Have you ever wondered "I want to use Stripe for payments on Shopify" or "What's the difference between Shopify Payments and Stripe?"
To get straight to the point: Japanese Shopify stores can't connect directly to Stripe as a standalone payment provider. However, since Shopify Payments runs on Stripe's payment infrastructure, you end up using Stripe's technology indirectly as a result.
This article sorts out the relationship between Shopify and Stripe, along with payment methods beyond Shopify Payments.
Can You Use Stripe with Shopify?
Image source: Stripe
The relationship between Shopify and Stripe differs between Japan and other countries. Let's start by sorting out the current situation in Japan.
In Japan, You Can't Connect to Stripe Directly
Shopify stores based in Japan can't adopt Stripe as a standalone payment provider. This is because Shopify offers its own standard payment service, "Shopify Payments," and has adopted Stripe as its partner for the underlying payment processing infrastructure.
Shopify's official Help Center also states clearly that Stripe can't be enabled in countries where Shopify Payments is supported. Since Shopify Payments launched in Japan in 2018, direct adoption of Stripe hasn't been possible.
Reference: Shopify Help Center
Stripe Powers Shopify Payments' Payment Processing Infrastructure
Shopify Payments' payment processing runs on Stripe's technology as its foundation. Stripe is officially positioned as "Shopify Payments' banking partner," and the two companies have built a long-standing partnership.
In other words, merchants using Shopify Payments are indirectly using Stripe's payment infrastructure through the Shopify admin. Rather than "you can't use Stripe in Japan," a more accurate way to put it is "you're using it in the form of Shopify Payments."
Note that in countries where Shopify Payments isn't supported, Stripe can be connected directly as a third-party payment provider. Since Japan is a supported country, this method isn't available.
Recent Services Born from the Shopify–Stripe Partnership
Shopify and Stripe jointly offer various services for merchants beyond payment processing. Here are the main ones worth knowing about.
Shop Pay
Shop Pay is a one-click checkout service provided by Shopify. Once a customer registers their payment details, future checkouts are completed in just a few clicks. Since Shopify Payments runs on Stripe's payment infrastructure, Shop Pay also runs on the same infrastructure.
It's a checkout feature aimed at reducing cart abandonment and improving conversion rate, and you can use it at no extra cost once Shopify Payments is enabled.
For more on Shop Pay, see the article below.
Shopify Balance
Shopify Balance is a business account for merchants, built on Stripe Treasury. From the Shopify admin, you can manage incoming payments from your sales, manage expenses, and issue Visa debit cards. It's designed for sole proprietors and entrepreneurs who want to keep business and personal funds separate.
However, as of May 2026, Shopify Balance is only available to merchants based in the US and Puerto Rico. It isn't currently available in Japan.
USDC Payments
On June 12, 2025, Stripe and Shopify announced support for accepting payment in the stablecoin "USDC." It runs on the Base network operated by Coinbase, and is being rolled out progressively to merchants in 34 supported countries.
Customers can pay with USDC from their crypto wallet, and merchants can receive proceeds in their local currency or as USDC. It's become one of Shopify Payments' newer features, offering an option for supporting cross-border ecommerce while keeping foreign exchange fees down.
As of May 2026, Shopify stores in Japan aren't included in the regions supported for USDC payments. Check Shopify's official Help Center for the latest support status.
Benefits of Using Shopify Payments
For ecommerce merchants in Japan who can't use Stripe directly, Shopify Payments is a practical way to take advantage of Stripe's payment infrastructure. Using a payment method other than Shopify Payments incurs an external service transaction fee of roughly 0.5%–2%, but with Shopify Payments, this isn't necessary.
You can also handle order management, sales reports, refunds, and chargebacks entirely from the Shopify admin, saving you the trouble of reconciling data with an external service. If a payment issue comes up, you can consolidate your inquiries with Shopify's customer support, which is simpler than sorting out issues across multiple payment processors.
As for payment methods, it supports credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB) as well as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Shop Pay.
For more details on Shopify Payments, see the article below.
Payment Methods Other Than Stripe You Can Add to Shopify
Shopify Payments alone already covers credit cards and the major mobile payment methods, but adding other payment methods tailored to your target customers can broaden your purchase opportunities. Here's an overview of payment methods worth considering for the Japanese market.
PayPal
An online payment service used in more than 200 countries and regions worldwide, and available on Shopify as a leading third-party payment method. Buyers can pay from their own PayPal account, meaning they don't need to enter their card details directly into your store.
With buyer protection and seller protection programs in place, it's well suited to merchants who want to lower the barrier to purchase for overseas customers in cross-border ecommerce.
PayPay and Convenience Store Payment
"PayPay," a widely used cashless payment method in Japan, and convenience store payment can both be added to Shopify via payment processing services such as KOMOJU or SB Payment Service.
PayPay pairs well with smartphone-native customers and those who use cashless payment day to day, while convenience store payment also serves customers without a credit card. For stores mainly targeting the Japanese market, it's worth considering as a way to broaden purchase options.
Bank Transfer
Bank transfer is available as a standard Shopify feature. It's an option for corporate customers who don't use credit card payment, or for buyers of high-value items who prefer to pay by transfer.
However, since confirming payment and updating order status has to be done manually, operational load increases as order volume grows. Once order volume exceeds a certain scale, it's also worth considering an invoicing service that supports automatic reconciliation of bank deposits.
Amazon Pay｜Integration Ended January 2025
As of January 6, 2025, Shopify ended Amazon Pay integration for Shopify stores in Japan. If you're launching a new store in Japan from here on, you'll need to rule out Amazon Pay as an option.
Note that this only applies to Shopify stores in Japan — Shopify Payments continues to offer Amazon Pay for Shopify stores in the US.
For the Japanese market, it's realistic to consider Shop Pay, PayPay, or convenience store payment as alternatives to Amazon Pay.
Shopify Payments Lets You Take Advantage of Stripe's Payment Infrastructure
This article sorted out the relationship between Shopify and Stripe, the services born from their partnership, and payment methods beyond Stripe.
Japanese Shopify stores can't adopt Stripe as a standalone payment provider, but enabling Shopify Payments means you're effectively using Stripe's technology as its underlying payment processing infrastructure.
Most of what people are looking for when they say "I want to use Stripe" can be satisfied by using Shopify Payments. If you're weighing your payment options, it's practical to start by enabling Shopify Payments.
