Closing a Shopify store is simple and can be done quickly in just a few steps.
First, navigate to your settings in the Shopify dashboard, and choose Plan and permissions.
Shopify Dashboard > Settings > Plan and permissions
On this page, scroll to the bottom to the section that reads Store status and you will see 3 different options.
Choose option 3: sell or close to close your Shopify store.
In the popup-window select close once more and enter your store password to complete the cancellation.
Things You Should Know Before Closing Your Shopify Store
- Shopify will keep your store backed up for 30 days — If you decide to get back to your store within 30 days and select a new plan, your store will still be available as you left it. After this 30 day period, you will no longer be able to retrieve your store as the backup will have been removed.
- When closing a store, all remaining subscription charges will be charged to you
- Make sure all third-party app subscriptions are also canceled — You will be charged the outstanding monthly subscription fee.
- will no longer have access to your Shopify dashboard once you close your store — If you wish to keep your access you should choose pause instead.
- If you bought a domain through Shopify, you should transfer this to another provider before you close your Shopify store
How To Sell Your Shopify Store
When choosing to close your Shopify store, Shopify gives you the option to sell the store on the Shopify Exchange Marketplace instead.
Selling a Shopify store on the marketplace is free and if you choose to do so, Shopify will ask you to install the Shopify Marketplace Exchange app.
Shopify will automatically generate screenshots of your store and ask you to complete your listing by providing more information that is useful for potential buyers.
Please keep in mind that, in order to sell your Shopify store, your store must be on a paid plan. You can use the discounted pause and build plan for this.
Check out this article to get started with selling your Shopify store.
How To Pause Your Shopify Store
Alternatively, you can also choose to pause the Shopify store instead. This way, you can come back to the store later on when you’re ready to sell again. Pausing a store is currently free. A paused store cannot be found.
Another option is to pause and build your store. Here you still have to pay a monthly fee of $9 and you cannot sell any products but you can still work on the theme and continue building your store until it’s finished and ready to sell again.
You should cancel and uninstall any third-party apps that have subscription charges when you pause your store. Otherwise, they will continue to charge you even if your store is paused.
FAQ
How can I cancel my Shopify free trial?
You don’t need to cancel a Shopify free trial. Once the 14-day trial period ends, your store won’t be available anymore. There is nothing you have to do as you haven’t entered your payment details yet.
Can Shopify support close my store for me?
No. Only the store owner can close your Shopify store. you cannot ask Shopify support to do this for you. You need to do this yourself by heading over to settings > plans and permissions.
I still can’t figure out how to close my store, what should I do?
If you’re still unclear on how to close your store, or you have more questions about store cancellations, contact Shopify support and ask them to guide you through the process of closing your store.
How do I lock my Shopify store?
If you want to lock your store instead, and make it invisible to customers, you can do so by adding a password page to your store. To do this, navigate to Online Store > Preferences in your Shopify dashboard.
Then scroll to the bottom section to the password protection section and check the box that reads “enable password”. Next, you can change the password and add a message to your visitors to let them know why your store is locked.