Coming from WooCommerce, you might feel restricted by Shopify’s checkout. You can’t edit every pixel. You can’t add custom fields everywhere. You can’t completely redesign the flow.
And that’s exactly why Shopify’s checkout outperforms most other platforms. While typical conversion rates for Shopify stores sit between 1.4% and 1.8%, top-performing stores reach 3% or more. With Shop Pay, checkout conversion can increase by up to 50% compared to standard guest checkout, giving a real boost to sales and completed orders.
Let’s explore how Shopify’s checkout system works, why its limitations are actually features, and how to maximise conversions within its framework.
Shopify Payments vs Third-Party Gateways
The Shopify Payments Advantage
Shopify Payments isn’t just another payment gateway – it’s a fully integrated financial ecosystem:
Built-in benefits:
- No transaction fees (beyond credit card rates)
- Instant activation
- Unified reporting
- Automatic currency conversion
- Fraud protection included
- Chargeback management
- Shop Pay integration
When to Use Third-Party Gateways
Consider alternatives when:
- Shopify Payments isn’t available in your country
- You need specific local payment methods
- You’ve negotiated better rates elsewhere
- You’re in a high-risk industry
- You need advanced B2B features
Popular third-party options:
- Stripe – developer-friendly, excellent APIs – however this gateway is not offered by Shopify (as Shopify’s payment gateway is in fact Stripe, they just whitelabel it)
- PayPal – customer trust, buyer protection
- Authorize.net – B2B features, invoice payments
- 2Checkout – international focus
The Hidden Cost of Third-Party Gateways
Shopify charges additional transaction fees when not using Shopify Payments:
- Basic Plan: 2% per transaction
- Shopify Plan: 1% per transaction
- Advanced Plan: 0.5% per transaction
- Plus: Negotiable (typically 0.15–0.3%)
Checkout Customisation: Limitations and Solutions
What You Can’t Customise
The untouchables:
- Core checkout flow structure
- Payment form fields
- Security badges and trust signals
- Order summary layout
- Core functionality
Why these restrictions exist:
- PCI compliance requirements
- Conversion optimisation (tested across millions of checkouts)
- Mobile responsiveness guarantees
- Security standardisation
- Performance optimisation
What You Can Customise
Shopify Plus – checkout.liquid:
- Full HTML/CSS/JavaScript control
- Add custom fields
- Integrate third-party services
- Modify layout and design
- Add custom validation
Standard Shopify:
- Logo and colours
- Font selection
- Background images
- Custom content blocks
- Language and messaging
- Field labels and placeholders
Creative Workarounds for Standard Plans
Custom fields without Plus:
- Use order notes for additional information
- Leverage line item properties
- Create pre-checkout forms
- Use cart attributes
- Implement post-purchase surveys
Advanced customisation via apps:
- Checkout Blocks – add content sections
- OrderLogic – rules and validation
- MinMaxify – order limits and rules
- Infinite Options – complex product customisation
Express Checkout Implementation
Shop Pay: The Conversion Multiplier
Shop Pay isn’t just fast – it’s the highest-converting checkout on the internet.
Performance stats:
- Can increase conversion by up to 50% vs guest checkout
- 50% faster checkout completion
- 18% higher average order value
- 91% checkout completion rate for returning customers
How it works:
- Customer enters email
- Shop recognises them across any Shopify store
- Pre-fills all information
- One-click purchase completion
Apple Pay and Google Pay Integration
Setup simplicity:
- Enable in payment settings
- Verify domain (automatic with Shopify)
- No extra development required
- Works across all devices
Conversion impact:
- 2× higher mobile conversion
- 30% faster checkout time
- 14% higher average order value
- Reduced cart abandonment
Implementing an Express Checkout Strategy
Placement optimisation:
- Product pages (accelerate buying intent)
- Cart page (reduce steps)
- Checkout page (alternative path)
- Collection pages (impulse purchases)
Best practices:
- Make express options prominent
- Use dynamic buttons that adapt to device
- Test button placement and colour
- Monitor express checkout analytics
Multi-Currency and International Payments
Shopify Markets Configuration
Automatic features:
- Currency detection by IP
- Automatic conversion
- Localised pricing (round to .99)
- Currency-specific payment methods
Setup multi-currency:
- Enable Shopify Payments
- Add currencies in Settings → Markets
- Configure rounding rules
- Optionally set currency-specific pricing
- Enable automatic conversion
International Payment Considerations
Currency conversion fees:
- Shopify Payments: ~1.5%
- Customer pays in local currency
- You receive in store currency
- Rates updated daily
Local payment methods by region:
- Europe: SEPA, Bancontact, iDEAL, Sofort
- Asia: Alipay, WeChat Pay, Konbini
- Latin America: Boleto, OXXO, MercadoPago
- Australia/NZ: POLi, Bank Transfer
Optimising for International Sales
Reduce friction:
- Display prices in local currency
- Show local payment options
- Calculate duties and taxes
- Provide local language checkout
- Display shipping times clearly
Compliance considerations:
- VAT/GST calculation
- Data privacy (GDPR)
- Consumer protection laws
- Payment regulations
- Export restrictions
Transaction Fees and Cost Analysis
Complete Fee Breakdown
Plan Online In-Person Basic 2.9% + $0.30 2.7% Shopify 2.6% + $0.30 2.5% Advanced 2.4% + $0.30 2.4% Plus Negotiated (~2.15% + $0.30) Negotiated
Hidden Costs to Consider
- International cards: +1%
- Currency conversion: 1.5%
- Chargebacks: $15 per dispute
- Manual payment capture: included
- Refund processing: free
Advanced Checkout Optimisations
Checkout Psychology & Trust
Trust signals:
- Security badges
- Express checkout options
- Return policy links
- Customer service availability
- Social proof
Reduce anxiety:
- Progress indicators
- Transparent pricing
- Guest checkout option
- Multiple payment methods
- Clear error messages
A/B Testing Checkout Elements
Test these elements:
- Button colours and text
- Express checkout prominence
- Trust badge placement
- Field order & grouping
- Shipping option display
Tools: Shopify analytics, Google Optimize, Optimizely, VWO, Convert
Checkout Analytics Deep Dive
Key metrics:
- Checkout abandonment: target <60%
- Payment method distribution
- Express checkout usage: >30% mobile
- Error rate by field
- Time to complete: <60s
Common Migration Challenges
1. Custom Fields Migration
- WooCommerce: unlimited
- Shopify: limited without Plus
- Solution: line item properties or pre-checkout forms
2. Complex Shipping Rules
- WooCommerce: plugin-heavy
- Shopify: simpler but powerful
- Solution: carrier-calculated rates + rules
3. B2B Requirements
- WooCommerce: fully customisable
- Shopify: growing B2B features
- Solution: Shopify B2B or custom apps
The Bottom Line
Shopify’s checkout is less customisable than WooCommerce — intentionally.
It prioritises:
- Security over customisation
- Performance over flexibility
- Conversion over control
The goal isn’t “Can I customise everything?” — it’s “Will customers complete their purchase?”
With Shopify, optimised stores see ~2% average conversion, with top stores >3% and accelerated checkouts (Shop Pay) lifting results by up to 50%.
Chris Mulhallen
CRU Subscription Agency – Owner
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