How to Delete A Shopify Account: A Step-by-Step Guide to Permanently Closing Your Store

Deleting your Shopify account is a significant decision that can have lasting effects on your e-commerce website and, correspondingly, online business. Whether you’ve decided to close your store permanently, take a break from e-commerce activities, or simply explore other platforms, you’ve come to the right place. Below, we explain how to delete a Shopify account. Since it’s essential to understand the implications and stages involved in this process, this step-by-step guide also explores these nuances. Deleting your Shopify account isn’t just about turning off your store; it involves careful preparation, including backing up your data, canceling active subscriptions, and ensuring that you won’t face unexpected charges after your account is closed permanently.

We will walk you through each step of the deletion process, ensuring that you avoid common pitfalls and make informed decisions. You will find out how to prepare for the deletion and what happens after your account is deleted, including the possibility of reopening your store. Whether you’re a seasoned Shopify user or someone new to the platform, following these steps will help you close your Shopify account with confidence and peace of mind.

Before You Go: A Complete Checklist

Shutting down even the smallest online store is a big decision with far-reaching consequences. Before you even start thinking about how to delete a Shopify account, it’s essential to address several key tasks. Whether you’re closing your store permanently or moving to another platform, our comprehensive pre-deactivation checklist will help you prioritize these crucial steps.

1. Notify Your Customers: If you’re planning to delete your Shopify account, it’s vital to inform your customers about the closure. Communicate details regarding their orders, returns, or refunds, and consider offering a final sale. Use email, social media, or other communication channels to inform them. If you’re migrating to a new platform, notify customers about the move and any steps they need to take, such as creating new account passwords if required.
2. Plan a Final Sale: If you’re closing your business entirely, a liquidation sale can help you clear out the remaining inventory and recoup some of your investment. However, if you’re merely switching platforms, this step may not be necessary.
3. Fulfill Outstanding Orders: Ensure all existing orders are fulfilled before closing your store. Confirm that your customers receive their purchases and keep them updated on the status of their orders.
4. Settle Outstanding Payments: Before you delete your Shopify account, ensure all invoices, app fees, shipping costs, and transaction fees are paid in full. This will prevent any surprises down the road.
5. Export Billing History: Save your billing history by exporting it from your Shopify admin panel. Consider downloading your payout history and transaction records, especially if you’re using Shopify Payments, for future reference.
6. Cancel Active Apps and Subscriptions: Navigate to the “Apps” section in your Shopify admin and cancel any third-party apps or subscriptions. This step ensures you won’t be billed for services you no longer use after your store is closed.
7. Review Shopify Financial Products: Be aware that deactivating your Shopify account will impact your access to Shopify Balance, Shopify Capital, and Shopify Credit. Consider any outstanding obligations or balances before proceeding.
8. Deactivate Payment Gateways: Turn off any active payment gateways to prevent further transactions from being processed after your store is closed.
9. Manage Domain Settings: If you have a custom domain, decide whether to transfer it to another provider, keep it for future use, or let it expire. Be sure to disable auto-renewal to avoid unexpected charges. If you own a custom domain and plan to use it in the future, set up a redirect to another website or landing page. This can help retain some SEO value and guide your customers to your new site
10. Remove Custom Code and Scripts: If you’ve added custom code or scripts to your Shopify store, remove them to avoid potential security risks after your account is deleted.
11. Download Financial Reports: Export all necessary financial reports, including sales data, tax summaries, and other records that may be needed for accounting purposes.
12. Backup and Migrate Your Data: Export all essential data related to products, orders, and customers. Use the Import & Export Tool for Shopify to streamline this process, especially if you’re migrating to another e-commerce platform.
13. Review Shopify Policies: Read Shopify’s terms of service and any potential impacts or requirements before deleting your account. This ensures you’re fully aware of any obligations or consequences that may arise.
14. Communicate with Suppliers and Partners: Inform your suppliers, manufacturers, and any other business partners about your store’s closure. This helps maintain good relationships and ensures they aren’t left with unresolved issues.
15. Consider Pausing Instead of Deleting: If you’re uncertain about closing your store permanently, Shopify offers the option to pause your store, which reduces the cost while keeping your data intact. This gives you the flexibility to resume operations later without starting from scratch. We will focus on this step later.
16. Inform Your Team: If you have employees or collaborators, they need to be aware of the store’s closure in advance. This includes any freelancers or agencies you work with.
17. Review and Update Your Social Media and Marketing Channels: Ensure that all your social media profiles, email newsletters, and other marketing channels reflect the change. This avoids confusion and maintains your brand’s reputation. Update your social media bios, set auto-replies on email accounts, and post announcements about your store’s closure or transition to a new platform.
18. Analyze Website Traffic and Performance: Before deleting your Shopify account, review your website analytics to understand customer behavior, traffic sources, and top-performing products. This data can be valuable for future business decisions or marketing efforts.
19. Create a Farewell or Transition Page: A farewell page on your site can thank your customers for their support, provide details on how to contact you in the future, or direct them to your new business endeavors. Create a simple, branded page on your site before closing it, and include any important contact information or plans.
20. Legal and Compliance Checks: Ensure that you’re compliant with any legal obligations, such as GDPR requirements for customer data, before deleting your Shopify account. Consult with a legal advisor if necessary to make sure all your bases are covered, especially regarding data retention and privacy.

Once you’ve completed these steps, you’re ready to delete your Shopify account with confidence, knowing that you’ve covered all the necessary bases.

How to Delete a Shopify Account in 4 Simple Steps

Deleting your Shopify account is possible only in a single way. It can be done by canceling your subscription. Once your store is deactivated, you will no longer have access to your Shopify admin, and all associated services will be paused. Here’s how to delete your Shopify account and cancel your subscription:

1. Access Your Shopify Admin: Navigate to your Shopify admin panel, go to Settings -> Plan, and click on “Deactivate store”.
   
2. Before You Go: Pay attention to the recommended preparations and click “Continue.” Learn how to prepare for the deletion with our “Before You Go” checklist.
   
3. Select a Reason for Deactivation: Shopify will ask you to choose a reason for deleting your account. Select the most appropriate option and click “Continue”.
   Optionally, it is possible to add comments here.
   
4. Enter Your Password: Finally, enter your password to confirm the deactivation, and click “Deactivate store”. You will receive an email confirming that your store has been successfully deactivated.
   

And that’s it! Now, you know how to delete a Shopify account by canceling your subscription. However, if you decide to return, reactivating your store is as simple as entering a valid payment method and selecting a new plan. Shopify securely stores your data for up to two years after cancellation, allowing you to pick up where you left off if needed.

Reactivating Your Store

If you decide to reactivate your Shopify store after the corresponding account has been deleted, it’s not a problem. Below, we explain how to do that:

1. Log in to your store via the credentials of a store owner.
2. Click Re-open “yourstorename”.
3. Select a plan and specify your payment information.
4. Click “Subscribe” to reactivate your Shopify account.

Pause Your Shopify Account Instead of Permanently Closing Your Store

It is also possible to pause selling on Shopify temporarily instead of permanently closing your store. The platform offers the “Pause and Build” plan for those who want to take a break, operate seasonally, or need more time to get ready. It is available for $9 per month only. This plan keeps access to your Shopify admin and lets you edit your products, blocking the checkout page.

On the customer side, visitors can access your online storefront to review your catalog. Purchasing products, however, is not possible.

Let’s learn how to pause your Shopify account instead of deleting it:

1. Use the credentials of a store owner to log in to your Shopify account.
2. Proceed to Admin -> Settings -> Plan.
3. Click the “Deactivate store” button.
4. Choose the “Pause and Build” plan.

Choose a new plan under Settings -> Plan when you decide to unpause.

Now, you know not only how to delete a Shopify account but also how to pause it temporarily.

How to Delete A Shopify Customer Account

Now, let’s see how to delete a Shopify account if you are a customer. On the buyer’s side, Shopify prevents account deletion. Although customers don’t have the option to delete their own accounts directly, you, as a store administrator, can remove a customer’s profile from the backend by following these steps:

1. In your Shopify admin, navigate to the “Customers” section.
2. Find and click on the name of the customer whose profile you want to delete.
3. Click “More actions”.
4. Confirm the deletion by clicking “Delete customer” in the dropdown.

This process will permanently remove the customer’s profile from your Shopify store.

Final Words

Deciding to delete your Shopify account is a significant step, whether you’re closing your store permanently or taking a break from e-commerce. It’s crucial to follow the right procedures to ensure a smooth transition and avoid any potential issues. By starting with a comprehensive checklist, you’ll be able to address all the essential tasks, from backing up your data to notifying your customers. Our step-by-step guide on how to delete a Shopify account ensures that you complete the process correctly, safeguarding your business information along the way.

If you change your mind after deactivating your store, remember that Shopify allows you to reactivate your account within two years, keeping your data intact and ready for a fresh start. Alternatively, if you’re uncertain about closing your store permanently, pausing your Shopify account might be a more flexible option, allowing you to maintain your online presence without fully committing to a shutdown.

Whether you’re searching for how to delete your Shopify account or just exploring the available options, this guide has provided you with the knowledge and confidence to make an informed decision. Always consider your long-term goals and choose the path that best aligns with your business needs.

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