Customising the Shopify checkout without Shopify Plus

The short answer

On Basic or higher (not on Shopify Starter), Shopify gives you standard branding, apps on the thank-you and order status pages, and public apps that use Shopify Functions. Apps that customise the information, shipping and payment pages, the Checkout Branding API and custom apps with Functions are for Shopify Plus only (Shopify Help Center and shopify.dev, checked October 2026).

So the question isn't really “can I change my checkout?” but “which part do I want to change?”. The sections below go through each part.

1. The checkout editor (every paid plan)

Open Settings → Checkout and click Customize. Shopify's help pages list these style settings (checked October 2026):

• Logo: upload it, set its width and align it left, centre or right.
• Colours: a saved colour palette, background colours for the main area, header and order summary, and accent and button colours.
• Typography: fonts for headings and body text, from Shopify's font picker.
• Input fields: transparent fields and the colour of error messages.
• Layout: one-page or three-page checkout.
• Small switches such as address autocompletion, the buy again button and always showing the discount field on mobile.

2. Thank-you and order status pages (every paid plan)

Eligible apps can add blocks to the thank-you and order status pages on Basic or higher. That's where most non-Plus stores put surveys, reorder offers, loyalty messages and extra delivery information.

Post-purchase offers, where the buyer is asked to add one more product right after paying, also work outside Plus through apps built for that slot (shopify.dev lists post-purchase extensions for all plans except Shopify Starter). They show after the payment, not inside the payment step.

3. Shopify Functions: rules, not design

Shopify Functions let apps change how the checkout behaves on the server. According to shopify.dev, stores on any plan can use public apps from the Shopify App Store that contain functions; only Plus stores can use custom apps with Function APIs (checked October 2026).

Typical things these apps do:

• New discount types, such as tiered or bundle discounts.
• Hiding, renaming or reordering payment methods, for example hiding cash on delivery above a certain amount.
• Hiding or renaming delivery options, or adding local pickup rules.
• Validation that blocks checkout when a rule is broken, such as a maximum quantity per order.

4. What needs Shopify Plus

These are the parts Shopify keeps for Plus (Shopify Help Center, checked October 2026):

• Apps and blocks inside the information, shipping and payment steps, such as extra fields, trust badges or upsells next to the payment form.
• The Checkout Branding API for advanced styling beyond the editor.
• Custom (private) apps that use Shopify Functions.
• Third-party address autocompletion apps.

What none of these options change

Whatever plan you're on, Shopify's checkout stays Shopify's checkout. Payment runs through Shopify Payments or the providers Shopify supports in your country, and if you use another provider Shopify adds its own transaction fee on non-Plus plans. The checkout also stays on Shopify's flow and layout options.

For most stores that's fine: Shopify's checkout converts well and buyers know it. It becomes a problem when you need a payment provider Shopify doesn't offer you, want local methods from your own account, or want offers and your own design on the payment step itself.

How a hosted custom checkout works

A hosted custom checkout replaces only the last step. The buyer shops as usual; when they click checkout, they go to a checkout page on your own domain (for example pay.yourstore.com) with your branding. The cart is re-priced from Shopify, so prices can't be changed in the browser.

The buyer pays through your own payment provider and the money goes straight to your account. Once the payment is confirmed, the order is created in Shopify automatically, with the products, customer and shipping, so fulfilment, stock and your apps keep working as before.

Which route fits your store

• You only want your logo, colours and fonts: the checkout editor is enough.
• You want offers or messages after the purchase: thank-you page and post-purchase apps, on any paid plan.
• You want to hide or rename payment and delivery options, or add discount rules: a public Shopify Functions app.
• You want blocks inside the payment step and you're already at Plus volume: Shopify Plus.
• You want your own payment provider, your own domain and offers on the payment page without Plus: a hosted custom checkout.

Things to check before you switch to a custom checkout

• Which payment methods your buyers expect in each country (iDEAL in the Netherlands, Bancontact in Belgium, cards and wallets everywhere).
• That your payment provider supports your products and approves your account.
• That orders land in Shopify correctly, including discount codes and shipping.
• That purchases from the new checkout reach your ad platforms — otherwise your ads lose their data.
• That you can switch back to Shopify's checkout at any time.