How to Delete Shopify Account

Shopify is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms out there, helping businesses of all sizes sell their products online. But sometimes, things change maybe your business has evolved, or perhaps you’ve found a better alternative. In that case, you may be wondering how to delete your Shopify account properly without running into issues.

In this complete guide, we’ll walk you through every step of closing your Shopify store. We’ll also discuss what you should take care of before you delete your store and explore possible alternatives if you’re not sure about closing your account entirely.

Let’s dive in!

Why You Might Want to Delete Your Shopify Account

Common Reasons for Closing a Shopify Store

Before you go ahead and delete your Shopify account, it’s important to understand the reasons behind the decision. Here are some of the most common ones:

Business Closure: Your business has shut down, and you no longer need an online store.
Switching Platforms: You’ve decided to move to a different e-commerce platform like WooCommerce or Wix.
High Costs: Shopify’s subscription and app fees can add up, making it expensive for small businesses.
Lack of Sales: If your store isn’t generating enough revenue, it may not be worth maintaining.
Rebranding: You’re planning to launch a new business under a different name or strategy.

Should You Delete or Just Pause Your Shopify Store?

Before making a final decision, consider whether you really need to delete your Shopify store — or if a temporary pause might make more sense. Shopify offers a Pause and Build plan, which lets you keep your store accessible for a reduced fee while you figure out your next steps.

Pausing Your Store:

Cheaper monthly fee
Store remains visible (if you choose)
You can still manage your admin dashboard

Deleting Your Store:

Permanent closure
Loss of all store data (unless backed up)
No future access without creating a new account

Important Things to Do Before Deleting Your Shopify Store

Back Up Your Store Data

Once your Shopify account is deleted, you won’t be able to recover your store data. Make sure to download:

Order history and customer data
Product information and images
Financial reports and invoices

To export your data, go to your Shopify admin panel, navigate to the relevant sections, and use the Export option.

Cancel Third-Party App Subscriptions

Shopify apps often have separate billing systems. Deleting your Shopify account doesn’t automatically cancel those subscriptions — and you could keep getting charged.

To avoid this:

Go to Apps in your Shopify dashboard.
Click on each app and review its subscription status.
Cancel or uninstall any active subscriptions.

Clear Outstanding Payments and Fees

Shopify won’t let you close your store if you have unpaid invoices. Head to Settings > Billing and settle any outstanding charges before proceeding.

Transfer or Disconnect Your Custom Domain

If you purchased a custom domain through Shopify or connected a third-party one, you’ll want to either transfer or remove it before deletion.

For Shopify-bought domains: Transfer it to another domain registrar or website.
For third-party domains: Disconnect it from Shopify’s DNS settings.

How to Delete a Shopify Store: Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to close your store? Here’s exactly how to do it.

Step 1: Log Into Your Shopify Admin Panel

Head over to Shopify.com and sign in with your credentials.

Step 2: Go to Settings and Select Plan

On the bottom left of your dashboard, click Settings > Plan. This section shows your current subscription and plan details.

Step 3: Click on Deactivate Store

Scroll down and click the Deactivate Store option. Shopify will prompt you with warnings and suggestions before moving forward.

Step 4: Provide a Reason for Closing Your Store

Shopify will ask why you’re closing your store — choose an appropriate reason from the dropdown.

Step 5: Confirm Deactivation and Finalize the Process

Follow the final on-screen prompts to confirm deactivation. Once done, your store will be officially closed, and you’ll no longer be billed.

How to Cancel Shopify Subscription Without Deleting Your Store

Not ready to shut things down permanently? Here are some alternatives.

Pause Your Shopify Store

With the Pause and Build plan, you can keep your store’s backend active while taking a break from full operations.

Switch to a Cheaper Shopify Plan

If cost is an issue, consider downgrading to a more affordable plan instead of deleting your account.

Temporarily Disable Your Store

You can password-protect your store, making it inaccessible to the public while keeping it active.

What Happens After You Delete or Cancel Shopify Account?

Data Retention and Access to Past Invoices

Once your store is deleted, Shopify retains your store’s information for a limited time for legal and billing purposes. However, you won’t have access to the admin panel or your data unless you reopen the store.

Can You Reopen a Closed Shopify Store?

Yes but only within a short window after deletion. If you act quickly, you can reactivate your account by logging back in and choosing a subscription plan.