How to cancel your Shopify store subscription

You can cancel your Shopify store subscription at any time through your account settings. Log into your Shopify admin, go to Settings, then select Plan and permissions. At the bottom of the page, you'll see a "Cancel subscription" button. Click it, choose your reason for leaving, and confirm. Shopify will deactivate your store immediately, though you can reactivate it within 90 days without losing your data.

If you're on a monthly plan, cancellation takes effect right away — you won't be charged again. If you're on an annual plan, you'll lose any remaining prepaid time; Shopify does not issue refunds for unused portions of annual subscriptions. Check your billing date before you cancel to understand what you've already paid for.

Your store goes offline as soon as you cancel, but your data stays on Shopify's servers for 90 days. After that, it's permanently deleted. If you think you might return, download your product data, customer information, and order history before you cancel.

Key Takeaways

  • Cancel through Settings > Plan and permissions in your Shopify admin, then click the "Cancel subscription" button at the bottom of the page.
  • Monthly plans stop charging immediately; annual plans do not refund unused time, so check your billing date first.
  • Your store goes offline right away, but your data remains on Shopify's servers for 90 days before permanent deletion.
  • Download your products, customers, and orders before cancelling if you want to keep that information or move it elsewhere.
  • You can reactivate your store within 90 days of cancellation without losing your data.

What happens to your data after cancellation

When you cancel, your store becomes inaccessible to customers immediately. Your products, orders, customer records, and settings remain stored on Shopify's servers for 90 days. During this window, you can log back in and reactivate your subscription to restore your store exactly as it was.

After 90 days, Shopify permanently deletes all your store data. This includes product listings, customer contact information, order history, and any custom code or apps you installed. There is no way to recover this information once the 90-day period ends, so download everything you need before you cancel.

Downloading your store data before you cancel

Shopify lets you export your data through the admin. Go to Settings, then Data and privacy, and select Export your data. You can download your products as a CSV file, which you can then import into another platform or keep as a backup. This export includes product names, descriptions, prices, inventory counts, and images.

For customer and order data, go to Settings, then Data and privacy, and choose Export your data again. Shopify will prepare a file containing all customer names, email addresses, phone numbers, and their order history. This process can take a few hours if you have a large customer base, so start it before you plan to cancel.

Apps and custom code do not export automatically. If you built custom features or installed third-party apps, take screenshots of your settings and note which apps you used. If you move to another platform, you may need to reconfigure these features manually or hire a developer to help.

Reactivating your store within 90 days

If you change your mind after cancelling, you have 90 days to reactivate your store. Log into your Shopify account, and you'll see an option to reactivate your subscription. Choose your plan, and your store will come back online with all your data intact — products, customers, orders, and settings will be exactly as they were when you cancelled.

You'll be charged for the plan you choose starting from the reactivation date. If you reactivate on a monthly plan, you'll be billed monthly from that point forward. If you choose an annual plan, you'll pay the full annual price upfront.

Cancelling apps and integrations before you go

Before you cancel your store, review any apps or integrations you've installed. Some apps charge separately from your Shopify subscription — cancelling your store does not automatically cancel these charges. Go to Apps and sales channels in your admin, review each app you're using, and uninstall any you no longer need.

Check your billing history to see which apps charge you directly. Some apps bill through Shopify; others bill through their own payment system. If an app charges separately, you'll need to cancel it through the app's own settings or contact their support team to stop future charges.

Moving your store to another platform

If you're cancelling Shopify to move to another platform — WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Wix, or another service — export your data first. Most platforms have import tools that accept CSV files for products and customer data. The process varies by platform, so check their documentation for the exact format they need.

Domain names are separate from your Shopify subscription. If you own a custom domain through Shopify, you can keep it and point it to your new platform. If you registered your domain elsewhere, it remains yours regardless of what happens to your store. Update your domain's DNS settings to point to your new host once you're ready to switch.

Email addresses associated with customer accounts do not transfer automatically. If you want to contact your customers on your new platform, you'll need to import the customer list yourself or use a service that syncs customer data between platforms.

Understanding Shopify's refund policy

Shopify does not refund subscription fees for time you don't use. If you're on an annual plan and cancel after three months, you lose the remaining nine months of prepaid fees. Monthly plans are simpler — you're only charged for the month you're in, and cancellation stops future charges immediately.

Transaction fees and payment processing charges are separate from your subscription. Even if you cancel your store, you may still owe transaction fees for orders processed before cancellation. Check your billing history to see what you've been charged and what's still outstanding.

Third-party apps may have their own refund policies. Some apps offer prorated refunds if you cancel mid-month; others do not. Before you cancel your store, check the refund policy for any paid apps you're using.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cancel my Shopify subscription anytime, or is there a contract?

You can cancel anytime with no contract. There's no penalty for cancelling a monthly plan. Annual plans don't refund unused time, so if you're mid-year, you'll lose that prepaid portion. Check your billing date to see how much time remains on your current plan.

What happens to my domain if I cancel Shopify?

If you registered your domain through Shopify, you keep ownership of it. You can point it to a new host or platform by updating your DNS settings. If you registered your domain elsewhere, it was never tied to Shopify and remains yours no matter what you do with your store.

Can I get my store data back after the 90-day window closes?

No. After 90 days, Shopify permanently deletes all your store data with no recovery option. Download your products, customers, and orders before you cancel if you want to keep them.

Do I need to cancel my apps separately from my store?

Yes. Cancelling your Shopify store does not automatically cancel paid apps. Go to Apps and sales channels, uninstall the apps you no longer need, and check your billing history to see which ones charge separately. Contact the app provider directly if you're unsure how to stop charges.

Will my customers be notified when I cancel my store?

Shopify does not automatically notify your customers. Your store simply goes offline. If you want to tell customers you're closing, send them an email before you cancel. This is also a good time to offer a final discount or let them know where they can find you next.