data permanently.

If you cannot log into your account or your store is already closed, you can contact Shopify Support through the Help Center to request cancellation. They will need to verify your identity before processing the request.

Key Takeaways

  • Cancellation happens in Settings > Billing, and you confirm the choice before it takes effect.
  • Your store enters a 14-day free trial after cancellation; if you do not restart a paid plan, it closes automatically.
  • Shopify keeps your store data for 90 days, so you can reactivate and restore your business during that time.
  • If you lose access to your account, Shopify Support can cancel on your behalf after verifying your identity.
  • Cancellation does not refund charges already paid; refund policy depends on how recently you were charged.

What happens to your store after cancellation

When you cancel, Shopify does not immediately shut down your store. Instead, it converts to a free trial plan for 14 days. During this time, your store is still live and customers can still place orders, but you cannot add new products or access most features. You can still view your existing orders and customer data.

After the 14-day trial ends, your store goes offline. Customers who visit your domain see a message that the store is closed. Your domain registration (if you bought it through Shopify) remains active, but your store itself is not accessible.

If you restart a paid subscription within the 90-day window, your store comes back online with all products, settings, and customer records intact. You do not have to rebuild anything. After 90 days, Shopify permanently deletes your store data and you cannot recover it.

Refunds and what you owe after cancellation

Shopify does not refund subscription charges you have already paid. If you were charged on the 1st of the month and cancel on the 15th, you keep the full month's charge — there is no prorated refund for the unused days.

Some Shopify plans charge monthly, others annually. If you are on an annual plan and cancel partway through, you do not get money back for the remaining months. Check your Billing page to see your plan type and next billing date before you cancel, so you know what to expect.

If Shopify charged you in error or you believe the charge was unauthorized, contact Shopify Support with your billing statement. They can investigate and may issue a refund in specific circumstances, but this is separate from the cancellation process itself.

Cancelling when you have an outstanding balance

If your account has an unpaid invoice or outstanding balance, you can still cancel your subscription. Cancellation does not erase the debt — Shopify will continue to pursue collection of the balance through email and may refer it to a collections agency if it remains unpaid.

Before you cancel, check your Billing page to see if there are any unpaid charges. If you want to cancel without paying, understand that the debt will remain on your account and may affect your ability to open a new Shopify store in the future using the same email address or payment method.

Keeping your domain after cancellation

If you registered your domain through Shopify, cancelling your store subscription does not automatically cancel your domain registration. Your domain stays active and you continue to pay the annual renewal fee unless you specifically cancel the domain separately.

To keep your domain but move your store elsewhere, go to Settings > Domains, select your domain, and click "Transfer domain" or "Change domain." You can point your domain to a new hosting provider or let it expire by not renewing it. If you want to cancel the domain entirely, you can do that in the same section.

If you do nothing, your domain will renew automatically each year and you will be charged. Shopify will send renewal reminders to your email, but the charge will process whether or not you see the notice.

Reactivating your subscription within 90 days

If you cancel and then change your mind, you have 90 days to restart your subscription. Log back into your Shopify account, go to Billing, and select a plan. Your store will come back online immediately with all your products, customers, and settings restored exactly as they were.

You will be charged for the plan you choose starting from the day you reactivate. If you reactivate on the 30th day after cancellation, you pay for a full month from that date forward — Shopify does not credit you for the time your store was offline.

After 90 days, your store data is deleted and you cannot recover it by reactivating. If you want to restart after that point, you would have to rebuild your store from scratch.

Cancelling through Shopify Support if you cannot access your account

If you forgot your password, your email is no longer active, or you cannot log in for any other reason, you can still cancel through Shopify Support. Go to the Shopify Help Center, select "Contact Support," and explain that you want to cancel your subscription but cannot access your account.

Shopify will ask you to verify your identity by providing information like your store name, the email associated with the account, or recent billing details. This process can take a few business days. Once verified, Support can cancel the subscription on your behalf.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I get a refund if I cancel mid-month?

No. Shopify charges for the full billing period and does not refund unused days. If you were charged on the 1st and cancel on the 15th, you keep the full month's charge. Check your next billing date before cancelling so you know when the next charge would occur.

What happens to my customer data after I cancel?

Shopify keeps your customer records, order history, and all store data for 90 days. If you reactivate within that window, everything is restored. After 90 days, the data is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.

Can I cancel if I have unpaid invoices?

Yes, you can cancel even with an outstanding balance. However, the debt remains on your account and Shopify may pursue collection. This can affect your ability to open a new Shopify store using the same email or payment method in the future.

Will my domain expire if I cancel my store?

No. If you registered your domain through Shopify, it stays active and continues to renew annually unless you cancel it separately. You will keep paying the renewal fee each year. You can transfer the domain to another provider or let it expire by not renewing it.

How long do I have to reactivate my store after cancelling?

You have 90 days to restart your subscription and restore your store with all data intact. After 90 days, Shopify deletes your store permanently and you cannot recover it by reactivating.