E-commerce
March 25, 2026
You are an agency, development studio or app publisher and you want to structure your relationship with Shopify: revenue, training, rules of the game and recent changes to the program. This guide offers an up-to-date overview of the Shopify Partner Program, without any promise of earnings: the amounts and detailed conditions are in the official documentation, which we do not reproduce in full here. For the Technology tiers (Built for Shopify, app requirements), continue reading with our articles Technology Partner requirements and App Store publication.
Summary
Current framework: a unified program and tiers
Shopify presents the Shopify Partner Program as a global community: you can sign up from the path described on the page About the Shopify Partner Program, with access in particular to development stores, programs, incentives, and tools. All partners start at the Registered level and can progress to Select, Plus, Premier, and Platinum depending on their performance. The benefits at each level cover in particular business development, training, and marketing: the details are in the PDF guides referenced by Shopify (for example, the Service Track guide mentioned on the same page).
The benefit for you is clear: a unique framework to present both Shopify and your services, with tier badges that can be used in your materials when you are eligible. Do not confuse this system with older retired brands: the official documentation notes that the Plus Partner program was discontinued as of December 2024, and that the Shopify Experts brand and the associated marketplace were discontinued in December 2023. These timeline elements are useful for updating your sales presentations and avoiding outdated mentions on your websites.
Recent changes: what has changed for brands and badges
If you still find pages that refer to « Partenaire Plus » or « Experts Shopify » as active programs, update them: Shopify says that these brands must no longer be used beyond the sunset dates, and that qualified partners can rely on the tier badges of the Shopify Partner Program. This brand continuity simplifies the message for the end customer: your Registered, Select, Plus, Premier, or Platinum level becomes the visible element of trust, rather than a stack of historical labels.
Activity types: development shops, apps, themes, sponsorships
In practice, a single Partner account may span several areas: merchant services (store creation and transfers, launch projects), app publishing on the App Store, theme sales on the Theme Store, and referrals to Plus or Enterprise offers when the conditions are met. Each channel has its own eligibility rules and payout terms: it is counterproductive to mix percentages on a slide that relate to different activities without naming them.
The Shopify Partner Earnings page is the source to consult before any financial projection: it distinguishes the conditions for stores in transfer, Plus or Enterprise referrals, Shopify launches, apps, themes, one-time promotions, taxes, and regulatory fees. Revenue can also vary depending on your location and that of the merchants, as the introduction to this page indicates.
Table: where to find each compensation rule
Topic | Useful section in the official documentation | What you check first |
|---|---|---|
Stores undergoing ownership transfer | Dedicated conditions and pricing table | Eligibility for merchant plan, exclusions (employees, certain contracts) |
Plus or Enterprise referral | Forms, 90-day deadlines, one-time payment since July 2025 | Lead qualification, no prior contact with Shopify Sales |
Shopify Launch (assisted opportunities) | Launch conditions, evidence, SOW | One-time payout per opportunity, not cumulative with certain other revenues |
Shopify Apps | Applications section, gross revenue tiers | Compliance with the Partner Agreement, associated developer accounts |
Themes | Themes section | Percentage on the Theme Store and contractual compliance |
This table does not replace a line-by-line reading of the official tables: it serves as a navigation map when you prepare an internal committee or a note for your partner.
Revenue principles (official reference)
Shopify insists that you earn “based on your contribution to the ecosystem” and that the terms are detailed in the tables on the Revenue page. Without replaying the full terms here, keep three ideas in mind to stay honest in your business plans:
Eligibility: each revenue line has criteria (store type, contract type, qualified referral, proof of work for a launch, etc.).
Timing: rules differ before or after certain dates (for example changes around the July 1, 2025 for certain Plus or Enterprise referrals and for some launches, as detailed in the French doc).
Taxation and fees: revenue may be subject to taxes depending on your situation; the page also mentions regulatory operating fees depending on the case.
For apps, the French documentation indicates in particular a revenue share regime based on revenue as of January 1, 2025, with tiers expressed in US dollars for the first millions of gross revenue and beyond. For themes, it indicates a percentage of revenue on sales via the Theme Store. The exact figures and exceptions for very large developers are listed in the tables on the same page: do not copy them from a third-party article, including this text, without cross-checking with the official source at the time you read these lines.
Stores in the process of transfer and recurring commissions
The mechanism of stores in the process of ownership transfer is at the heart of many agency models: you create a development store, support the merchant, then transfer ownership according to the process documented by Shopify. The Revenue page specifies that only these transfers are eligible for certain recurring commissions, and that collaborator accounts are not. It also describes exclusions when the store is activated through certain contracts handled by Shopify's sales teams. Before promising a rate to a client, open the pricing table in the docs: the percentages on subscription fees or Plus-related changes are stated there with date and billing conditions.
Qualified referrals for Plus or Enterprise and assisted launches
The qualified referrals to Plus or Enterprise go through official forms; the documentation lists formatting requirements (accuracy of data, no prior contact with Shopify sales for certain situations) and payout rules. For contracts concluded on or after July 1, 2025, the docs describe in particular a one-time payment of USD 2,500 for eligible referrals assisted by the sales team, replacing a previous recurring mechanism for these cases. The timelines (for example, attribution information about 30 days after closing) and exclusions (upgrades, ambiguous co-selling, etc.) are essential to avoid misunderstandings with your sales teams.
The launches assisted by Shopify sales are covered in a separate section, with conditions on proof of services (statement of work signed between you and the merchant), a single attributable partner per opportunity, and percentages on platform fees billed for contracts from July 1, 2025 onward. If you manage a complex pipeline, cross-check these rules with our Shopify pipeline and recommendations guide: the goal is to align internal process and Shopify rules, not to invent average amounts.
Apps and themes: revenue sharing on app stores
For apps, Shopify refers to the Partner Program agreement and the registration to sell on the App Store, as well as the declaration of associated developer accounts. The retention percentages on gross revenue depend on the documented tiers for the year in question. For themes, the documentation indicates a percentage of revenue from sales via the Theme Store, with the same requirement to comply with the Partner agreement. For a product-oriented reading and App Review examination, continue with Built for Shopify and development resources.
One-time promotions, taxes and regulatory fees
The Partner Earnings page describes not only permanent mechanisms: it also lists promotions that may concern Shopify POS, POS payments, Markets Pro, or other offers depending on current campaigns. Each promotion has merchant criteria, qualification periods, and caps: treat them as temporary addenda to your business strategy, not as guaranteed revenue in a three-year business plan. The same page reminds you that your earnings may be subject to taxes depending on your situation and mentions regulatory operating fees in certain cases: plan to review it together with your accountant when you scale multiple streams (transferred stores, apps, themes, and referrals).
Finally, the documentation provides a glossary of terms (billing store, brand-new merchant, etc.): take the time to open it when you are discussing with Shopify sales teams or with a client: aligned vocabulary reduces misunderstandings about commission attribution and payout timing.
Shopify Academy and support
The About the program page presents Shopify Academy as a training center (courses, learning paths, certifications) for building skills on the platform and growing your Partner business. It is an often underestimated lever: beyond badges, training reduces configuration errors at your clients' stores and therefore the cost of internal support. For assistance, Shopify says you can get help with your Partner account and development stores via the Help Center by signing in with the appropriate context (partner organization or dev store).
Market data and European context
As a partner, you often process data from European merchants: orders, contact details, sometimes health data or data about minors depending on the sector. The GDPR imposes principles of lawfulness, minimization, and transparency. The CNIL describes the legal bases for processing and the importance of informing individuals: useful for structuring your contracts with merchants (controller and processor roles, transfers outside the EU, documentation). This is not an “optional” section: poor access governance can cost more than a month of commission.
Best practices for getting started without getting distracted
Choose a clear product line for the first six months: pure agency, SaaS product on the App Store, or theme, rather than all three at once with no staff.
Align marketing and reality: your case studies should reflect the journeys that are actually eligible for the revenue described in the docs.
Document your referrals: the docs emphasize accurate forms and lead expiration timeframes: a lightweight CRM is better than a forgotten spreadsheet.
Update your assets: remove mentions of Shopify Experts or Plus Partner if your pages predate the official removals.
Train your teams on the exclusions (employees, ineligible stores) to avoid the «near sales» that do not qualify.
Common pitfalls
Situation | Risk | Antidote |
|---|---|---|
Mixing on a quote "agency" and "app" revenue | Confusing for the client and for your accounting | Separate entities or business lines in your proposals |
Promising a gain without lead qualification | Dissatisfaction and disputes | Repeat the official referral and launch criteria |
Forgetting deadlines (90 days, etc.) | Loss of eligibility | Shared calendar with reminders |
Staying on old "Experts" slides | Lack of credibility | Up-to-date tier badges and Help links |
Qstomy in the ecosystem
Qstomy illustrates the kind of solution merchants discover through the Shopify ecosystem: an AI chatbot focused on e-commerce, support, and product recommendations. For your client files, a conversational assistant can complement a redesign or a custom app: see the Shopify integration, the e-commerce chatbot and AI sales assistant pages, and the article e-commerce chatbot: time savings.
Summary
The Shopify Partner Program now brings together the historical paths under one roof, with Registered to Platinum tiers and revenue rules detailed in the Shopify Partner Revenue documentation. The About the Shopify Partner Program page sets the framework, the benefits by level, and reminds readers of the retirement dates for the old brands. For Europe, keep GDPR requirements in mind via CNIL guidance on legal bases. Three reference areas: platform, compensation, data framework (official sources cited in the article).
FAQ
Is program membership paid?
The About page says you can join the community “for free” in the sense of the entry cost listed where Shopify mentions it: always check the latest terms on the same page for any fees related to optional services or registration for sales programs on the stores (apps, themes), which are covered on other pages.
Can I still call myself “Shopify Expert”?
Not for the brand retired in December 2023: use the Shopify Partner Program tier badges if you are eligible, as indicated in the official documentation.
How much will I earn?
No blog post can answer that for you: it depends on your activity, your merchants, the plans, and the eligibility rules. Start with the tables on the Revenue page and your own cautious assumptions.
Does the $2,500 USD payout on Plus apply in all cases?
It refers to qualified assisted referrals by Shopify sales for contracts signed on or after July 1, 2025, under the conditions listed in the referral section: read the exclusions and deadlines in the French documentation.
Are app revenue tiers stable?
Shopify bases the scheme on revenue starting January 1, 2025, with thresholds in US dollars; exceptions for very large developers are in the tables. For recent changes to revenue sharing related to the App Store, also cross-check the developer docs and our article publish on the App Store.
Do I need to mention GDPR in my customer contracts?
Yes, as soon as you access personal data from store owners or their customers: define the roles, purposes, and processors; the legal bases described by CNIL help structure the discussion.
Where should I start reading?
About page for the framework, then Revenue page for the figures and conditions, then the tier PDF guides if you are aiming for Select or beyond.
Learn more
Enzo Garcia
March 25, 2026
