Anyone else see AvaTax API call volume up 2×–4× after forced migration to Avalara for Shopify?

Shopify Discussion
1

Has anyone else seen AvaTax API call volume jump after moving from the legacy Shopify-built AvaTax for Shopify Plus integration to the Avalara-built Avalara for Shopify integration?

We were required to move because the old integration was being sunset. Since then, our API call volume appears to be dramatically higher, even though our order volume has not changed enough to explain it.

That matters because Avalara bills based in part on API call volume. From our perspective, this feels like merchants are being penalized for a platform/vendor decision we did not make and could not avoid.

Avalara says API call behavior cannot be customized because the integration follows Shopify’s checkout and order-update behavior. But if that is true, why were call volumes materially lower under the old Shopify-built integration?

Has anyone else seen this? And has Avalara provided a clear explanation or billing accommodation?

2

That’s definitely worth raising with Avalara. One thing I’d check is whether the new integration is making additional API calls for order edits, shipping updates, refunds, or tax recalculations that weren’t triggered by the legacy Shopify-built integration. Comparing the API logs from before and after the migration may help identify what’s driving the increase. If the higher call volume is solely due to the required migration and not increased business activity, it would be reasonable to ask Avalara for a detailed explanation and whether they can offer any billing accommodation. I’m curious to hear if other merchants have seen the same behavior.

3

Yes, this sounds worth investigating. Check the API logs to see what is causing the extra calls, and ask Avalara to explain or adjust billing if the migration caused it