URGENT Help Needed! Shopify Payments Holding Payouts for Weeks!

[CampanulaDesign]

Without warning or a request for any documentation my Shopify payments were put on hold for non-compliance literally the DAY BEFORE Black Friday. I sell wine in gift baskets. I'm licensed to sell wine in gift baskets. I've been doing so for four years. I immediately submitted all required documentation. Since then - crickets. I've sent multiple emails asking for more information and either get a generic "we've reached out to our banking partner/thanks for your patience" or no answer whatsoever. You cannot contact Trust & Safety via phone. You can only chat with a rep. Those reps cannot directly connect you to Trust & Safety. There is absolutely no avenue that I have found to contact them to resolve this in a timely fashion. Meanwhile, I have been without payouts for two weeks and am at the point where I cannot meet financial obligations while Shopify sits around doing nothing/holding my money. Especially punitive during the holidays! I'm certain that the "banking partner" isn't going to pay me the interest they earned by holding my money unjustifiably for this length of time. 

I have no answers on what the process is. No answers on what happens if they decide to terminate my merchant services account. No answers on how long my payouts will be held. No answers as to whether I should switch to an alternate payment provider while this is resolved (which I asked almost immediately). 

Has anyone else experienced this? Did you have any luck contacting them? If so, how? I am sick of the generic "Thanks for your patience/we take this seriously" responses when they've left their front line agents powerless to help. Any advice for workarounds? Obviously during the holidays I'm not in a position to change my Platform to another provider. PayPal is problematic because I collect custom information in my checkout/deliveries go to a different person than the purchaser (I'm primarily a florist). 

So incredibly frustrated and am in real danger here of damaging relationships if I cannot meet financial obligations due to this. Please help!!!

[minimalist3312]

I am getting lawyers to get my money out.  reach out and we can discuss soon.  This is rididculous.  

[SheriScraps]

It's been three months and now I am being asked for the same information AGAIN! Of course, it also has the threat that they'll shut down my website if I don't provide it. I'm tired of this harassment and had contacted an attorney who is willing to research a class action lawsuit. I will be reachign out to him again. If you'd like to join or have any additional information that may be appropriate, please reach out to me. 

@minimalist3312 - I will reach out with the information early next week.

[doesntwork]

How did it pan out? we are in a similar situation now for 3weeks and need a resolution before we close down the business altogether. Any insight on this will be very helpful

@minimalist3312 @SheriScraps 

[ConstantineLV]

The easiest thing to do is to stop using Shopify Payments. Look for a 3rd party and pay the extra fees. Its worth it so that Shopify cannot hold your money. Taking Shopify out of the checkout process allows YOU to control your money and not them. I am strictly using Paypal at this point for all transactions in my store. I fully understand depends on the dollar amounts you are pulling in if Paypal will work for you. 

Here is a list of good alternatives:
PayPal

Stripe
Authorize.net

Opayo

Verifone

WorldPay

Klarna

Square

Amazon Pay

Most of these already have integrations ready for Shopify. 

[WorthHome]

Did you finally get your payouts?

[savtrempeur]

Hello WorthHome, did you get your after being in contact with the WSJ reporter ?

[WorthHome]

Yes, within 2 hours we received notification that the funds would be released. Plus, we are a top -10% performing shopify store and even my “rep” said he couldn’t help me.

How long have your funds been locked ?

[savtrempeur]

Wow !!! its been few days now, but we just launched and now we have to pay our supplier and ship the orders but its impossible they keep saying the same things and we are stuck here with all the refunds and chargebacks for our customers... its really going to hurt my mental health 

[WorthHome]

So very sorry about this. It’s hard enough to be in consumer goods without the challenges of getting your hard-earned funds.

[WorthHome]

Yes, I am currently experiencing the same situation. Please, please someone help resolve this!

[Big-Dawg]

I have read through every post...it is making me sick to my stomach. I just switched to Shopify and these complaints are shocking. I did not feel comfortable with no customer service to talk to and now my fears are vindicated with issues such as these. Wow...just Wow

[WorthHome]

Very scary indeed and I wish you success in your launch. Shopify is an amazing platform, until it’s not.

[Jlynn0879]

Yes customer service never used to be so terrible and now chat can do nothing for you. I have been with Shopify for 8+ years roughly and they held funds for no reason one day and with all the complaints this is unacceptable. I have Transfer my business to square space. So done with Shopify! 

[Andrew7kft]

Not sure this is helpful but I was placed on a deposit hold on a Thursday in December. Provided as much evidence as possible and had my transactions deposited on schedule the following Monday. 

[ConstantineLV]

I am in the same boat right now. I just opened a second store with Shopify and I am not getting my payments. They have been put on hold. When I ask why all I am told is to respond to my initial ticket which there has been no response to from them in 9 days. I am literally going to have to shut down my business as I sell high dollar items and without the income coming in I cant cover expenses or payroll.

What did anyone do to get this resolved?

[Big-Dawg]

This has got to be the scariest thread out there. I am in a slight panic mode to figure out a back up plan for my website and business because this is not an isolated incident. I am surprised this thread has not been removed. Who would ever start with Shopify seeing something like this? Especially with no explanation from them on this topic.

[ConstantineLV]

The easiest thing to do is to stop using Shopify Payments. Look for a 3rd party and pay the extra fees. Its worth it so that Shopify cannot hold your money. Taking Shopify out of the checkout process allows YOU to control your money and not them. I am strictly using Paypal at this point for all transactions in my store. I fully understand depends on the dollar amounts you are pulling in if Paypal will work for you. 

Here is a list of good alternatives:
PayPal

Stripe
Authorize.net

Opayo

Verifone

WorldPay

Klarna

Square

Amazon Pay

Most of these already have integrations ready for Shopify. 

[chloejong]

Any result? I’m a new business I only have a few hundred on hold but it’s still insanity!! Been on hold since I set up my website almost 6 months ago. All identification has been submitted.

[Coder1983]

I am in the same situation: Shopify recently suspended my payments and asked for additional documents to verify my business's eligibility and activities. I submitted the requested documents yesterday and am now awaiting their decision. This situation is very distressing; I had to suspend my operations and pay for orders/stock out of my own pocket. I spoke to a friend who is a legal investigative journalist at Le Monde, and he asked me to send him the email from Shopify and the documents I provided to them to launch an investigation into the matter and check the compliance of Shopify's actions with French law. Additionally, he needs more French-speaking testimonies for his investigation. I am also considering reporting the matter to the public prosecutor depending on Shopify's decision. Normally, accounts are verified before they become active and operational, and customers' accounts should not be suspended without legitimate reasons. Ticket ID: ff2b2b16-ea65-41d0-96a7-10e961500778

[WorthHome]

I am so sorry to hear this. How long have you had your funds frozen?

[Coder1983]

It’s been a week now since I provided all the documents Shopify requested. They then asked me to update all the processed orders with tracking numbers, which I did. I’m currently waiting for their final response. I went to see the Public Prosecutor in Paris at 14 Quai des Orfèvres, where I summarized the situation and showed him the email exchanges I had with Shopify. He asked me to submit a detailed written report, with supporting documents, once Shopify has made its final decision. My lawyer also plans to seek compensation, as my store generates around $1,500 per day. Meanwhile, I’ve shared the entire case with a friend who is a legal investigative journalist at Le Monde. He and his team are investigating the matter. If these blockages are found to be non-compliant with French law, an investigation could soon be aired on French television about Shopify.Ticket ID: ff2b2b16-ea65-41d0-96a7-10e961500778

[bwill781]

I have 7k in payouts pending for over 1 week. No one has emailed me about the additional documentation I need to submit.  I was previously using Square, there customer support was way better, at least you could call them. Hoping I get my funds soon as my business depends on cashflow for its assets. Wont be long till my business bank account goes negative 

[Coder1983]

Shopify are thieves; they just closed all my accounts without any valid reason. I recommend switching to another platform.

[Joeybryja]

We are dealing with the same issue but for chargebacks… over $400k is being held WE NEED HELP AS WELL!! No response from Shopify at all in over 21 days on the matter all we’re getting is “we’re working on it”