Can I recover my store after closing it?

No. Store closure is permanent. All products, themes, settings, and configurations are permanently deleted. If you might return, use the 'Pause and Build' plan instead which preserves your data for $9/month.

What happens to my customer data?

Shopify retains customer transaction data for 2-7 years for legal, tax, and compliance purposes even after store closure. Personal customer information is handled according to privacy laws. Contact Support to request data deletion.

Will I get a refund for my Shopify subscription?

No. Shopify does not provide refunds for unused subscription time when you voluntarily close your store. Your subscription remains active until the end of your current billing period.

What happens to my custom domain?

Custom domains are NOT automatically canceled. If you purchased a domain through Shopify, transfer it to another provider or cancel it separately. If connected externally, update DNS settings to remove Shopify connection.

Can I export my store data after closure?

No. You must export all data BEFORE closing your store. Once closed, you cannot access the Shopify admin or any store data. Export customers, products, orders, and other critical information beforehand.

What happens to third-party app subscriptions?

App subscriptions are not automatically canceled when you close your store. Manually uninstall and cancel each app subscription before closure to avoid continued billing.

How long does Shopify keep my data after closure?

Shopify retains certain data for legal compliance (typically 2-7 years for financial records). To request full data deletion, contact Shopify Support after closing your store and invoke your privacy rights under GDPR/CCPA.

How to Delete Your Shopify Account - Step-by-Step Guide (2025)

Written & Verified By

Delete.Directory Content Team

Our team of e-commerce and privacy specialists verify every deletion process through hands-on testing.

This guide helps you permanently delete your Shopify account. We believe in digital autonomy: your right to leave any platform should be as easy as joining it. Follow these verified steps to ensure complete account deletion.

How We Verified This Guide

Methodology: Hands-on testing with live accounts

Quick Information

Time Required

15 minutes

Difficulty

medium

Steps

5 steps

Official Resources

Shopify Help - Close Your Store

Official deletion guide from Shopify

Additional Resources

[1]

Shopify Privacy Policy

Official privacy policy detailing data handling and merchant rights

[2]

Cancel Shopify Subscription

Guide to canceling subscription and pausing vs closing store

[3]

Export Shopify Data

How to export customer, product, and order data before closure

Step-by-Step Guide

Export All Store Data

Before closing, export critical data including customers, products, orders, and analytics. Go to Settings > Export and download CSV files for each data type. This is irreversible after deletion.

Tips

•Export customers, products, orders, and financial data separately
•Save exported files to secure backup location
•Include inventory and analytics reports

Warnings

•Cannot access data after store closure
•Export process may take time for large stores

Settle Outstanding Payments and Refunds

Ensure all Shopify Payments balances are paid out, pending orders are fulfilled or refunded, and customer disputes are resolved. Outstanding financial obligations must be settled before closure.

Tips

•Check Shopify Payments for pending payouts
•Issue refunds for unfulfilled orders
•Resolve all chargebacks and disputes

Warnings

•Cannot close store with pending payouts
•Unresolved disputes may prevent closure

Cancel Custom Domain and Third-Party Services

If using a custom domain, transfer it to another provider or cancel it. Disconnect third-party apps and services that may continue billing after store closure.

Tips

•Transfer domain ownership before closure
•Cancel subscriptions for apps and themes
•Export email lists from marketing apps

Navigate to Store Closure Settings

Log into Shopify admin, go to Settings > Plan, and select 'Deactivate store' or 'Close store'. Shopify will guide you through pre-closure checklist.

Tips

•Review Shopify's closure checklist carefully
•Consider 'Pause and Build' plan for temporary closure

Warnings

•'Pause' is different from 'Close' - choose correctly
•Store URL becomes unavailable immediately

Confirm Store Closure and Account Deletion

Review final warning, enter your password, and confirm store closure. Your Shopify store is closed immediately. To delete your Shopify account entirely, contact Shopify Support after closure.

Warnings

•Store closure is immediate and irreversible
•Must contact support separately to delete Shopify account data
•Customer data retained for legal compliance period

Important Warnings

Must Contact Support to Fully Delete Account

Closing your Shopify store does NOT automatically delete your Shopify account or all data. After closing your store, you must separately contact Shopify Support to request full account deletion and data removal. Store closure only deactivates your shop.

All Store Data Permanently Lost

When you close your Shopify store, all products, themes, custom code, store design, and configurations are permanently deleted. There is no way to recover this data. Export everything you need before closure.

Customer Data Retained for Legal Compliance

Even after store closure, Shopify retains certain customer data (orders, transactions) for 2-7 years for legal, tax, and compliance purposes. This data is not immediately deleted and follows Shopify's data retention policies.

Custom Domain Not Automatically Canceled

If you purchased a domain through Shopify or connected a custom domain, it is NOT automatically canceled when you close your store. You must separately transfer or cancel your domain, or you'll continue being charged.

Paid App Subscriptions Continue

Third-party app subscriptions, paid themes, and additional services may continue billing even after store closure. Manually cancel each app subscription before closing your store to avoid unwanted charges.

Store URL Becomes Immediately Unavailable

Your mystore.myshopify.com URL becomes immediately inaccessible when you close your store. Customers cannot access your store, products, or checkout. Set up redirects if needed before closure.

Alternatives to Consider

Pause and Build Plan Instead of Closing

easy

Shopify offers a 'Pause and Build' plan ($9/month) that keeps your store data intact while making it inaccessible to customers. You can resume business anytime without losing data.

Pros

•Keep all store data and configurations
•Much cheaper than full subscription
•Can reopen store anytime
•No data loss or export needed

Cons

•Still costs $9/month
•Store data remains on Shopify servers
•Doesn't address privacy concerns
•Domain and app charges may continue

5 min

Migrate to Another E-commerce Platform

hard

Before closing Shopify, export all data and migrate your store to another platform like WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or Wix. This preserves your online business while leaving Shopify.

Pros

•Maintain your e-commerce business
•Potentially lower costs on other platforms
•Keep customer relationships intact
•Preserve SEO and domain authority

Cons

•Time-consuming migration process
•May require technical expertise
•Risk of data loss during transfer
•Learning curve for new platform

240 min

Export Complete Data Archive

medium

Before closure, create comprehensive exports of all store data: customers, products, orders, pages, blog posts, and settings. This creates a complete backup for future reference or platform migration.

Pros

•Complete backup of all store information
•Can reference historical data later
•Useful for accounting and taxes
•Enables future platform migration

Cons

•Multiple exports needed for different data
•Data is in CSV/JSON format
•Time-consuming for large stores
•Doesn't preserve visual design

30 min

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Closing your store only deactivates your shop. To fully delete your Shopify account and all associated data, you must separately contact Shopify Support after closing your store and request account deletion.

References & Citations

[1]
Shopify Privacy Policy
Official privacy policy detailing data handling and merchant rights
https://www.shopify.com/legal/privacy
[2]
Cancel Shopify Subscription
Guide to canceling subscription and pausing vs closing store
https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/your-account/pause-or-close
[3]
Export Shopify Data
How to export customer, product, and order data before closure
https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/reports-and-analytics/export-data

All citations verified as of 11/8/2025. We regularly review and update all external links to ensure accuracy.

Found incorrect information?

We strive for accuracy. If something's outdated or wrong, let us know.

Report incorrect information

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Critical Warnings

Must Contact Support to Fully Delete Account
Closing your Shopify store does NOT automatically delete your Shopify account or all data. After clo...
All Store Data Permanently Lost
When you close your Shopify store, all products, themes, custom code, store design, and configuratio...
Customer Data Retained for Legal Compliance
Even after store closure, Shopify retains certain customer data (orders, transactions) for 2-7 years...

Last Updated

November 8, 2025

Shopify Account Deletion

How We Verified This Guide

Quick Information

Official Resources

Additional Resources

Step-by-Step Guide

Export All Store Data

Settle Outstanding Payments and Refunds

Cancel Custom Domain and Third-Party Services

Navigate to Store Closure Settings

Confirm Store Closure and Account Deletion

Important Warnings

Must Contact Support to Fully Delete Account

All Store Data Permanently Lost

Customer Data Retained for Legal Compliance

Custom Domain Not Automatically Canceled

Paid App Subscriptions Continue

Store URL Becomes Immediately Unavailable

Alternatives to Consider

Pause and Build Plan Instead of Closing

Migrate to Another E-commerce Platform

Export Complete Data Archive

Frequently Asked Questions

References & Citations

Found incorrect information?

Quick Navigation

Related Guides

Critical Warnings

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