How to Cancel Your Shopify Store: Here’s How—and Read This First

Want to know how to cancel your Shopify store? Maybe your sales have slowed. Maybe life has exploded and you just can’t deal right now. Or maybe your 3PL warehouse has really pushed you over the edge and you’re fed up. All good. We know people who’ve been there—store owners who felt stuck, frustrated, and ready to shut it all down.

You might feel overwhelmed, burned out, or unsure if your store is still worth the effort. And you’re not alone.

This guide will walk you through how to cancel your Shopify store if you’re truly ready to go—but also what to consider before you do. Because sometimes, cancelling your subscription isn’t your only option. And in many cases, it may not be your best one.

Yes, You Can Cancel Shopify (Here’s the Quick Version)

If you’re sure it’s time to go, here’s the simplified process:

1. Log into your Shopify admin
2. Go to Settings > Plan
3. Scroll down and click Deactivate Store
4. Choose a reason for leaving
5. Confirm your password and submit

Your store will be taken offline immediately. You won’t be billed again unless you’re mid-cycle on a prepaid plan or have outstanding charges.

There’s a more detailed cancellation guide at the bottom of this post (click here to scroll). But before you jump there, let’s explore some options that might save you time, money, and future regret.

Why People Cancel—And Smarter Alternatives to Consider

Plenty of people cancel for totally valid reasons. But if you’re feeling unsure, rushed, or just reacting to stress, it might be worth pausing before you make it permanent.

Sales Are Slow

Low sales can feel demoralizing. It’s natural to think about pulling the plug when the math doesn’t add up. But a sales slump isn’t always the end—it might just mean it’s time to scale back, reset, or re-strategize.

Shopify’s Pause and Build plan costs USD $9/month. It turns off your storefront but keeps your dashboard, settings, products, and customer data intact. You can work behind the scenes while regrouping.

There’s also Shopify Starter, which costs just USD $5/month.

With the Starter plan, you don’t need a full website or storefront. Instead, Shopify gives you checkout links for each product. You can share those links on social media, in emails, or through messages. When someone clicks, they go straight to a secure Shopify checkout page.

It’s a great way to stay active and keep selling without the overhead of a full store.

You Need a Break

Life happens. Burnout is real. Maybe you just need time off—but that doesn’t mean you need to shutdown your store entirely.

Pausing your store keeps everything in place for whenever you’re ready to return. You can still access all your content, orders, and settings. And you won’t have to rebuild everything later.

You’re Moving to Another Platform

If you’re switching to WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Squarespace, or another service, cancelling may feel like the obvious step. Just make sure you leave cleanly.

Before deactivating:

• Export all your products, customer lists, order data, and theme files
• Cancel any third-party apps (some bill separately)
• Transfer or redirect your domain
• Set up 301 redirects if you’re worried about SEO

Cancelling without migrating properly (especially the web address, your dotcom or dotwhaetever) can mean losing search rankings and traffic you’ve worked hard to build.

You’re Just Done

If you’re emotionally or financially ready to walk away, we get it. But have you thought about whether your store might be worth something to someone else?

Consider Selling Your Shopify Store

If you’ve built up any kind of customer base, email list, product library, or SEO traction, your store could have real resale value—even if sales are slow.

Shopify has an official marketplace called Exchange Marketplace, where you can list your store for sale. You can also sell independently using Flippa or Empire Flippers, or in ecommerce communities.

Selling your business might give you:

• Cash, instead of a clean shutdown
• A way to hand off your hard work to someone who wants to grow it
• Peace of mind that your brand could live on

This can be a much smarter move than simply cancelling—especially if you’ve put time and money into branding, customer acquisition, and content.

What Happens When You Cancel

Cancelling your Shopify store does the following:

• Your storefront is taken offline immediately
• Search engine rankings and indexed pages disappear
• Shopify stores your data for up to two years, in case you come back
• Any app subscriptions may continue billing unless cancelled separately
• Shopify does not issue refunds for unused time unless you contact support and ask

It’s a clean break—but that doesn’t mean it’s without consequences. That’s why it’s worth making the decision deliberately, not reactively.

How to Cancel Your Shopify Store (Step-by-Step)

If you’re absolutely sure, here’s the full process:

1. Log into your Shopify admin
2. Click Settings in the bottom left
3. Click Plan
4. Scroll down and click Deactivate Store
5. Choose your reason for leaving
6. Enter your password and confirm

You’ll receive a confirmation, and your store will be shuttered. You can still log in later and reactivate, but customers won’t be able to view your site or buy anything.

Don’t Forget These Final Tasks Before Cancelling

If you’re closing your store for good, take care of the following:

• Export product data, order history, and customer info
• Cancel third-party apps or subscriptions
• Download all invoices and financial reports
• Transfer your domain if you bought it through Shopify
• Back up your theme or custom code

These steps will save you headaches later, especially if you change your mind or need records for taxes or accounting.

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FAQ: Common Questions About Cancelling a Shopify Store