How to Set Up Shop Pay on Shopify: The Complete Guide
1. What Is Shop Pay?
Shop Pay is Shopify’s one-tap, accelerated checkout solution that securely saves customers’ email, payment, and shipping details to enable ultra-fast checkout across any Shopify store that supports it. It’s deeply integrated into the Shopify ecosystem and designed to reduce friction, increase conversions, and foster repeat purchasing.
Launched initially as Shopify Pay in 2017 and later rebranded, Shop Pay now boasts over 150 million users globally.
2. Why Use Shop Pay?
Shop Pay stands out because it greatly accelerates the checkout flow. Customers enjoy fast, secure, and convenient one-tap purchasing with pre-saved details, driving up conversion rates by up to ~50% compared to standard guest checkouts.
Mobile customers especially benefit—mobile checkouts are up to ~4× faster, and cart abandonment drops significantly.
3. Key Benefits for Merchants
- Higher Conversion Rates — The faster checkout process reduces friction and boosts completed sales.
- Faster Mobile Checkout — Optimized for mobile, appealing to on-the-go shoppers.
- Secure & PCI-Compliant — Customer details are encrypted and stored on Shopify’s PCI-DSS compliant servers, reducing merchant liability.
- Eco-Friendly — Every transaction contributes to Shopify’s carbon offset initiative.
- Flexible Payment Options — Includes Shop Pay Installments for buy-now-pay-later payments on eligible orders.
- Shop App Integration — Enables features like order tracking, Shop Cash rewards, and seamless navigation across Shopify stores.
4. How to Enable Shop Pay (Step-by-Step)
Setting up Shop Pay is simple:
- From your Shopify Admin, go to Settings → Payments.
- In the Shopify Payments section, click Manage.
- Locate the Shop Pay section and check the box to enable it.
- Click Save.
For stores using third-party gateways, if eligible (e.g., based in the US, using Shopify Payments), Shop Pay can also be enabled similarly.
5. Tips to Maximize Shop Pay
- Promote Shop Pay Installments — Display installment options to increase average order value.
- Highlight Shop Pay — Feature it prominently on product and cart pages using dynamic checkout buttons.
- Leverage Shop App Features — Encourage shoppers to download the Shop app for tracking, recommendations, and Shop Cash.
- Monitor Analytics — Track Shop Pay adoption and impact using Shopify’s built-in analytics.
6. Integrations & Expanded Features
- Shop App Integration: Shop Pay activates additional features like “Sell on Shop” and “Sign in with Shop”.
- Installment Payments: With Shopify Installments (via Affirm), let customers pay over time while you receive full payment upfront.
7. Frequently Asked Questions
- What countries support Shop Pay?
- Shop Pay is available across many countries, including the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia.
- How is Shop Pay different from Shopify Payments?
- Shopify Payments is the actual payment processor. Shop Pay is an accelerated checkout option that simplifies the checkout flow.
- Are there extra fees to use Shop Pay?
- No. If you’re using Shopify Payments, Shop Pay is included at no extra cost.
- Is Shop Pay secure?
- Yes. Shop Pay stores data securely using encryption and is PCI-DSS compliant. It also prompts SMS verification for extra protection.
- Can I test Shop Pay without a real purchase?
- No. Shopify requires a real transaction followed by cancellation/refund to fully test Shop Pay functionality.
- What payment methods does Shop Pay accept?
- Supports Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and select local methods depending on region.