How to Handle Imported Data or Added data After Plan Downgrade in Our Shopify App?

Shopify Apps

Topic summary

A developer is building a Shopify app with tiered subscription plans and needs guidance on handling user data after plan downgrades.

The Scenario:

  • Pro Plan allows importing up to 100 location data items
  • User imports 100 locations, then downgrades to a plan with lower/no import limits

Three Options Being Considered:

  1. Delete excess data that exceeds the new plan’s limit
  2. Hide data from frontend while preserving it in storage for potential future upgrades
  3. Keep all data but restrict access/usage based on downgraded plan features

Current Status:
The developer is seeking community input on best practices and user-friendly approaches within the Shopify app ecosystem. No responses or consensus have been reached yet.

Summarized with AI on October 28. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hi everyone,

We’re currently developing a Shopify app that includes different subscription plans. In the Pro Plan, users are allowed to import up to 100 data items (in our case, these are locations).

Here’s a scenario we’re trying to handle:

  • A user subscribes to the Pro Plan and successfully imports 100 locations.

  • After 2 days, the user downgrades to a lower plan that allows fewer or no imported locations.

We’re trying to decide the best practice in this case. What should our app do with the previously imported data?

Here are a few options we’re considering:

  1. Delete the data that exceeds the downgraded plan limit.

  2. Hide the data from the frontend but keep it stored in case the user upgrades again.

  3. Keep all data and only restrict access or usage according to the downgraded plan’s limitations.

We want to provide a smooth user experience while enforcing plan limits correctly. Has anyone dealt with this situation before? What’s the recommended or user-friendly approach in the Shopify app ecosystem?

Any insights or suggestions would be really appreciated!

Thanks in advance!