Deleting a Shopify account closes your store and removes it from the internet, but the process depends on whether you have active orders, unpaid bills, or apps running on your account

Shopify does not have a single "delete account" button. Instead, you close your store through the admin panel, which takes your site offline immediately. If you have no outstanding charges or active orders, the account can be fully removed within 90 days. If you owe money or have pending transactions, Shopify will not let you proceed until those are settled. The steps differ slightly depending on your store's status and what you want to happen to your domain name.

Before you start, download any data you want to keep — customer lists, order history, product information. Once the store is closed, you have 90 days to request permanent deletion. After that window, Shopify may retain some information for legal or tax reasons, but your store will not be recoverable.

Key Takeaways

  • You close your store in the Shopify admin under Settings > Plan and Permissions > Close Store, which takes your site offline immediately but does not delete your account data yet.
  • Your account cannot be closed if you have unpaid invoices, active orders, or pending refunds — you must settle these first.
  • After closing your store, you have 90 days to request permanent deletion through the same settings panel; after 90 days, Shopify may keep some records for legal purposes.
  • Your domain name does not automatically delete — you must cancel it separately through your domain registrar or Shopify Domains if you registered it there.
  • Any apps or third-party services connected to your store will lose access once the store closes, so disconnect or cancel paid subscriptions beforehand to avoid surprise charges.

Check your account status before closing

Open your Shopify admin and go to Settings, then scroll down to Plan and Permissions. Look for the Close Store option. Before you click it, Shopify will show you a checklist of things that must be resolved first. The most common blockers are unpaid invoices, active orders awaiting shipment, and pending refunds.

If you see a message that your store cannot be closed, check your Billing section under Settings to see what balance is owed. Pay any outstanding charges through the same panel. If you have orders in progress, either fulfill them or cancel them — Shopify will not let you close a store with orders stuck in "Pending" or "Processing" status. Refunds that are still being processed must complete before closure.

Apps and integrations do not block closure, but they may continue charging you after your store closes if you do not cancel them first. Go to Apps and Sales Channels in your admin and remove or uninstall any paid apps. Check your billing history to see which apps charge monthly, then cancel those subscriptions directly through the app's settings or your Shopify billing page.

Close your store through the admin panel

Once your account is clear of blockers, return to Settings > Plan and Permissions > Close Store. Shopify will ask you why you are closing — this is optional feedback, not a requirement. You can select a reason or skip it. Read the warning that appears: it will tell you that your store will go offline immediately and that you have 90 days to request permanent deletion.

Click Close Store. Your site will be taken offline within minutes. Visitors who try to reach your store will see a message that it is no longer available. Your admin panel will remain accessible for the next 90 days so you can download data or request permanent deletion.

If you change your mind within 90 days, you can reopen your store by going back to Settings > Plan and Permissions and selecting Reopen Store. After 90 days, this option disappears and you will need to contact Shopify support to recover your account — recovery is not may provide.

Request permanent deletion within 90 days

Closing your store and deleting your account are two separate actions. Closing takes your site offline; deletion removes your account data from Shopify's servers. You must request deletion within 90 days of closing, or Shopify will keep your data indefinitely for legal and tax record-keeping.

Go to Settings > Plan and Permissions again. You will see a new option: Request Account Deletion. Click it and confirm your choice. Shopify will send you a confirmation email. Once you confirm through that email, your account is queued for deletion. The process takes up to 30 days, though it often happens faster.

After deletion is complete, you will not receive a notification — your account simply stops appearing in Shopify's system. If you need to verify that deletion happened, you can try logging in with your email address. If the account no longer exists, Shopify will tell you no account is associated with that email.

Handle your domain name separately

Deleting your Shopify account does not delete your domain name. If you registered your domain through Shopify Domains, you must cancel it separately to stop paying the annual renewal fee. If you registered it elsewhere (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.), Shopify has no control over it and you must manage it through that registrar.

To cancel a Shopify-registered domain, go to Settings > Domains before you close your store. Find the domain you want to cancel and click the three-dot menu next to it. Select Cancel Domain. Shopify will refund any remaining time on your current renewal period, minus a cancellation fee (usually $10 to $15). The refund goes back to your original payment method within 5 to 10 business days.

If you want to keep your domain but point it elsewhere, you can transfer it to another registrar or simply let it expire. If you let it expire without renewing, Shopify will stop charging you after the current renewal period ends. The domain will become available for anyone to register 30 to 90 days after expiration.

Download your data before deletion

Shopify gives you 90 days to download your store data after closing. After permanent deletion, this data is gone. Go to Settings > Data and Privacy and look for the Download Your Data section. Click the download button and Shopify will prepare a file containing your customer information, order history, product catalog, and other store records.

The file is usually a CSV or JSON format that you can open in a spreadsheet or data analysis tool. Shopify will email you a download link within a few hours. The link expires after 7 days, so download it promptly if you need it. If the link expires, you can request the data again through the same panel.

Some information — like payment card details — is never included in these exports for security reasons. If you need records of specific transactions for accounting or tax purposes, export your order data and keep it in a safe location before you delete your account.

What happens to your customer data after deletion

When your account is permanently deleted, Shopify removes your customer email addresses, order history, and store information from its active systems. However, Shopify may retain some data for legal compliance, tax reporting, and fraud prevention. This retained data is not accessible to you or anyone else through the Shopify platform.

If you had customers on your mailing list, they will not receive any notification that your store has closed unless you send them a message yourself before deletion. If you want to notify customers, do that before you close your store — once it is offline, you will not be able to send emails through Shopify.

If a customer files a chargeback or dispute after your store is deleted, Shopify can still access archived transaction records to help resolve it. This is why Shopify keeps some data beyond the 90-day window — to protect both you and your customers in case of payment disputes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I reopen my store after I close it?

Yes, within 90 days. Go to Settings > Plan and Permissions and click Reopen Store. Your products, customers, and settings will be restored. After 90 days, the reopen option disappears and you will need to contact Shopify support to recover your account, which is not may provide.

What if I have a payment plan or outstanding balance?

You must pay any balance before closing your store. Go to Settings > Billing and pay the amount owed. If you have a payment plan, you can cancel it, but you will owe the full remaining balance immediately. Contact Shopify support if you need to negotiate a payment arrangement.

Will my customers be charged after I close my store?

No, but any apps you had running may continue to charge you if you do not uninstall them first. Go to Apps and Sales Channels and remove all paid apps before closing. Check your billing history to see which apps charge monthly and cancel those subscriptions.

Do I lose my domain if I delete my Shopify account?

Not automatically. If you registered your domain through Shopify, you must cancel it separately in Settings > Domains to stop paying renewal fees. If you registered it elsewhere, Shopify has no control over it. You can transfer it to another registrar or let it expire.

How long does permanent deletion take?

Up to 30 days after you request it. You have 90 days from the date you close your store to request deletion. After you confirm the deletion request through email, Shopify removes your account data from its active systems. You will not receive a notification when it is complete.