Hi Shopify,
I’m not sure how to get in touch with you. I’ve tried emailing but it’s returned. There is no phone number to contact you either, which is super frustrating. I had a store that was open last year, made one sale, and become inactive. I had no knowledge of upcoming fees or renewals. I don’t believe I ever received any communication on this. This is a problem and it seems like I am not the only one struggling with issues of this nature. Had I been using the store, had I made any sales, had it not been inactive (I couldn’t even log in it had been so long that I had to verify) – I would understand if I was given a heads up and chose not to respond. However, that isn’t the case. I’m seeing after the fact of being billed without prior knowledge or consent, that you have a no refund policy which seems super convenient for everyone but the customers who don’t know about the policy until it’s too late. Can this be resolved or is it something to take up with the Better Business Bureau so that others are warned? Any point in the right direction would be appreciated. Thank you!
Topic summary
A former store owner reports unexpected charges on a long‑inactive Shopify store, stating they received no advance notice, couldn’t log in due to the long lapse, and found no phone support. They object to a no‑refund policy they only discovered after being billed and consider filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.
Shopify staff clarify that billing is tied to the plan’s invoicing cycle (every 30 days or annually), not store activity or sales. Charges continue until the store is formally closed. To avoid future charges, users must cancel before the next invoicing period.
Actionable steps provided:
- Cancel: Settings > Billing > Close Store, following all on‑screen prompts.
- Account access: Use the store recovery tool if the URL or login is forgotten.
- Support: Access the Help Center to reach live chat or email; after logging in, enter the request, go to Get Support, and continue.
No refund was granted or confirmed in the thread. Outcome remains unresolved pending direct contact with Shopify Support.
Hi, @hhhoney
Thanks for bringing your concerns to the Shopify Community Forums. Sudden credit card charges are definitely a stressful situation.
Please allow me to provide some clarity into how Shopify billing works. When you create a store, you essentially sign up for a service. The service is billing every 30 days, or annually, depending on your plan. You will continue to see a charge every invoicing period until the business is closed. The billing isn’t affected by activity, or sales, but my invoice periods. Thus, if you don’t plan on using your Shopify store, it’s extremely important to cancel before the next invoicing period.
To cancel your account, login and head to Settings > Billing > Close Store. Make sure to follow the on screen prompts to ensure cancellation is complete. If you can’t remember your Shopify account, please use our recovery tool to recover your store’s URL.
While I don’t have direct access to your account, I can assist you with reaching out to our team. Please visit our Help Center and log in to your account to create a support request through live chat or email. Once you have logged in to your account, type your request in ‘Ask about a topic’, scroll down to ‘Get Support’, and then click ‘Continue.’