Choosing how your Shopify store takes payments is not only a question of fees. It decides which customers can pay, how fast you are paid out, how refunds work, and how much work you will have when something goes wrong. This guide walks through the options Shopify offers, the questions to ask, and what to do when the provider you want is not available.
The three ways to take payments on Shopify
1. Shopify Payments
Shopify’s own payment solution, managed from your admin. When it is available in your country and for your business, it is usually the simplest setup: one account, one dashboard, payouts and disputes inside Shopify. Availability depends on the country where your business is based and on Shopify’s eligibility rules, so check it for your situation.
2. Third-party payment providers
Providers that appear in Settings > Payments as alternatives. Shopify’s developer documentation explains that these providers build “payments apps” and must first be approved as Shopify Payments Partners; the payments platform is invitation-only. In other words, a provider is only available in your checkout if it has gone through that approval.
3. Additional payment methods
Wallets and methods such as PayPal that can be added alongside your main provider, so that customers have a second way to pay.
Six questions to choose well
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Where is my business registered, and where are my customers? | Providers serve specific countries and currencies. A provider that cannot pay out to your country, or that buyers in your main market do not trust, is the wrong choice whatever its price. |
| Which cards and methods do my customers use? | Card networks, local methods and wallets differ by market. Missing the one your buyers expect means refused or abandoned payments. |
| What does it cost in total? | Add the provider’s fees per transaction, any monthly fee, currency conversion, chargeback fees and, when you do not use Shopify Payments, the additional transaction fee Shopify may charge depending on your plan. Check current pricing on both sides. |
| How and when am I paid out? | Payout schedule, reserves and the currency of payouts affect your cash flow. |
| How are refunds and disputes handled? | Can you refund from Shopify, or only in the provider’s dashboard? Who handles chargeback evidence? |
| Do I already use this provider elsewhere? | If your shop counter already runs on a provider, using the same one online can simplify accounting and reconciliation. |
A simple decision path
- Is Shopify Payments available and suitable for you? If yes, it is the default to compare everything else against.
- If not, is your preferred provider listed in your Shopify payment settings? If yes, connect it and test real payments before launch.
- Add a second method (for example a wallet) when a significant share of your buyers prefer it.
- If the provider you need is not listed, see the next section.
When your payment provider is not available in Shopify
This is common: a provider can be excellent in your country, or already run your in-store payments, without being offered in Shopify’s checkout. You then have three realistic options:
- Choose another provider that is available, and accept two dashboards if you keep the first one in store.
- Use the provider’s payment links for some orders (quotes, deposits, B2B), which works without touching the checkout but adds manual steps.
- Build a custom integration: the customer orders in Shopify, then pays on the provider’s secure payment step, and the order is created or updated in Shopify once the provider confirms the payment. This is what we do for SumUp with our SumUp Shopify integration.
A custom integration must be designed carefully: secure redirection, payment confirmation from the provider’s side (not only from the browser), order updates, refunds, and tests of the accepted, refused and abandoned cases. It also depends on the provider’s API, its terms and the features it offers in your country.
Before you launch: a short checklist
- Test mode off, live account verified on the provider’s side.
- A real low-value test order paid, then refunded.
- Each market set to a currency the provider supports.
- Payment methods and card logos shown at checkout match what is really accepted.
- Someone knows where to look when a payment is refused: see why payments are refused on Shopify.
For the full list, see our payment integration go-live checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use two payment providers at the same time?
Shopify lets you combine a main card provider with additional payment methods. Which combinations are possible depends on your country and on the providers concerned; check your payment settings.
Why isn’t my provider in the list of Shopify payment providers?
Providers appear in Shopify only after they have built a payments app and been approved through Shopify’s payments partner process. A provider being absent says nothing about its quality; it means it has not been approved for Shopify’s checkout, or not in your country.
Not sure which setup fits your store? Our payment gateway integration services start with a review of your countries, customers and current tools. Describe your project.