Shopify Partners are companies and individuals that participate in Shopify's official partner program and support the businesses of online retailers (merchants).
The Partner Program's tiers and referral earnings are being revised. Since August 10, 2026, a new earnings model based on subscription fees and eligible online GMV has applied to eligible client referrals and store transfers.
This article explains registration, differences in revenue by activity, the old and new referral earnings models, and the tier system.
Note: Program details and availability requirements are based on official information as of October 30, 2026. For the tier system, we reviewed the Q4 2026 Tiering Guide and the official FAQ on the closure of Shopify Academy.
What is a Shopify Partner?
Image source: Shopify
Shopify Partners are companies and individuals registered in Shopify's official Shopify Partner Program that help online retailers (merchants) build, operate, and grow their stores.
Shopify Partner Program
The Shopify Partner Program is Shopify's official program for helping businesses set up and operate stores on Shopify. Registration is free and open to both individuals and companies.
Registering as a partner lets you take part in activities such as the following.
- Helping merchants build and operate stores
- Developing and selling Shopify apps
- Developing and selling Shopify themes
- Building and transferring client stores, and making referrals
After registering, you use the Partner Dashboard to manage referrals, the Partner Directory, and related activities, and the Dev Dashboard to manage apps, stores, and collaborator access. Payout destinations and business information are managed in organization settings.
Source: Partner Dashboard and Dev Dashboard (checked October 30, 2026)
Changes from previous programs to the current system
The Shopify Partner Program has evolved in stages.
First, the following previous programs have been discontinued in sequence.
- Shopify Experts: The brand ended in December 2023. The previous marketplace has also closed, and the Partner Directory is now used.
- Plus Partner Program: Ended in December 2024.
- Plus Certified App Program (PCAP) and Technology Track tier branding: Discontinued in December 2025.
The current Shopify Partner Program presents tiers progressing from Registered to Select, Plus, Premier, and Platinum. The former PCAP and Technology Track tier branding are being replaced by the Certified Technology Partner Program. Do not treat the service and technology programs as though they have all been merged into the same tiers.
Source: Partner Program overview (checked October 30, 2026)
Shopify has also officially announced that discontinued program names, such as Shopify Experts and Shopify Plus Partner Program, should no longer be used.
How to register as a Shopify Partner and get started
Joining the Shopify Partner Program is free. Create an account on the official website and prepare to get started as follows.
- Create an account on the official partner registration page.
- Register your organization and business information, and review the program's terms.
- Use the appropriate dashboards for your activities, such as store building and operational support, app development, or theme development.
- Before receiving earnings, complete verification of your business email address and configure your business information and payout method.
Use client transfer stores for stores you will hand over to clients, and dev stores for testing apps and themes. Development stores cannot be transferred to clients.
Sources: Partner Program overview, Getting started with the Partner Program, Client transfer stores and dev stores (checked October 30, 2026)
The new earnings model for client referrals and store transfers
For eligible projects where you are recognized as the Launch Partner through activities such as store building and transfer, you can earn revenue based on subscription fees and eligible online GMV. The new model applies to eligible contracts and store transfers from August 10, 2026 onward; existing projects retain their previous terms.
| Category | Main terms of the new model | Treatment of existing projects |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible plans | Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus. Starter and Lite are excluded. | Retain the previous terms applied to the project |
| Fee-based earnings | 20% of base subscription fees and base platform fees, calculated after discounts, credits, and similar adjustments | Calculation methods differ according to contract or referral timing |
| Sales-based earnings | 0.1% of eligible online GMV | The new model's GMV earnings are not automatically added to every project |
| Earnings period | 4 years. The official announcement states that this starts with the first partner payout. | Retain previous earnings rates and periods |
Eligible online GMV is the value of online consumer transactions minus returns and refunds. It excludes B2B and wholesale transactions, and the eligible amount is capped at USD 100 million per merchant per year. Fee-based and GMV-based earnings are calculated separately, and payout timing may differ.
Co-selling with Shopify has project-specific requirements, such as being designated the Launch Partner and having a signed statement of work (SOW). Making a referral alone does not entitle you to every type of earnings. Existing stores do not automatically move to the new model when they change plans.
Sources: New referral earnings model, Detailed referral earnings FAQ, Partner glossary (checked October 30, 2026)
Differences between referral earnings, app sales, theme sales, and affiliate marketing
The conditions for generating revenue differ by activity. Also check tier advancement criteria separately from the conditions for receiving earnings.
| Activity | Main conditions for earning revenue |
|---|---|
| Client store building, transfers, and referrals | Meet the applicable referral, transfer, and Launch Partner requirements |
| App sales | Follow separate terms for app sales and billing |
| Theme sales | Follow separate terms for theme sales |
| Affiliate marketing | Apply separately, receive approval, and refer new merchants through a dedicated tracking link |
Sources: Detailed referral earnings FAQ, Affiliate Program overview (checked October 30, 2026)
Shopify Partner Program tiers
This section explains the current Shopify Partner Program tier system.
Overview of the tier system
The current Partner Program has 5 tiers: Registered, Select, Plus, Premier, and Platinum. Credential requirements are waived for the 2026 evaluation, which assesses commercial performance.
Sources: Q4 2026 Tiering Guide, Shopify Academy closure and changes to credential requirements (checked October 30, 2026)
| Tier | Overview |
|---|---|
| Registered | The starting point for all partners. Provides access to basic tools and resources. |
| Select | A consistent record of acquiring new merchants and helping them achieve early success. |
| Plus | Achieves results in addressing more complex merchant needs. |
| Premier | Consistently delivers strong results in large, complex business environments. |
| Platinum | Supports enterprise merchants at scale and delivers sustained results. |
Note: Below, the tiers are referred to by the abbreviated names "Registered," "Select," "Plus," "Premier," and "Platinum."
Registered is the starting tier after registration. Advancing to Select or higher requires meeting each tier's commercial performance requirements.
Source: Partner Program overview (checked October 30, 2026)
When tier advancement is evaluated
Tiers are evaluated quarterly and updated on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1. Check your company's evaluation and tier in the Partner Dashboard.
Sources: Q4 2026 Tiering Guide, Partner Directory listing requirements (checked October 30, 2026)
Shopify Partner Program tier advancement requirements
Commercial impact (commercial performance) is evaluated in 2026. Below are 2 revenue metrics and the minimum number of new merchants you need to acquire.
Commercial impact (commercial performance)
Your tier is determined by combining the stronger of your referral and co-sell revenue or existing merchant revenue with the new merchant acquisition requirement. Amounts are in U.S. dollars and do not refer to merchant sales (GMV) or the partner's own earnings.
Metric 1: Referral and co-sell revenue
Eligible performance includes creating and transferring client transfer stores, Shopify-verified Plus and Enterprise referrals, and co-selling with Shopify. Shopify confirms your involvement and verifies the revenue eligible for evaluation.
| Tier | Revenue threshold (USD) |
|---|---|
| Select | USD 100,000 or more |
| Plus | USD 500,000 or more |
| Premier | USD 2 million or more |
| Platinum | USD 5 million or more |
Metric 2: Existing merchant revenue
Performance from existing merchants you support on an ongoing basis, such as through collaborator access, is also evaluated. Shopify must also verify your involvement and the revenue for this metric.
| Tier | Revenue threshold (USD) |
|---|---|
| Select | USD 500,000 or more |
| Plus | USD 2.5 million or more |
| Premier | USD 10 million or more |
| Platinum | USD 25 million or more |
Official materials differ in how they describe the revenue aggregation period. The Q4 guide refers to "revenue over the past 5 years," while the Partner Directory help refers to "annual revenue from merchants acquired over the past 5 years." These statements alone do not establish whether to use the total for 5 years or 1 year of revenue from eligible merchants. When using the table amounts to check your company's tier, confirm the aggregation scope and period with the Partner Dashboard or Shopify.
Metric 3: Minimum number of new merchants acquired
In addition to meeting the threshold for metric 1 or metric 2, you must meet the following acquisition requirements. Standard plans refer to Basic, Grow, and Advanced. Only new Shopify merchants count; expansion stores are excluded.
| Tier | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Select | At least 1 Plus/Enterprise merchant or 10 standard-plan merchants in the past 5 years |
| Plus | At least 2 Plus/Enterprise merchants or 40 standard-plan merchants in the past 5 years |
| Premier | At least 4 Plus/Enterprise merchants in the past 2 years |
| Platinum | At least 6 Plus/Enterprise merchants in the past 2 years |
Sources: Q4 2026 Tiering Guide, Partner Directory listing requirements (checked October 30, 2026)
2026 credential requirements and the closure of Shopify Academy
The Q4 guide waives credential requirements for 2026. The official FAQ also states that Shopify Academy closes on October 29, 2026, and that Academy certifications are being removed from Partner Program tier requirements. Do not treat credential badge counts, the number of credentialed people, or obtaining credentials by year-end as current mandatory requirements.
For learning and technical information, refer to Shopify's developer documentation, the Partner Help Center, Dev Community Forums, and similar resources.
Sources: Q4 2026 Tiering Guide, Shopify Academy closure and changes to credential requirements (checked October 30, 2026)
Benefits of joining the Shopify Partner Program
Here are 3 benefits of joining the Shopify Partner Program.
Use stores suited to your purpose
Use dev stores to develop and test apps and themes, and client transfer stores to build stores for handover to clients. Both are managed in the Dev Dashboard. Transfer ownership of client transfer stores after building them, and use collaborator access to support existing stores.
Sources: Client transfer stores and dev stores, Partner Dashboard and Dev Dashboard (checked October 30, 2026)
Earn revenue based on your activities
You can earn revenue through client store building, transfers, and referrals, as well as app and theme sales. Rates and periods differ by activity, so check the conditions for your project in "The new earnings model for client referrals and store transfers" above.
Receive benefits based on your tier
All partners can access basic tools and support resources. Higher tiers provide additional resources and opportunities to collaborate with Shopify. Check the latest tier guide and communications to your company for benefit eligibility and invitation requirements.
- Support resources such as basic tools and documentation
- Tier badges appropriate to your tier
- Additional support according to eligible tiers and invitation requirements, such as a partner manager, development and marketing funds, and priority access to Shopify teams
Listing in the Partner Directory
Partner Directory listing is by invitation for partners who meet conditions such as their program tier. Official help states that Plus, Premier, and Platinum partners are eligible for invitations, and that some Registered partners are also eligible for listing.
Sources: Q4 2026 Tiering Guide, Partner Directory listing requirements (checked October 30, 2026)
For merchants: How to find and choose a Shopify Partner
This section explains how to find and choose a Shopify Partner if you are thinking, "I want to hire a Shopify Partner at a tier suited to my company to build my store, but I don't know how to find one."
Search the Shopify Partner Directory
Shopify Partner Directory is Shopify's official directory of Shopify Partners. Merchants can use this page to view partner information and services, and contact partners directly.
Partners who want to be listed should check the latest eligibility requirements and whether they have been invited. Merchants should consider specialties and support experience as well as the listed tier when making their choice.
Choose based on tiers and store-building experience
Check the following when selecting a partner.
Tier
We recommend choosing a partner with a tier suited to your business size. Select or Plus can serve as a guide for small to medium businesses, and Premier or Platinum for larger businesses.
Store-building experience
Checking past store-building experience is essential. Some examples are listed in the Shopify Partner Directory, and partners may also list projects on their company websites. Look for a partner with successful examples in your industry or business model, such as D2C, B2B, or subscriptions.
Understand and make use of the Shopify Partner Program!
The Shopify Partner Program offers revenue opportunities based on your activities and tiers based on commercial performance. After registering, check the store types you need for your activities and the earnings terms that apply to each project.
If you want to become a partner, register for free on the official website and start at Registered. Build your record of merchant support and aim for higher tiers while checking your company's evaluation.
If you are a merchant looking to hire a partner, we recommend using the Shopify Partner Directory and choosing a partner suited to your company based on tier and store-building experience.
