Set up payment settings and providers in Shopify
You need at least one payment provider before customers can pay. Shopify gives you three routes: Shopify Payments, its own card processor, a third-party credit card provider, and manual methods such as bank deposit. You can have only one credit card payment provider activated at a time, so the choice is a real one, and switching later removes the old provider from your settings.
Written · Shopify admin, desktop steps · 5 minutes read
The worked example
| Order | $240.00 |
| Shopify Payments | Built-in card processor |
| Third-party provider, Basic plan | 2% fee = $4.80 |
| Manual method | $0.00 fee |
| Providers at once | One credit card provider |
| Setting | Settings > Payments |
Download the record: payment-provider-comparison.csv (191 bytes).
A comparison of the three payment routes in this tutorial, with the fee on a $240.00 order and what the store keeps for each. The fee column sums to $4.80.
1Open Payments settings
From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Payments. This is the page where you activate a provider, switch providers, and add manual methods.
2Activate Shopify Payments
In the Shopify Payments section, click Activate Shopify Payments, then submit your details for verification. Shopify Payments is available only if your business is located in a supported country, and only the store owner can activate it.
3Or choose a third-party provider
If you are not using Shopify Payments and you want to accept credit cards, you can choose from over 100 credit card payment providers for your Shopify store. If Shopify Payments is active, click Manage, then Switch to a third-party provider, and confirm. If it is not active, click See all other providers. If Shopify Payments is not available in your country, click Choose a provider.
4Enter the provider credentials
Select the provider, enter your account credentials, click Activate, then Save. Depending on the provider, you might be required to submit and verify your bank account information with them before your store can complete transactions.
5Add manual methods if you need them
In the Payment providers section, select a suggested manual method such as Cash on Delivery, Bank Deposit, or Money Order, add the payment instructions, and activate it. Manual payment methods are not charged third-party transaction fees.
6Check the fee on a real order
Open an order and read the fee. On a $240.00 order through a third-party provider on the Basic plan, the 2% third-party transaction fee is $4.80, so the store keeps $235.20 before the provider's own charges. The same order through a manual method carries no Shopify fee at all.
The arithmetic
The 2% third-party transaction fee is the Basic plan rate; Grow is 1% and Advanced is 0.6%:
| Provider | Order | Fee | Store keeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third-party, Basic, 2% | $240.00 | $4.80 | $235.20 |
| Third-party, Grow, 1% | $240.00 | $2.40 | $237.60 |
| Third-party, Advanced, 0.6% | $240.00 | $1.44 | $238.56 |
| Manual method, 0% | $240.00 | $0.00 | $240.00 |
The store keeps the order total minus the fee in each row: $240.00 minus $4.80 is $235.20, minus $2.40 is $237.60, minus $1.44 is $238.56, and minus $0.00 is $240.00. The provider's own card charges sit on top of these figures, so read the provider's rate card before you compare.
Held at the counter
Only one credit card provider at a time. You can have only one credit card payment provider activated at a time. If you already have a provider activated, then you can change your credit card payment provider, but you cannot run two at once.
Switching removes the old provider. When you change your payment provider, your previous provider will be removed from your payment settings, but is available if you need it for cases such as order returns. Do not switch in the middle of a refund queue without checking what the switch does to it.
Only the store owner can change providers. Only the store owner can activate Shopify Payments or add or change a third-party provider. Staff cannot. If the button is missing, you are signed in as staff, not as the owner.
Sources
- Configuring third-party payment providers — Shopify's help pages: the one-provider rule, the switch steps, and the note that a changed provider stays available for returns.
- Pricing plans and billing overview — Shopify's help pages: third-party transaction fees and the exemption for manual payment methods.
- Manual payment methods — Shopify's help pages: the suggested manual methods and the payment instructions field.