Resolving unknown charge issues on your Shopify bills

This page covers how to verify charges through your billing details, use the Forgot Your Store? tool to check multiple accounts, understand common reasons for unexpected charges, and when to contact Shopify Support for further assistance.

Overview of billing and charge notifications

Bills are emailed to the store owner and any staff members who have the View bills and preferences, including payment methods permission. To access your bill history, view upcoming billing dates, and check any outstanding charges on your account, navigate to the Bills section of the Settings > Billing page in your Shopify admin.

Details on billing and primary payment methods

Bills are automatically paid using your designated primary payment method. On your bank statement, Shopify billing charges are displayed as SHOPIFY * <9-digit bill number>.

Should you encounter a charge that seems unfamiliar, you can verify it by comparing the bill number on your bank statement with the bill records in your Shopify admin.

Identify unknown charges on your Shopify bill

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Billing.

2. In the Past Bills section, locate the bill that you want to compare.

3. Select a bill and compare the charge details to the bill number and charge amount.

Learn more about managing your billing information.

How to use the Forgot Your Store? tool to find store information

If you've checked your Shopify bills but are unable to match a bill to a charge on your bank statement, then it's possible that charges are coming from another store that you own. To find a list of all stores associated with your email, use the Forgot Your Store? tool.

Enter your email address in the Forgot Your Store? tool. You'll then receive an email listing all of the stores linked to that email. Check the bills for each store to match the bill number with the one on your bank statement. If you don't find the bill number, then consider using a different email address that might be associated with your Shopify accounts.

Understanding different sources of unexpected Shopify charges

If you've reviewed your stores' billing details and still can't find a matching bill for an unknown charge, then consider these alternative explanations:

• Third-party app charges: If you match a charge on your bank statement to a bill in Settings > Billing and find that the bill includes an app line item, then the charge is from a third-party app on your store. Refunds for third-party app charges are handled by the app developer, not Shopify. Learn more about troubleshooting app charge disputes and refunds.
• Purchases from other Shopify stores: If you made a purchase from another store that uses Shopify Payments, then the charge is displayed as SP * <store name> on your statement.
• International transaction fees: If you notice small additional charges on a valid Shopify transaction, then these are typically banking fees for processing international transactions. Banking institutions often apply an International Purchase Transaction Fee (usually 3% of the total charge) for credit card purchases that are made in a foreign currency or through a foreign bank. These fees are charged by your credit card provider, not by Shopify.
• Negative balances on Shopify Payments: Charges might be added to your bills if your Shopify Payments account has a negative balance. This can happen when you process refunds or handle chargebacks.
• Shopify Capital repayments: If you have funding from Shopify Capital, then repayments or remittance can also be posted as debits.
• Shared payment methods: If you share a payment method with someone else, then they might have used it to create or pay for another account.
• Client account charges: If you're a Shopify partner or a developer, then it's possible that your payment information was entered into a client's account, leading to unexpected charges.

Resolve unrecognized charges or billing discrepancies

If you notice unfamiliar charges on your account, then check if you have any accounts linked to any of your email addresses. Use the Forgot Your Store? tool to enter different email addresses, and if an account exists, then the tool displays the store name and URL. You can log in to the associated store, and then cancel the account to stop any further charges. Learn more about deactivating and reactivating your Shopify store.

If the tool doesn't identify any associated accounts, then contact Shopify Support. Provide the 9-digit account number from your banking statement and a screenshot of the charge in question.

Request a refund for unauthorized or incorrect charges

When you request a refund for unauthorized or incorrect charges, you need to provide specific information based on the payment method that you used.

Credit card payments

• First 6 digits of the credit card
• Last 4 digits of the credit card
• A screenshot or image of a bank statement that includes:
  • The Shopify invoice number
  • The charge amount
  • The date of the charge

You can hide other sensitive information, as long as the required details are clearly displayed.

PayPal payments

• Email address associated with the PayPal account
• A screenshot of the PayPal transaction that includes:
  • The Shopify invoice number
  • The charge amount
  • The date of the charge

Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

• UPI ID
• A screenshot of the transaction that includes the ID, for example, pay_AbCd1EfGh2JKmN

Automated Clearing House (ACH) Bank transfers for Shopify Plus plans

• Last 4 digits of the bank account that facilitated the transfer
• A screenshot of the last two billing charges

You can hide other sensitive information, as long as the required details are clearly displayed.

Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA)

• Last 4 digits of your International Bank Account Number (IBAN)
• A screenshot of the transaction from the bank statement that includes:
  • The 9-digit Shopify invoice number
  • The charge amount
  • The date of the charge

You can hide other sensitive information, as long as the required details are clearly displayed.

Before you contact Shopify Support about an unknown charge

Before reaching out to Shopify Support about an unknown charge, gather the following information to help resolve your issue faster:

• The 9-digit bill number from your bank statement (displayed as SHOPIFY * <9-digit bill number>)
• A screenshot or image of the charge from your bank statement, including the charge amount and date
• The email addresses you've checked in the Forgot Your Store? tool
• The first 6 and last 4 digits of the credit card charged, or relevant payment method details (refer to request a refund for unauthorized charges for more information)
• Steps you've already tried from the troubleshooting steps on this page

Having this information ready helps Shopify Support assist you more efficiently.