Adding Billing to Node and Express App

Retired Boards Appdev Billing

Topic summary

Goal: integrate billing into a Node/Express Shopify app; confusion arose because official examples appear under a Node/React tutorial.

Key guidance:

  • Shopify does not provide language‑specific billing guides. Use the language‑agnostic Billing API guides for charging and app monetization.
  • For Node/Express implementation questions, seek community help with concrete issues.

Community example (central code snippets provided):

  • Server (Node/Express): POST /api/application_charges creates an ApplicationCharge (one‑time charge) via Shopify REST API using the current session, setting name, price: 50.0, return_url (admin apps URL), and test: true, then returns the created charge.
  • Client (React with Polaris/App Bridge): calls /api/application_charges, parses the JSON response, and redirects the merchant to confirmation_url to approve the charge.

Notes:

  • “ApplicationCharge” is a one‑time charge flow; the sample demonstrates creating the charge and handling the confirmation redirect.
  • No official Node/Express sample repo was identified in the thread.

Status: Partially resolved with a link to the general Billing API docs and a working Node/Express + React example; no final, official Node/Express guide or repo provided.

Summarized with AI on February 2. AI used: gpt-5.
1

I have been building an app with Node / Express and I want to add billing to the app, but I am confused by how the documentation is laid out.

Would I follow the instructions under Charge A Fee Using The Billing API because this is under Build a Shopify App with Node and React and their does not appear to be a dedicated article for Build a Shopify App with Node and Express (unless I am overlooking it).

Is there an example of this in the Shopify Git Hub Repo? I may be missing it when looking.

Thanks,

Chris

2

Hey Chris,

We don’t have language specific guides, but there are language agnostic guides that run you through the features of the Billing API which you can access here.

If you have specific questions in regards to implementing your billing model with Node and Express, I would encourage you to post them on the forums to get help from the community.

1 Like
3

Thank you @Zameer

4

React Component:

import {Page, Layout,List,CalloutCard} from "@shopify/polaris";
import {useNavigate} from '@shopify/app-bridge-react';
import React from 'react';
import {useCallback} from 'react';
import {useAuthenticatedFetch } from "../hooks";

export function Plans() {
    const navigate = useNavigate();
    const fetch = useAuthenticatedFetch();
    const activePlan = useCallback( async () => {

        const response = await fetch("/api/application_charges", {method:"POST", headers:{'Content-Type': 'application/json'}});
        let dataResult = await response.json();
        console.log(dataResult.confirmation_url);
        navigate(dataResult.confirmation_url);
        
    },[]);

    return (
        
    );

}

Index.js file or server.js file:

// application_charges
app.post("/api/application_charges", async (req, res) => {
 
  const application_charge = new shopify.api.rest.ApplicationCharge({session: res.locals.shopify.session});
  application_charge.name = "App Name";
  application_charge.price = 50.0;
  application_charge.return_url = `https://${storeName}/admin/apps_url`;
  application_charge.test = true;
  await application_charge.save({
    update: true,
  });

  res.status(200).send(application_charge);
});