Shopify Payments is Shopify's own built-in payment gateway, so you can accept all major payment methods without setting up a separate provider or merchant account. It's only open to eligible businesses in supported countries, it needs two-step authentication on your account, and your sales reach your bank on a daily, weekly or monthly payout schedule.
The bit nobody warns you about: if you change your payout bank account more than 24 hours after finishing setup, payouts pause for 3-5 business days while Shopify verifies the new account. If you use Multi-Currency Payouts, that pause can hit every payout account, not only the one you changed. And only the store owner can see Shopify Payments account details or resolve a hold, so a staff member can't sort it out for you.
Who's eligible
As of October 2026, you need to tick every one of these boxes:
- Your business is located in a supported country.
- Your business type and products aren't on the prohibited list.
- You comply with the laws and the Shopify Payments terms for your country and industry.
- You're at least 18. If you're younger, a parent or guardian sets up the account with their own details as the account representative.
The prohibited list is broader than most people expect. It covers regulated products such as cannabis, prescription drugs and firearms, financial services such as virtual currencies and credit repair, adult content, pseudo pharmaceuticals with unverified health claims, gambling including sweepstakes and contests, and counterfeit goods. Shopify says the list isn't exhaustive and varies by region. If you aren't eligible, you can add a third-party payment provider instead.
Bank accounts that work, and ones that don't
Your payout account must be a checking or current account that can receive transfers in a currency Shopify supports for your country. You can use the same account for several stores. Checking accounts set up only for wire transfers don't work, and nor do savings accounts, flex-currency accounts or transfer services that mimic bank accounts. Non-Shopify virtual accounts are allowed, but Shopify warns you might see more payout failures with them.
In some regions, including the UK and France, the name on the bank account has to match your Shopify Payments details, such as your legal business name or account representative. In the UK the account must also be a pound sterling account eligible for Faster Payment Service transfers. In the US you can use a Shopify Balance account or a US-based account eligible for ACH transfers.
How long payouts take by country
| Country | Minimum settlement time, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Australia | 2 business days |
| United States, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand | 3 business days |
| Hong Kong SAR, Singapore | 4 business days |
| Japan, United Arab Emirates | 5 business days |
| Mexico | 7 business days |
Settlement counts business days only. Shopify's own example: an order on Friday with a three business day settlement time pays out on Wednesday, and Saturday and Sunday charges go out that same Wednesday because weekend days count as day 0. After a payout is sent, your bank can take another 1-3 days to show it. ACH direct debit payments can take up to 4 business days just to settle before they join your normal schedule.
Choosing your payout schedule
- From your Shopify admin, go to Settings and then Payments.
- In the Shopify Payments section, click Manage.
- Under Payouts schedule, choose daily, weekly or monthly.
- If you pick Every week, choose the day you want to be paid.
- Tick or untick the email notification for each payout, then click Save.
Switching schedules is free, but pending payouts wait until the next date on the new schedule. Merchants in Japan can choose weekly or monthly only. A monthly date past the end of a short month is paid on the last day of that month instead.
Holds, reserves and slow schedules
A hold stops payouts while your account is reviewed. Reasons include chargebacks, customer complaints, high-risk orders, compliance checks, missing documents and problems with your tax details. You can keep working on your store during a hold, and in most cases customers can still check out, but you won't be paid out until it's resolved. The fastest fix is to supply what's been asked for and reply directly to Shopify's email. Creditor holds are different: Shopify can't lift those, and only the payment processor can, once it gets a release from your creditor.
A reserve holds back part, or occasionally all, of your sales for a set period to cover disputes and refunds. It can be a fixed amount or a percentage. You'll find it under Finance, then Payouts, then Reserve. To appeal, reply to the reserve email within the stated timeframe, though some reserves can't be appealed. Separately, accounts deemed higher risk can be put on a custom payout schedule of 5 to 20 business days, and Shopify Support can't shorten settlement time on request.
When a payout fails or comes in low
A failed payout shows as Failed on the Payouts page, with an email and admin alert telling you why. The usual causes are a wrong account number, a closed account, a savings account, a currency mismatch or a name that doesn't match. In Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US, payouts also fail if your bank account isn't set up to allow withdrawals. If a negative payout can't be collected, Shopify tries the debit two more times before pausing payouts to that account.
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Lower payouts usually come down to refunds, chargebacks and their dispute fees, adjustments, reserves, currency conversion, processing fees or a negative balance being cleared. Export the transactions for that payout to a CSV with Amount, Fee and Net columns and the gap normally explains itself. If the status says Deposited but nothing's arrived, give your bank 1 to 3 business days, then call them with the bank reference, also called the Trace ID.
My verdict on Shopify Payments
I'd switch it on if you're in a supported country, nothing you sell is near the prohibited list, and you'd rather have orders and payouts in one admin. Before you launch, make sure the store owner email is one someone reads every day, because that's where holds and failures land first, and set your bank account up once rather than swapping it later. I'd keep a third-party provider in mind if you sell high-value goods like jewellery, watches or art, since Shopify's banking partners can ask for an extra review. For what each sale costs you, see the Shopify fees breakdown, and for faster access to payouts, look at Shopify Balance.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need two-step authentication for Shopify Payments?
Yes. To use Shopify Payments you must secure your account with two-step authentication.
Can I use a savings account for Shopify Payments payouts?
No. Savings accounts, flex-currency accounts and transfer services that mimic bank accounts aren't supported. You need a checking or current account that can receive transfers.
Why are my Shopify Payments payouts paused after changing banks?
Changing your payout bank account more than 24 hours after setup pauses payouts for 3-5 business days while Shopify verifies the new account. Switching to Shopify Balance doesn't trigger the pause.
Can my staff resolve a Shopify Payments hold?
No. Only the store owner can access Shopify Payments account details, so only the store owner can resolve a hold.
What happens to payouts if I deactivate my store?
Pending payouts are still sent on your schedule, but if one fails you can't fix it without reactivating the store, and you can't respond to chargebacks after the store is closed.
