In business, things don’t always go according to plan. 

Sales can plummet unexpectedly, life circumstances change, maybe you’re interested in trying a different e-commerce platform or need to take a short break for a family vacation.

Whatever your reason for wanting to close or cancel your Shopify store, this step-by-step guide will walk you through the process. 

If you only want to temporarily shut your doors to the public, this guide will also outline how to pause your store until you’re ready to open again.

In this guide on closing, cancelling or pausing your Shopify store:

It’s a big decision, so let’s look first at what you should think about before you pull the plug. 

What You Need to Know Before You Close Your Shopify Store

Thankfully, closing and pausing a Shopify store is a straightforward process, but there are a few things you need to know first.

• You have to close the store yourself
• The Shopify team can’t do this for you.
• Closing your store cancels your account

Closing your Shopify store will also cancel your Shopify account, so you’ll lose access to your admin pages. Temporarily pausing your account might be a better option if you’re still unsure for this reason.

• You’ll lose your store name and URL
• You won’t be able to reopen under the same name and URL if you change your mind. 
• You’ll need to settle any debts before you can close up
• If you have any outstanding money owing to Shopify, you’ll need to pay in full before you can close up. 
• You’ll need to remove any integrations and apps

Often the most time-consuming part of closing a Shopify store is uninstalling and cancelling any third-party apps, especially those with recurring monthly charges. 

Uninstalling apps from your Shopify store will not automatically cancel your subscription, this will need to be done with the app directly. Because most apps charge monthly, be aware that you probably won’t be entitled to any refunds.

• You won’t be refunded any subscription fees
• You also won’t receive refunds from Shopify for any remaining subscriptions. If you’re cancelling a free trial, you won’t be charged for anything.
• You’ll need to transfer a custom domain

If you have a custom domain name, you’ll need to transfer it. If you purchased and connected the domain name using a third party, all you’ll need to do is remove the domain from your Shopify store and change the DNS settings with your domain registrar. 

This is so you can still use the domain even after your Shopify account has been cancelled. If you purchased the domain through Shopify, you’ll need to transfer management of the domain to another hosting platform or registrar.

• Shopify’s transfer security may mess with your frontend

Shopify’s HTTP strict transfer security (HSTS) remains effective for 90 days after your store’s closure, which shouldn’t be an issue if your new platform is https-enabled. 

If not, visitors to your store will see a security message that your store is insecure, not to be trusted, and your certificate is not valid.

How to Close (and Cancel) Your Shopify Store

Steps to close your Shopify store

1. Login to your account and navigate your way to your store’s admin panel and Settings > Account.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the account page where you’ll find the Store Status panel. Click Close Store.
3. A pop-up window will appear asking you for feedback on why you’re closing your store and how you can contact the Shopify Support Team. Choose your reason, enter your password when prompted and click Close Store.
4. You’ll be taken to a confirmation screen – and that’s that. Your Shopify store is officially closed.

If you wake in the middle of the night with the cold sweats and want to reactivate your account, you have a small window of opportunity. Your store data and configuration will be stored for 30 days.

Remember, you can’t create a new store with the same name and URL so if you do change your mind, you’re best to reactivate your old account. Free Shopify trial accounts will be closed immediately.

Unsure? How to Pause Your Shopify Store

The alternative to closing your store’s doors completely is to put your Shopify account on hold. 

With this option, your store will still be accessible online, and you’ll still have access to your admin panel, but the checkout function of your store will be disabled.

Pausing your store will still cost you significantly less than Shopify’s Basic Plan. You’ll be shifted to Shopify’s Dormant Plan, which is approximately $14 per month. 

You will also still need to uninstall and cancel any third-party apps with recurring monthly fees because these can’t be paused. And you’ll need to take care of any outstanding Shopify charges before you can push pause.

The steps for pausing your account

1. Log in to your account and navigate your way in your store’s admin panel to Settings > Account.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the account page where you’ll find the Store Status panel. Click Pause Store.
3. A pop-up window will appear asking you to confirm your billing details. Then click Pause Store.
4. When you’re ready to unpause, log in to your account, navigate to Settings > Account > Compare Plans. Shopify requires you to choose a new plan and confirm your billing details again before your store’s checkout function is re-enabled.

To temporarily stop visitors from accessing your store, you could consider adding password protection to your store and locking it. 

Without the password, customers won’t be able to view your products or place orders. You can add a customized message to explain to your customers why your store is temporarily closed.

Your Options: Close, Pause, Automate

If you’ve decided it’s time for you to shut up shop, Shopify makes it easy to close your store and cancel your account. 

You can also, just as easily, press pause if you need a short break. 

First consider why you want to close your store, and if it’s a simple (or not so simple) matter of struggling to keep up, look at ways to automate the tasks causing you the most stress.

Closing and Pausing Shopify Stores FAQs

• How do I cancel my Shopify account?

To close your Shopify store and account, from your store admin select Settings > Account. Scroll to the bottom of the page and under Store Status, click Close Store. You’ll be asked to provide a reason why and feedback, then click Close Store again. 

• How do I remove my Shopify store and start over?

If you cancel your Shopify store and account you will lose your store name and URL. If you have the same business, this may cause problems when you try starting again. To close your store and cancel your account, go to Settings > Account in your Shopify admin. Click Store Status and Close Store. 

• How do I permanently delete my Shopify account?

When you close your store and cancel your Shopify account, you will lose your store’s name and URL. You can start afresh but won’t be able to get this back, so it is effectively deleted permanently. Go to Settings > Account > Store Status > Close Store.

• Can I cancel Shopify anytime?

You can cancel your Shopify store anytime as long as you don’t owe Shopify money. If you have bills outstanding, you will need to pay these before you can cancel your account. You won’t get refunded any subscription fees for closing your account early. If you cancel whilst on a free trial, you’ll lose access immediately but won’t be charged. 

• Will I be charged if I close my Shopify store?

If you owe Shopify any outstanding money you will need to pay this before you can cancel your account. You won’t be charged for cancelling, but you also won’t receive any refunds for subscriptions paid in advance.