A web designer is transferring a Shopify store to their first client and has concerns about payment method handling during the ownership transfer process.
Key Issue:
The designer used their personal debit card to create a paid Shopify store and wants to ensure the client doesn’t gain access to their payment information during transfer.
Requirements Clarified:
The store must remain on a paid subscription plan throughout the transfer process.
Payment methods cannot be removed without adding a replacement first.
The designer’s payment method will stay on file until the new owner adds their own and removes the original.
Outcome:
The designer learned they should have used a Shopify Partners account (which allows development stores to be transferred without this payment method complication).
They’re now stuck transferring to a new store, which will cost additional time and money to export/import products and customers via CSV files.
The situation remains unresolved as an inconvenient learning experience.
Summarized with AI on November 7.
AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
I am turning over a shop I created for my first web design client.
Once they disable their domain on their old platform (Wordpress) I will then add it to their new Shopify shop.
From there, I then transfer ownership to them. Do I need to first remove my debit card as the shop’s payment method BEFORE transferring to them? Or will it be wiped automatically when they are invited and they are then asked to provide their own payment method?
I just don’t want them to have access to my card
EDIT: I just learned that i should have used a Shopify Partners account.
Is there a way to add my store that i created with a paid account to my newly created Partner’s account?
Hi, @theglowroomva
Thanks for reaching out in our Community Forums and for sharing your concern, I’d be happy to help.
You can refer to our guide here to learn about transferring your development store to a client. In your case. you may want to export your store by using CSV files. You can export your products and customers, then import them into your new store. For detailed steps, check out this article.
Can I deactivate my paid account store, remove my debit card, then transfer ownership to them?
Kind of trying to avoid having to export to my Partner’s account.
Hey there, @theglowroomva ! Thanks for following up with us!
In this specific scenario you have ongoing, the store that is being transferred will need to be kept on a paid subscription plan in order to be transferred. You’re also unable to remove a payment method from a store without an additional method being on file to replace the one being removed. This means that you won’t be able to remove your payment method on file until ownership is transferred, and the new owner adds their own payment method, and removes yours themselves. This step is outlined in our help document here.