I still remember the "Phantom Charge" of 2021. I had closed a failing dropshipping store three months prior—or so I thought. I was sitting at a coffee shop, checking my bank statement, when I saw it: a $29 charge from Shopify and a $19 charge from a review app I forgot existed. I had "closed" the store by just deleting the bookmark and ignoring it, thinking the trial would expire and everything would vanish. Spoiler: It didn't.
That mistake cost me nearly $150 in zombie fees before I finally figured out how to properly untangle myself from the ecosystem. Whether you are pivoting to a new platform, taking a break, or just realizing that e-commerce is harder than the YouTube gurus promised, knowing how to cancel shopify subscription correctly is the difference between a clean break and a lingering bill. In 2026, the process is hidden behind a few more clicks than it used to be, but I’ll walk you through it so you don't pay a cent more than you have to.
Before You Click "Deactivate": The Hidden Traps
If you search how to cancel shopify subscription, most guides just tell you which buttons to click. They fail to mention the financial landmines that explode after you leave. Clicking "Deactivate" stops Shopify from billing you, but it doesn't stop everyone else.
1. The Third-Party App Trap This is where I lost my money. Many Shopify apps (like page builders or email tools) have their own billing agreements. While Shopify tries to cancel these when you close the store, some external apps (especially those that bill via PayPal or Stripe directly) will keep charging you.Action: Go to Settings > Apps and sales channels and manually delete every app before you cancel the store.
2. The Domain Dilemma Did you buy your domain (e.g., coolstore.com) through Shopify? If you deactivate shopify storeaccess, you might lose control of that domain or get stuck with an auto-renewal fee next year.Action: Go to Settings > Domains. Turn off "Auto-renew." If you plan to use the name elsewhere, transfer it to a neutral host like Namecheap immediately.
Opinion Statement: I honestly believe Shopify makes the "Deactivate" button too easy to find but the "Export Data" button too hard. Always export your customer list (CSV) before you cancel. That list is an asset you own; don't let it vanish into the digital void.
How to Cancel Your Shopify Subscription (Step-by-Step)
Okay, you are ready. You have exported your data and killed the apps. Here is exactly how to cancel a shopify subscription in the 2026 dashboard.
On Desktop (Recommended):
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Log In: You must be the "Store Owner." Staff accounts cannot close stores.
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Navigate: Click Settings (bottom left gear icon).
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Plan: Select the Plan tab.
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The Button: Scroll to the very bottom. You will see a red or grey button that says Deactivate store.
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The Pitch: Shopify will likely try to offer you the "Pause and Build" plan (more on that later). Ignore it and click Deactivate store again.
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Confirm: Enter your password and pick a reason (e.g., "Too expensive").
On Mobile: The mobile app can be glitchy for this specific task. If you are wondering how to cancel subscription on shopify via the app:
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Tap the "Store" icon (bottom right).
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Tap Settings.
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Tap Plan.
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If the "Deactivate" button is missing (common bug), open your mobile browser (Chrome/Safari), go to
shopify.com,log in, and use the desktop steps above.
Honest Failure: In 2022, I tried to cancel a store from my iPhone while on vacation. The app kept crashing at the password confirmation screen. I assumed it worked. It didn't. I got billed the next day.Lesson: Always check your email for the "Store Deactivated" confirmation. If you don't get the email, you are still paying.
The "Pause and Build" Plan: Is It Worth $9?
When you try to leave, Shopify will dangle a carrot: the Pause and Build plan.What is it? For $9/month, your store stays online (admin access only).
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You Can: Edit products, fix your theme, access data.
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You Can't: Sell anything. The checkout is disabled.
Is it worth it? Only if you are seasonal (e.g., selling Christmas ornaments). If you are quitting because you aren't making sales, paying $9/month to "think about it" is a waste of money. It’s a gym membership you aren't using. Just cancel. You can always reactivate the store later (Shopify keeps your data for 2 years).
Pivoting Instead of Quitting: The Cross-Listing Strategy
Maybe you aren't cancelling because you hate e-commerce. Maybe you are cancelling because you hate paying$39/month for a website that gets no traffic. This is a crucial distinction. You don't need a Shopify store to sell online. You can sell on Ebay and Poshmark for free (no monthly fees).
Here’s where it gets interesting... Before you delete your Shopify inventory, move it. I use the Closo 100% Free Crosslister to migrate my failing Shopify stores to free marketplaces.
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The Workflow: Connect Closo to your Shopify store before you cancel.
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The Import: Pull all your photos and descriptions into Closo.
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The Push: Push those listings to Poshmark and Depop.
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The Cancellation: Now, deactivate shopify store.
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The Result: You kept your hard work (the listings) but eliminated the overhead (the subscription).
Managing Inventory Without a Website
If you search how to cancel my shopify subscription, you are often looking for relief from overhead. But what do you do with the leftover stock? Do not donate it yet. Use Closo to liquidate it on marketplaces. The Closo 100% Free Crosslister acts as a "life raft" for your inventory data.
My "Liquidation" Anecdote: I had 50 "Dog Mom" mugs left over from a failed Shopify brand. Instead of trashing them, I moved the listings to eBay via Closo. I priced them at break-even. They sold out in two weeks because eBay has built-in traffic that my Shopify store didn't. I recovered $400 that would have been lost if I had just rage-quit.
Sourcing Smarter for Your Next Venture
Usually, stores fail for one reason: Product-Market Fit. We buy what we like, not what the market wants. If you decide to try again (on eBay or a new Shopify store), don't guess. I use Closo Sourcing and Closo Demand Signals to prevent the "dead store" problem.
How Closo Sourcing helps: It identifies products that are actually moving. Instead of building a whole website for a "gut feeling," you can see that "Vintage Denim" is trending up 40% this month. You source that, list it on Depop (free), and validate the sales before committing to a monthly subscription again.
Refunds: The Hard Truth
A common question I see is: "Can I get a refund if I cancel halfway through the month?" No. Shopify’s Terms of Service are strict: No refunds. If you get billed $39 on the 1st and cancel on the 2nd, you just lost $38. The store stays active until the end of the billing cycle, but you won't get the cash back.
Parenthetical Aside: (I once spent an hour on chat with Shopify support begging for a refund because I cancelled 24 hours after billing. The agent was nice, but the answer was a firm "No." Don't waste your time. Just set a calendar reminder to cancel before the bill hits.)
Common Questions I See
People always ask me... Will I lose my store name if I cancel?
Yes and no. Your myshopify.com URL (e.g., jims-coffee.myshopify.com) is yours forever. No one else can take it. However, if you want to create a new store later, you can't reuse that URL for a fresh account. You would have to reactivate the old one or pick a new name (e.g., jims-coffee-2.myshopify.com).
Common question I see... Can I just freeze my account?
That is what the "Pause and Build" plan is ($9/mo). There is no free "Freeze" option. If you stop paying, Shopify will eventually freeze the account for non-payment, but this looks bad on your record and makes reactivating harder later. It is cleaner to formally cancel shopify subscription.
People always ask me... What happens to my customer data?
Shopify retains your store data for 2 years after cancellation. This means if you decide to come back in 18 months, you can log in, pay for a plan, and your products/customers will still be there. After 2 years, it is purged permanently.
Conclusion
Learning how to cancel shopify subscription is a rite of passage. It doesn't mean you failed; it means you are pivoting.The smartest entrepreneurs know when to cut costs. If the store isn't profitable, kill the monthly fee. But don't kill the business potential. Move the inventory to Ebay. Use Closo to keep your listings alive on free platforms. And when you are ready to start again, use data to pick a winner.
My honest assessment is that you should cancel today if you aren't making sales. Stop bleeding cash. Take that $39/month and spend it on buying better inventory or testing products on Poshmark.
If you are ready to pivot your inventory to a platform with no monthly fees, use the Closo Seller Hub to start cross-listing for free.
For more on where to move your products next, read our Pages Similar to eBay Guide
And if you want to know what to sell when you restart, check out Trending Products Forecast 2026
