If you’ve landed on this page, chances are Shopify has unexpectedly closed your store. Panic may be setting in as you wonder what happened and how to get your business back up and running.

Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. In this post, we’ll uncover the most common reasons why Shopify closed your store and, more importantly, the steps you can take to reopen quickly and minimize the impact on your business.

REOPEN YOUR STORE FOR THE LONG TERM

Top 4 Reasons Why Shopify Might Close Your Store

Before we can get into solutions, we need to get into the reasons behind your Shopify store closure. If you’re searching “shopifyclosedmystore”, then you likely have no idea why it happened or what to do from here.

1. High Chargebacks or Refund Requests

If your store experiences an unusually high number of chargebacks or refund requests, it could trigger Shopify’s risk management system. They may suspect fraudulent activity and take action to protect their platform and other users.

Chargebacks occur when a customer disputes a transaction directly through their bank or credit card. When these go through, your chargeback ratio increases, you have to refund the order, and you have to pay a chargeback fee. It’s quite costly!

2. Large Fluctuations in Sales Volume

Sudden spikes or drops in your sales volume can also raise red flags for Shopify. If your sales patterns deviate significantly from your norm, they may investigate and potentially close your store during the review process.

Shopify likes steady sales, not leaps and dips. This also applies if you scale too quickly. So if you have a steady stream hovering around $20k per month that suddenly spikes up to $75k, that will raise flags.

3. High-Ticket Item Sales (Over $1,000 Per Product)

Selling products with price tags exceeding $1,000 can put your store in a higher risk category. Shopify may scrutinize your business more closely and could shut it down if they perceive any issues or potential fraud.

Shopify is notoriously risk averse, meaning they will not support high risk businesses of any kind. High-ticket sales falls into the high risk category, leading to Shopify shutting down your account.

4. High-Risk Merchant Category

Some industries, such as adult products, gambling, or nutritional supplements, are considered “high-risk” by Shopify and other payment service providers or payment processors. If your store falls into one of these categories, you may face a greater likelihood of closure.

Truth be told, most online businesses fall into a high-risk category. It’s worth researching which merchant category codes your business falls into and finding a payment solution that supports that specific code.

AVOID SHOPIFY STORE CLOSURES FOR GOOD

How to Reopen Your Shopify Store Quickly

If Shopify has closed your store, don’t expect them to simply reopen it upon request. Instead, take immediate action to get your business back online. Here are a few ways on how to do it.

The Simplest Solution

1. Set Up a New Payment Processor: In most cases, it’s not actually Shopify that closed your store, but their integrated payment processor, Shopify Payments. To resolve this, connect your existing store to a different payment gateway and processor:
   • Payment Service Provider (PSP): Signing up with a PSP like Stripe or PayPal can get you accepting payments again quickly. While not a long-term solution, it’s a fast way to resume operations.
   • Dedicated Merchant Account: Apply for your own merchant account with a reputable payment processor. This offers more stability and lower risk of future closures but may take a bit longer to set up.
2. Browse Shopify for Payment Integrations: You can find these payment gateways and services built right into Shopify. A top gateway that will work with nearly all processors is Authorize.net. Once you’ve opened a new PSP and merchant account (because ideally you want both), hook it up to your gateway and voila.

The Longer Solution

1. Open a New Store: Set up a new storefront on Shopify or another e-commerce platform. This will serve as your temporary (or permanent) solution.
2. Transfer Products and Customer Data: Quickly export your product listings and customer information from your closed Shopify store and import them into your new one. This will help maintain continuity for your business.
3. Set Up a New Payment Processor: Just like in the previous method, you can choose Shopify Payments again or another PSP like Stripe or PayPal, as well as opening a dedicated merchant account.

Ideally, implement both a PSP and dedicated merchant account. The PSP will have you back in business rapidly, while the merchant account provides a solid foundation for the future.

Time is of the essence when Shopify closes your store. By understanding the potential reasons behind the closure and taking swift action to reopen through a new storefront and/or payment setup, you can minimize downtime and get back to serving your customers as quickly as possible.

Don’t let a closed Shopify store derail your e-commerce dreams – take control and get your business back on track today.

OPEN A DEDICATED MERCHANT ACCOUNT TODAY