Understanding the differences between paying Shopify bills and using Shopify Bill Pay
Your Shopify account bills cover all changes directly related to the Shopify platform and running your business through Shopify, such as subscriptions, transaction fees, and apps. Shopify Bill Pay, which is a service available only to stores based in the UniteD States, lets you pay external bills, such as those to vendors or freelancers, directly within you Shopify account.
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Overview of Shopify billing charges
Common charges on your Shopify bill include the following items:
- Subscription fees: The recurring cost of your chosen Shopify plan.
- App charges: Fees for using paid Shopify apps, which can be recurring, usage-based, or one-time.
- Shipping charges: Costs associated with purchasing and printing shipping labels through Shopify Shipping.
- Transaction fees: Charges applied to orders when using a third-party payment provider (not Shopify Payments).
- Other one-time charges: Fees for domain registration, themes, or expert services.
Managing your Shopify billing charges
- Shopify account charges are generally billed in US dollars, though some regions may have local currency billing.
- You manage these payments through the Billing page in your Shopify admin.
- Several payment methods are available, including credit cards, debit cards, Shopify Balance, PayPal, ACH debits, and SEPA direct debit. Availability varies by region.
- Shipping label charges are handled separately through threshold billing.
- You can export bills in CSV or PDF format for detailed records.
Using Shopify Bill Pay for external payments
Shopify Bill Pay is a tool that allows eligible merchants based in the United States to pay their vendors, business phone bills, freelancers, or any service that invoices their business, directly through their Shopify admin. Shopify Bill Pay is powered by Melio.
Key features and acess to Shopify Bill Pay
- You can pay vendors, business phone bills, freelancers, and any service that invoices your business.
- You access it through the Finance > Bill Pay section in your Shopify admin.
- United States domestic payments can be made through bank transfer, business credit card, business debit card, or Shopify Balance.
- International payments require a bank transfer, your Shopify Balance account, or a Mastercard credit card and are paid through wire transfer.
- You can add bills manually, through a dedicated Shopify Bill Pay email address, or through integration with QuickBooks Online and Stocky.
- For domestic payments, vendors receive payment through bank transfer (ACH) or paper check in the mail.
- For international payments, vendors receive payment through a wire transfer.
Summary of the key differences between paying Shopify bills and using Shopify Bill Pay
| Feature | Paying Shopify bills | Shopify Bill Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Paying your Shopify account charges | Paying external vendors and suppliers for your business |
| Availability | All Shopify merchants (payment methods vary by region) | Eligible merchants only in the United States |
| Access | Billing page in your Shopify admin | Finance > Bill Pay section in your Shopify admin |
| Payment methods (domestic) | Various, including credit cards, debit cards, Shopify Balance, PayPal, and others | Bank transfer, business credit or debit card, Shopify Balance |
| Payment methods (international) | Region dependent | Bank transfer or Shopify Balance (paid through wire transfer) |
| Bill management | Bills generated automatically by Shopify | Add bills manually, by email, through QuickBooks Online, or through the Stocky integration. |
| Vendor payment | Not applicable | Bank transfer (ACH) or check (domestic), wire transfer (international) |