Frequently asked questions about the Shopify Partner Program

The following page includes some frequently asked questions about Shopify’s Partner Program.

How does the Shopify Partner Program work?

The Shopify Partner Program is a performance-based partner program that sets the standard in the industry. It's structured to provide Partners with clear pathways for progression through different tiers, along with defined benefits at each level.

Two main tracks

Service Partner Track: This open program is designed for agencies, consultancies, and systems integrators that offer expert services to help merchants succeed on Shopify.
Technology Partner Track: This invite-only program for 2025 is tailored for independent software vendors (ISVs), application developers, enterprise resource planning (ERP) providers, and global tech companies. This track will also become the new home for Plus Certified Application Partners (PCAP), which will be retired in June 2025.

How do I become a Shopify Partner?

To become a Shopify Partner, sign up for a Shopify Partner Account. As a Partner, you can submit apps to the Shopify App Store and themes to the Shopify Theme Store, as well as start referring clients to Shopify. You’ll earn a portion of the revenue generated from each new client from the date they sign up for a Shopify store. Shopify pays you for these referrals regularly, provided you meet the minimum balance required for each payout period.

How will I earn money and how will I get paid?

Details about earning money as a Shopify Partner can be found in Shopify Partner Earnings.

Payment Schedule

Earnings are accumulated and paid out on the following schedule:

For earnings accrued between the 1st and 15th of the month, payment will be issued 5 business days after the 15th.
For earnings accrued between the 16th and the last day of the month, payment will be processed 5 business days after the end of the month.

Payments are made in USD and distributed twice a month if your balance for any activity type exceeds $25 USD. Balances below $25 will be held until the next payout period. If you close your Partner Account with a balance below $25 USD, then that balance will not be paid out.

Referral and sales earnings are calculated separately. If you meet the threshold for referral earnings but not for sales earnings, then you will still receive your referral earnings, while sales earnings will continue to accumulate until they meet the threshold.

How do I hand over a development store to a client?

For guidance on transferring development stores to clients, refer to our documentation on handing off development stores to clients.

Why can’t I install an app on a development store?

Free apps can be installed on development stores. However, to install paid apps, the development store must be on a plan that includes a valid credit card.

You can try these free Partner-friendly apps in your development store.

How do I work on a live shop without affecting it?

Option 1: Work with a development store

Download the current theme from the Themes page in the live shop.
Upload it to your development store. You can now work on a copy of the live shop’s theme without affecting it.
When you're ready to launch the updated theme, download it from your development store and upload it as the primary theme in the live shop.

Option 2: Shopify CLI

You can use the Shopify CLI, which is a command-line interface tool that helps you build Shopify apps and themes. Shopify CLI quickly generates Shopify apps, themes, and custom storefronts. You can also use Shopify CLI to automate many common development tasks.

You can do the following with Shopify CLI:

Preview, test, and share changes to themes using development themes
Hot reload CSS and section changes, or automatically refresh a page on file change, when previewing a theme
Initialize a new theme using Dawn as a starting point
Push and publish themes from the command line
Work on multiple themes using environments
Run Theme Check on your theme

Option 3: Shopify Theme Kit

The Shopify Theme Kit allows you to modify a store’s theme with any text editor you choose. After making local changes, you can push those changes to the store.

Shopify supports multiple themes, so you can duplicate your theme in the Themes page of your Shopify admin and edit that unpublished theme.

What is the best practice when you've built a store for a client using a third-party theme?

If you've built a store for a client and it includes a third-party theme, then you need to transfer the theme to the client. The best way to do this depends on whether the theme still needs code customization when you transfer the development store to your client:

If the theme requires code customization: Purchase the theme on behalf of the client, bill them for the cost, and handoff the development store to remove your payment information.
If the theme doesn't require customization: Leave it as a free trial. Your client won’t need to pay for the theme until they want to publish it or make code edits, which can occur after transferring ownership of the development store.

When does the client have to pay for a theme under a free trial?

The merchant pays for the theme when they choose to publish it or edit its code. This can happen after you hand off the development store.

How does app billing work?

For detailed information about app billing, refer to the Application Billing documentation.

If a client signs up for a trial account and upgrades, will I be paid for the upgraded plan?

Yes. The plan change will be reflected in your Partner Dashboard. For Plus upgrade details, refer to Shopify Partner earnings.

What information can I track about my affiliated clients?

You can monitor which clients you're affiliated with, the total revenue for the current pay period generated by all your affiliated clients, and the total revenue to date from those affiliated clients.

Why can’t I find out the revenue from each individual client?

To protect client privacy, individual client revenue details aren't disclosed.

Will I have access to promotional tools for Shopify?

Yes, visit the Client Resources section to find brochures, flyers, and materials to share with prospective and current clients. You can also use acreative banners and logos for branding. Additionally, Shopify Partners receive a monthly newsletter featuring updates, marketing tips, and other valuable information. If you have suggestions for tools that would aid your sales efforts, then contact Shopify Support by logging into your Partner Account and selecting either chat or email support. When you log in, select your Partner organization name for questions related to your Partner Account.

Does Shopify apply tax to Partner earnings?

Shopify may apply taxes to fees or referral commissions depending on your location, the type of Partner activity, and the tax information in your Partner Account settings. You may be responsible for remitting these taxes to the appropriate tax authority. For more information, refer to Shopify Partner earnings.

If I referred a customer to Shopify before I signed up as a Partner, can I still add them to my Referrals?

No, it's against our policy to collect Partner earnings on a store that you own, either wholly or partially. This constitutes fraud and can result in termination from the Partner program.

Can I earn revenue on my own store?

Unfortunately, no. Collecting Partner earnings on a store run by yourself in whole or in part is fraud and grounds for dismissal from the Partner program.

Can I use a development store to advertise my services?

Yes, while you can’t process payments through a personal development store, you can use it as a public-facing website to promote your services and showcase your work.

I know that merchants I referred have had sales in the last few weeks. Why doesn't my revenue seem to be increasing accordingly?

As a Shopify Partner, you earn a commission based on the merchant's subscription fee. You'll continue to earn this commission for as long as the merchant is a Shopify customer.

Your commission is calculated based on invoices paid by the merchant. After the invoice has been sent from Shopify to the merchant and the merchant has paid, your earnings will start to accumulate.

What happens if I want to dispute an amount of revenue I’ve been paid? I think the amount I received should be more/less.

For any payment disputes, contact Shopify Support with the full details of the issue. When you log in, select your Partner organization name for questions related to your Partner Account.

What are the terms of service?

The terms of service are the legal agreement between you, as a Shopify Partner, and Shopify. These are the rules, guidelines, and conditions you agree to when you sign up as a Shopify Partner.

I am a Partner in the European Union (EU), or offer my services to merchants based in the EU. What information am I required to display for my business imprint?

All Partners based in the EU, or offering their services to merchants based in the EU, need to provide merchants with two up-to-date forms of direct and effective means of communication. The following fields need to be displayed on your app or theme listing:

Business name
Two forms of merchant contact information, such as an email address, a phone number, a contact form, or a support page
Geographical address (where your business is registered)

How can I change my business name or geographical address?

To change your business name or geographical address:

From your Partner Dashboard, go to Settings.
In the Business details section, update your business name.
In the Contact information section, update your address.
Click Save.

How can I update my merchant contact information?

To change your merchant contact information, you need to edit your app or theme listing:

From your Partner Dashboard, go to Apps or Themes.
Update the merchant contact information for all of your apps and themes with active listings.
Click Save.

What happens if I fail to comply?

If Shopify finds that your business imprint is not up-to-date, then Shopify reserves the right to delist your app or theme from the Shopify marketplace.

How do I cancel my participation in the program after signing up?

To get cancel your participation in the program, contact Shopify Support by logging into your Partner Account from the Help Center, and then selecting either chat or email support. When you log in, select your Partner organization name for questions related to your Partner Account.

When is a Partner Account considered inactive?

To remain an active partner, your partner organization must take an action such as creating an app, logging into the partner dashboard, using a public API endpoint, submitting a lead, paying an invoice, receiving a payout, creating a development store, logging into a store, or requesting collaborator access.

If you do not take any actions in your account for a 2-year period, then the account is deemed as inactive.

What happens to inactive Partner Accounts?

If no users in your partner organization take any action in your account for a 2-year period, then it will be deemed inactive. After this period, you're notified through email. If you don't respond by taking action within 60 days, then Shopify will proceed to close your account.

You can reactivate your account anytime by contacting Shopify Support. Your data will be retained unless you request its deletion, allowing for account restoration even after closure.

How do I contact Shopify Support?

You can reach out to Shopify Support by logging into your Partner Account. From the Help Center, select either chat or email support. Depending on your selection, you can choose to inquire about your Partner Account or a development store. Shopify Support can help you to navigate Partner programs, your Partner Dashboard, and grow your Partner business.

Is the Partner Dashboard available in multiple languages?

Yes, the Partner Dashboard supports multiple languages. To learn how to select your preferred language, refer to Choose Your Preferred Language.