How to Cancel Shopify Subscription in 2026

Last Updated on December 18, 2025 by Himanshu Rawat

Running an online store can be an exciting journey, but sometimes business needs change. Whether you’re pausing your operations, switching platforms, or simply testing the waters, you may find yourself needing to cancel your Shopify subscription.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to cancel a Shopify subscription safely, what happens after cancellation, important things to consider before closing your store, and answers to common questions.

Things to Know Before Cancelling Your Shopify Subscription

Before cancelling your Shopify subscription, understand the key implications to avoid disruptions. Proper preparation prevents data loss and surprise costs, as many merchants overlook these steps. Shopify retains store data for up to 2 years post-cancellation, allowing reactivation.

1. Owner-Only Access

Only the designated store owner can initiate cancellation via Settings > Plan > Deactivate store. This restriction ensures security but means delegates cannot act independently. Multiple users report login issues post-cancellation, locking out teams entirely.

2. Third-Party Apps

Cancelling your Shopify plan does not auto-cancel paid apps or services like email tools or analytics plugins. Merchants often face ongoing charges; review and terminate these separately in your app dashboard to stop billing immediately.

3. Admin and Store Access

Post-cancellation, you lose immediate access to the admin panel and storefront. No logins work until reactivation with a new plan and payment details. Data like products and orders remains downloadable beforehand via exports.

4. No Refunds Policy

Shopify offers no refunds for unused subscription time, even mid-cycle. For example, on a $29/month Basic plan, cancelling day one forfeits the full month. Time cancellation near the billing end to maximise value.

5. Data Retention Facts

Store data (products, customers, orders) is kept for 2 years, but access requires repurchasing a plan. Accidental deletions during prep affect ~20-30% of merchants per case studies, emphasising pre-export backups. Over 80% of order-related issues are tied to unbacked data in transitions.

Taking a few minutes to prepare can help you avoid data loss or unexpected charges.

How to Cancel Your Shopify Subscription Easily

Canceling a Shopify subscription deactivates your store and stops billing, but first back up data and cancel third-party apps to avoid charges.

Step 1: Log In to Your Shopify Admin

• Visit admin.shopify.com and sign in using your store owner email and password. 
• Make sure you’re logged in as the primary account holder, as only the store owner has permission to cancel or deactivate a Shopify subscription.

Step 2: Access Plan Settings

• From the Shopify admin dashboard, click Settings in the bottom-left corner. 

• Then select Plan to view your current subscription, billing cycle, and available plan options. 

This section shows whether you’re on a trial, paid plan, or promotional offer.

Step 3: Initiate Cancellation

• Scroll down to the Deactivate store section (sometimes shown as Pause or cancel subscription). 
• Choose Cancel subscription if you want to fully close the store. Avoid selecting the pause option unless you plan to keep the store dormant with limited access.

Step 4: Choose a Reason for Cancellation

• Shopify will prompt you to select a reason for leaving, such as Too expensive, Switching platforms, or Business closed. 
• You can also add optional feedback to help Shopify improve its services. Click Continue once you’ve made your selection.

Step 5: Confirm and Deactivate the Store

• For security purposes, re-enter your Shopify account password. Carefully review the information shown, including loss of admin access and billing details. 
• Finally, click Deactivate store or Close store to complete the cancellation process.

Trial users: No action needed; auto-deactivates post-trial.

Pause option: Ideal for seasonal breaks, keeping data intact.

What Happens After You Cancel Shopify?

After canceling your Shopify subscription, your store deactivates immediately, halting new customer access and future billing while preserving key data temporarily.

1. Immediate Effects

• Your storefront becomes inaccessible to visitors, displaying a message that the store is paused or closed, preventing sales or order processing.​
• No further subscription fees apply after the current billing cycle ends, though any outstanding balances (like unpaid invoices) must be settled first.

2. Data Retention Period

Shopify retains your store data, including products, orders, and customer info for up to 3 months (or longer in some cases) in a grace period, allowing potential recovery without data loss.​

During this time, you can log back in to view reports or export data via Settings > Account > Download store data.

3. Reactivation Process

• To reopen, log in to your admin, select a new plan (like Basic Shopify), and confirm reactivation your preserved data restores automatically, resuming operations seamlessly.​
• If the grace period expires, the store deletes permanently, requiring a fresh setup under the same or new domain.​

Always cancel apps separately and export backups beforehand to avoid third-party charges or data gaps.

How to Cancel Third-Party App Subscriptions

Cancelling your Shopify subscription does not automatically cancel paid third-party apps. Some apps may continue billing you unless they are cancelled separately. To avoid unexpected charges, follow these steps:

Step 1. Go to Settings → Apps and sales channels
Log in to your Shopify admin and open the list of all installed apps.

Step 2. Review each installed app
Click on every app to check its subscription status and billing details.

Step 3. Cancel or uninstall apps individually
Uninstalling an app usually stops future charges, but some apps require an additional cancellation step.

Step 4. Confirm cancellation inside the app (if required)
Certain apps manage billing outside Shopify. Make sure you confirm the cancellation within the app’s own dashboard or settings.

Step 5. Check billing dates before closing your store
Review upcoming billing cycles to ensure no charges are scheduled after your store is closed.

Taking these steps before deactivating your Shopify store helps ensure you won’t be charged for unused third-party services.

Alternatives to Cancelling Your Shopify Store

If you’re not ready to cancel your Shopify store permanently, there are several flexible options you can consider to reduce costs while keeping your store available for future use:

• Pause your store with the Pause and Build plan
  This option allows you to temporarily pause sales while keeping access to your Shopify admin. You can continue editing products, updating your website, and preparing for a relaunch, all at a lower monthly cost.

• Downgrade your plan to reduce costs
  If you no longer need advanced features, switching to a lower-tier Shopify plan can significantly reduce your monthly expenses while still keeping your store active and accessible.
• Temporarily disable checkout
  You can disable the checkout process while keeping your storefront live. This is useful if you want to showcase products, collect inquiries, or maintain your online presence without accepting orders.

These alternatives give you greater flexibility and control, allowing you to pause or scale back operations without permanently closing your store.

Common Reasons Merchants Cancel Shopify

Merchants choose to cancel their Shopify stores for a variety of legitimate business reasons, depending on their goals and circumstances:

• Business closure or rebranding
  Some merchants close their stores due to business changes, while others cancel their existing stores to rebrand and relaunch under a new name or concept.
• Switching to another eCommerce platform
  As businesses grow or requirements change, merchants may move to a different platform that better fits their needs, features, or budget.
• High monthly costs
  Subscription fees, app charges, and transaction costs can add up, especially for small or low-volume stores, prompting merchants to cancel or explore more affordable options
• Seasonal or temporary stores
  Many stores operate only during certain times of the year, such as holiday or event-based businesses, and may cancel their Shopify subscription during off-seasons.
• Testing Shopify during the trial period
  Some users sign up to explore Shopify’s features and decide not to continue after the trial if it doesn’t meet their expectations.

All of these are valid reasons, and Shopify provides a straightforward cancellation process to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Final Thoughts

Cancelling your Shopify subscription is a simple process, but it’s important to plan. Make sure you back up your data, cancel third-party apps, and understand what happens after deactivation.

If you’re unsure about closing your store completely, pausing or downgrading your plan may be a better option.

We hope this guide helped you understand how to cancel a Shopify subscription with confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I cancel my Shopify subscription at any time?

Yes, you can cancel your Shopify subscription at any time. However, Shopify does not provide refunds for unused billing periods, so it’s best to cancel close to your next billing date to avoid losing paid time.

2. Will my store data be deleted after cancellation?

No, Shopify retains your store data (products, customers, and orders) for a limited period after cancellation. This allows you to reactivate your store later. However, once the retention period expires, your data may be permanently deleted, so exporting backups beforehand is strongly recommended.

3. Does canceling Shopify also cancel my third-party apps?

No. Third-party app subscriptions are billed separately and are not automatically canceled when you deactivate your Shopify store. You must manually cancel or uninstall each app to avoid ongoing charges.

4. Can I reopen my Shopify store after canceling?

Yes, as long as your data is still retained by Shopify. Simply log in, choose a new plan, and reactivate your store. Your products and settings will be restored automatically if you reactivate within the allowed timeframe.

5. What’s the difference between canceling and pausing a Shopify store?

Canceling permanently deactivates your store and stops all access until reactivation. Pausing your store, on the other hand, keeps your data intact and allows limited admin access at a reduced cost, making it ideal for seasonal or temporary breaks.