Pause And Build Plan Shopify | Ultimate Guidelines For Shopify Merchants

Key Takeaways

• Shopify offers a “Pause and Build” plan for its merchants taking a break from selling.
• The plan costs $9 per month.
• Merchants can stay on this plan indefinitely.

What is the Shopify Pause And Build Plan

The Shopify “Pause and Build” plan is a feature designed for Shopify store owners, allowing them to temporarily halt sales while still maintaining and enhancing their stores.

This option disables the checkout, preventing new orders, which is ideal for vacations or catching up on existing orders. It’s a handy feature for those who need a temporary respite without shutting down entirely.

Cost & functions of the Shopify Pause And Build Plan

With the Shopify Pause and Build plan available at a reduced fee of $9 USD monthly, you can halt sales yet retain vital store access. While customers can view products, the checkout is disabled, preventing purchases.

With this plan, merchants can access:

• The Shopify admin dashboard.
• Basic store performance reports.
• Your storefront for viewing.

However, some functionalities are restricted during this period:

• No online store checkout.
• No point of sale (POS) services.
• Discounts, gift cards, and abandoned checkout recovery are unavailable.
• Third-party integrations, like Facebook and Google promotions, are paused.
• Draft orders can be created but not converted into live orders, and customers can’t finalize checkouts.

In essence, this plan ensures essential store maintenance while certain sales operations are paused.

Considerations before using the Shopify Pause And Build Plan

There are a few things that Shopify merchants should put into consideration before using the Shopify Pause And Build plan. Here are some key points to notice: 

• While on the Shopify Pause and Build plan, customers won’t have the ability to make purchases from your store.
• To qualify for this plan, you must have been on a paid plan for at least 60 days, excluding any trial period.
• The plan comes with a single staff account, and you need to settle any outstanding invoices before changing the plan.
• The Pause and Build plan isn’t an option for Shopify Plus users.
• Beware, recurring charges for Shopify apps continue during this plan. To avoid these charges, you’ll need to manually uninstall the apps.

What to do with your store while using the Pause And Build Plan

Areas of functionality

On the Pause and Build plan, Shopify limits some functions of your online store. However, you can still conduct crucial actions like:

• Access your Shopify admin dashboard.
• View basic performance reports for your site.
• Browse your online storefront.

Suggested actions

When pausing your store with Shopify’s Pause and Build plan, it’s essential to make a few tweaks to enhance the customer experience. Here’s what you can consider:

• Inform Customers: Use a sticky banner on your website to indicate the store’s closure duration or provide alternatives for eager buyers.
• Homepage Update: Ensure your homepage clearly communicates the temporary halt in services.
• Announcement Bar: Implement a bar or banner to notify visitors that orders aren’t currently being accepted.
• Hide Purchase Options: To avoid confusion, consider hiding the “Add to Cart” button.
• Optimize Your Store: Utilize this pause period to refine and improve your Shopify store’s overall look and functionality.
• Lead Collection: Incorporate a “notify me when available” feature to gather potential customer emails.

With the Pause and Build plan, customers can still browse but not purchase items. To make this clear:

• Theme Customization: Adjust your theme to hide product prices and purchasing buttons, ensuring a seamless browsing experience.
• Password Protection: If you prefer to hide your products entirely during the pause, set up a password for your store. Customize the password page with a message explaining the temporary pause, keeping customers informed.

By making these adjustments, you’ll ensure a smooth experience for visitors even during your store’s downtime.

Step-by-Step to activate the Shopify Pause And Build Plan

While your store is paused, several features like online checkout, POS, discounts, checkout recovery, gift cards, and integrations with platforms like Facebook and Google will be unavailable. You can create draft order invoices, but customers can’t complete purchases, and these drafts can’t become live orders.

Here are the detailed steps to help you access the Pause And Build Shopify Plan:

• Step 1: Log in to the store admin panel as the owner.

• Step 2: Navigate to Settings > Plan.

• Step 3: Click the “Deactivate store” button.

• Step 4: In the pop-up window, review your billing details and select “Pause and build.” Fillin the necessary information to finish the process.

With the Pause and Build plan, your store stays active with limited functionality and a lower subscription fee. Whenever you’re ready to resume full operations, simply select a new plan to reopen your store.

Reopen your store after using the Shopify Pause And Build Plan

Choosing the Pause and Build plan on Shopify requires you to pick a new plan upon resuming, since your original plan becomes invalid. To reactivate your store, simply:

• Step 1: Log in as the store owner.
• Step 2: Navigate to Settings > click the “Change plan” button in your Shopify admin.

• Step 3: View and select an appropriate shopify fulfillment pricing option for your store.

• Step 4: Review the details thoroughly and finish the registration process.

Once you’ve selected your plan, you’re ready to resume sales. If your store had a password set during its pause, remember to remove it to enable customer access.

Benefits of using the Pause and Build Plan Shopify

The “Pause and Build” plan on Shopify offers several benefits to merchants who might need to temporarily stop sales but want to keep working on their store. Here are the main benefits:

• Cost-Effective: At $9 per month, it’s more affordable than regular shopify international pricing. This allows store owners to reduce monthly costs while making changes or taking a break.
• Store Access: Even though customers can’t make purchases, merchants retain full access to the store’s backend. This means you can continue to modify and improve the store.
• Retain Store Data: All your store data, including products, themes, and customer details, remain intact. You won’t lose any information.
• Product Browsing: Customers can still browse products and view the site, allowing for brand engagement and product interest to continue, even if they can’t purchase right away.
• Flexibility: It offers the flexibility to take a break, re-strategize, or work on store improvements without fully closing the store.
• Easy Reactivation: When you’re ready to start selling again, transitioning back to an active selling plan is straightforward. You simply choose a new plan and reactivate the checkout.
• Maintain Store Visibility: Search engines will continue to index your site, ensuring that your SEO efforts are not wasted and the store’s online presence remains.

In essence, the “Pause and Build” plan is ideal for merchants who want a temporary break without losing their store progress or visibility.

When to pause your Shopify store

There are several reasons you might think about temporarily pausing your store. Here are a few:

• Redesign purpose: Pausing allows you to concentrate fully on updating your website or product images.
• Seasonal purpose: If your business thrives only during specific seasons or holidays, pausing during off-peak times could save costs.
• Order Overload Purpose: If you’re swamped with orders and struggling to keep up, a temporary halt can help you manage and dispatch existing orders efficiently.
• Personal Break purpose: Everyone needs downtime. By pausing your store, you ensure no new orders come in, letting you truly relax and recharge.

Conclusion

The “Pause and Build” option on Shopify offers merchants flexibility, allowing them to temporarily halt sales while continuing to work on and refine their store. It’s an ideal solution for those seeking a break without completely shutting down their online presence.

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