Have you created and displayed a privacy policy on your own Shopify store? And beyond just displaying it, are you obtaining consent from your customers?
This article covers how to create a privacy policy, how to display it on your Shopify store, how to get consent, and recommended Shopify apps.
How to Create a Privacy Policy
A privacy policy is a document that spells out your policy on how you collect, use, manage, and protect personal information. This section introduces two ways to create a privacy policy.
Use Shopify's Template (Free)
Shopify offers a free privacy policy template.
Just enter the required information and it will email you a privacy policy template. Give it a try.
You can access Shopify's privacy policy template via the link below
Privacy Policy Template｜Shopify
Hire a Lawyer
Shopify's template is written to be simple enough to use across a wide variety of stores. Because of this, if you want to create a privacy policy tailored to your own store, it's a good idea to hire a lawyer. The going rate is typically anywhere from a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars, so if you already have a retained lawyer, it's worth consulting with them.
How to Display a Privacy Policy on Your Shopify Store
Here's how to display a privacy policy on your Shopify store. Following the steps below lets you display your privacy policy information at "https://yourdomain/policies/privacy-policy."
- Go to "Settings > Policies"
- Enter your privacy policy content in the "Privacy policy" section
- Click "Save" in the top right of the screen
How to Get Consent for Your Privacy Policy on Shopify
It's not enough to just display your privacy policy — it's also important to get consent from users of your service. This section introduces how to display a checkbox that lets you obtain consent from users of your service for the privacy policy you've displayed.
Use Your Shopify Theme
The first method is to use your Shopify theme. Some Shopify themes provide a block that lets you display a required checkbox on the product page or cart page. Using that block lets you display a checkbox asking for consent to your privacy policy.
The benefit of using your Shopify theme is that it's easy to set up. The drawbacks are that you can't freely customize the design, it can take time to find a Shopify theme that supports a required checkbox if your current theme doesn't, and Shopify themes typically cost a few hundred dollars as a one-time purchase.
Check whether your current Shopify theme can display a required checkbox.
The article below introduces how to choose a Shopify theme, popular free themes, and recommended themes. Please use it as a reference.
Use a Shopify App
Next is the method of using a Shopify app. If your current Shopify theme can't display a required checkbox, using a Shopify app lets you display one easily.
The benefit of using a Shopify app is that it's easy to set up with no code, and it offers more design flexibility than using your Shopify theme. The drawback is that it costs a monthly fee, though only a few dollars.
Customize the Source Code
Finally, there's the method of customizing the source code. (Note: since the implementation method differs by Shopify theme, we won't cover the detailed implementation in this article.) The benefit of customizing the source code is that it's free and lets you freely customize the design. The drawback is that it requires programming knowledge such as HTML and CSS. It also takes time not just to develop, but also to test that it works as intended.
Recommended Shopify Apps for Getting Consent to Your Terms of Service
Checkbox Assistant
Checkbox Assistant is a Shopify app that lets you easily display a no-code checkbox asking for consent to your privacy policy or terms of service. You can display a consent checkbox not just on the product page, but also on the cart page and authentication screens (account registration screens).
The blog article below introduces "Checkbox Assistant's" features, functionality, and pricing plans in detail. Please use it as a reference.
Pricing plan: from $1.99/month
CC Checkbox
CC Checkbox is a Shopify app that lets you easily display a no-code checkbox asking for consent to your privacy policy or terms of service. You can display a consent checkbox on the cart page and authentication screens (account registration screens).
Pricing plan: $1.99/month
In Conclusion
How was this? Shopify offers a free privacy policy template. If you haven't created a privacy policy yet, be sure to check it out.
This article introduced recommended Shopify apps for getting consent to your privacy policy, but the article below introduces recommended Shopify apps by category, including customer acquisition, boosting sales, and expanding blog content. Please use it as a reference.
