Unfortunately, the 45 day free trial offer for Shopify is no longer available at present. However, don’t be discouraged as there’s still a 3 Day trial option and several other appealing deals that you might enjoy.
In this post, I’ll discuss these offers and the reason behind the removal of the 45 day trial. Additionally, as a bonus, I’ll provide some expert tips to help ensure the success of your store if you decide to go with Shopify. So, let’s dive in.
How Does The Shopify Free Trial Work?
You can try out Shopify’s powerful features and tools risk-free with their free trial. During this limited time, you’ll have access to everything Shopify has to offer, including website building tools, product management tools, and sales analytics. You don’t have to provide any credit card information as long as you don’t sign up for any of the paid plans and you can end the trial whenever you wish.
Shopify 45 Day Trial: A Look Back in Time
The 45-day free trial offer from Shopify has expired and is no longer being offered in 2023. Over the years, Shopify has altered its trial period multiple times and now provides a shorter 3 Day free trial. At a point in time, customers were even able to avail themselves of a 60 day free trial and request an extra 15 days, but this option is no longer available.
What’s the Current Offer for 2023?
The current offer for 2023 is a 3 Day trial instead of the previous 45 day trial. Despite its shorter duration, this trial still allows users to evaluate the platform and determine whether it meets their eCommerce needs.
Anyone who opens a new Shopify account can take advantage of this 3 Day trial by going to this page and clicking the “Start your free trial” button.
What Does The Free Trial Come With?
Here’s a quick rundown of all the amazing features you’ll get to test out during your Shopify free trial.
Personalized Store Design
Shopify is known for its user-friendly customization options. You can easily create a unique look for your online store with the theme editor or pick from a wide range of pre-designed templates. This way, your store will truly stand out and reflect your brand.
Efficient Product Management
Managing your products on Shopify is a breeze. You can add and manage your inventory, set up tracking, and organize your offerings into collections with ease. This makes it easy for you to keep track of your stock and for customers to find what they’re looking for.
Seamless Payment Processing
Not only does Shopify offer various payment gateway options like PayPal and Stripe, but you can also process credit card payments directly through the platform. This streamlines the payment process and helps you keep track of sales with ease.
Dynamic App Store
The Shopify App store is a one-stop-shop for all your eCommerce needs. With a wide range of apps available, you can add new functionality to your store such as email marketing, social media integration, and more. This makes it easy to enhance the customer experience.
Customer Relations Management
With Shopify, you can manage customer information, set up customer accounts, and create groups with ease. This makes it easy for you to keep track of your customers and offer them a personalized shopping experience.
Order Management Made Simple
Tracking, fulfilling, and managing orders, setting up shipping and tax rates, creating discounts and promotions, Shopify has got you covered. This makes it easy for you to keep your customers informed and ensure that their orders are delivered on time.
Insightful Analytics and SEO Optimization
Shopify also provides insightful analytics and SEO optimization tools to help you track your website’s performance and make data-driven decisions for improvement.
What Happens After the Free Trial?
If you do not choose one of the plans, your store will be deactivated and all of your data will be stored for 30 days. Users can take longer on occasions, but 30 days is the safest maximum term for data retention. You can reactivate your business at any moment during this period by selecting a plan and inputting your payment details.
On the other hand, if you decide to continue using Shopify after the free trial, you will be prompted to provide your payment information and choose the plan that best meets your needs. There are several pricing levels to pick from, including Basic Shopify, Shopify, and Advanced Shopify, each with its own set of features and perks.
Once you have selected a plan, you will have full access to all the features and functionalities of Shopify, and your store will be live and ready to start selling.
Is Switching To A Paid Plan Worth It?
If you want to make a long-term impact with your online store and have ambitious goals, investing in a paid plan could be a wise decision. Paid plans include more features and benefits, such as the ability to manage larger stock, add more team member access, and use various apps. You can also remove Shopify’s branding from your website, giving it a more professional appearance.
Furthermore, paid plans provide access to advanced tools such as enhanced reporting capabilities, abandoned cart retrieval, and multi-language support. Now, let me give you a brief overview of all the plans.
Basic Plan
For those embarking on their Shopify journey, the Basic plan is the perfect starting point. It encompasses all the essentials required to get your store up and running, manage orders, and handle payment processing. Currently, the monthly fee for this plan is $19. If you like its features, I would recommend getting it now- it, like the other plans, is on offer. It normally costs $25.
What’s included in the Basic Plan:
- Basic reporting tools to track your store’s performance
- Ability to manage up to 1,000 inventory locations
- 2 staff accounts for managing your store
Shopify Plan
The Shopify plan offers an array of advanced reporting features and extra staff accounts, which makes it a nice fit for businesses seeking to enhance their store operations. The monthly fee for this plan is $49, though it’s normally $65.
What’s included in the Shopify Plan:
- Robust reporting tools that enable you to monitor and evaluate your store’s performance
- Inventory management capability of up to 1,000 locations
- The allocation of 5 staff accounts for seamless store administration.
Advanced Plan
The Advanced plan is a top-tier Shopify solution, specifically designed for businesses seeking advanced reporting features and minimal transaction costs. Currently priced at $299 per month, the plan is a steal as it normally costs $399. This plan is ideal for companies looking for the ultimate Shopify experience.
What’s included in the Advanced Plan:
- Custom report builder for tailored insights on your store’s performance
- Ability to manage up to 1,000 inventory locations
- 15 staff accounts for managing your store
Alongside the above plan-exclusive features, all Shopify plans also come with the following:
- Product Listings: Shopify plans offer limitless product listings, giving you the freedom to sell as many items as desired without any limitations.
- Unrestricted Bandwidth: With Shopify, you won’t experience any charges based on your store’s traffic or the amount of data uploaded. The plans come with limitless bandwidth, making sure your store can handle any amount of traffic.
- Brand Identity Management: Shopify enables simple management of your brand identity elements, including your logo, signature colors, and slogan. This feature makes it effortless to establish a consistent brand image across your store.
- Fraud Prevention: Shopify Payments comes equipped with an in-built fraud analysis feature that detects potentially fraudulent orders and alerts you. This helps in avoiding chargebacks and losses.
- Order Generation: You can create new orders and input payment details directly from your Shopify admin. This feature makes it convenient to manage your store’s orders, even in the absence of an online checkout setup.
- Discounts: Shopify provides the capability to offer discount codes to your customers, providing an easy way to expand your customer base and increase sales.
- Cart Recovery: Shopify’s cart recovery feature sends automated emails to customers who abandon your store without completing checkout. You can personalize these emails to motivate customers to return and complete their purchases.
- Employee Accounts: Employee accounts let you grant access to your store’s admin to other people while retaining control over sensitive information. You can set restrictions on what each staff member can do and keep track of changes made by each staff member. The number of employee accounts available depends on the chosen plan, with the Starter plan excluding staff accounts.
- Performance Metrics: All Shopify plans offer an Analytics page that provides crucial information about your store’s sales, orders, and visitor data. This feature makes it easy to monitor the performance of your store and make informed decisions.
- Financial Data: Shopify provides financial reports that present essential financial information about your business. The finance brief provides a brief overview of your sales, payments, and pending sales data, while the full financial reports offer more detailed information.
- Customer Assistance: Regardless of the Shopify plan you choose, you’ll have access to Shopify’s support team. You can reach them through phone, email, or chat and they’re always ready to help with any questions or problems you may have.
Can You Sell During Your Shopify Trial?
No. Shopify offers a free trial to help you get your store up and running. Before you begin selling, you will have the option to select a theme, categorize your products, and ensure that everything is in order. You’ll need to subscribe to a Shopify plan in order to handle payments and actually generate sales.
The trial period allows you to experiment with your store, fine-tune it till it’s ideal, and ensure it’s ready for launch. When you’re satisfied with how it looks and works, you may upgrade to a premium account and begin receiving orders and generating sales.
How to Maximize Your Trial Experience
Shopify’s free trial provides a unique chance for budding entrepreneurs and small business owners to give the platform a test run and see if it aligns with their eCommerce needs. With such a vast array of features and tools, it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. Here are some tips to make the most of your Shopify free trial:
Become Acquainted with the Platform
Take a deep dive into the platform’s features and tools. This will help you grasp the extent of Shopify’s capabilities and how you can use them to build a successful online store.
Personalize Your Store’s Look
Use the theme editor to design a custom look that embodies your brand. This will help you distinguish yourself from the competition and leave a lasting impact on your customers.
Add Inventory
Add items to your store and set up stock tracking. This will let you test Shopify’s product management abilities and see how simple it is to add, oversee, and track your inventory.
Establish Payment Processing
Set up and test various payment gateways to ensure customers can make purchases effortlessly. This will assist you in understanding how Shopify’s payment processing functions and guarantee that your customers have a seamless checkout experience.
Install Applications
Explore the Shopify App store and install apps that will enhance your store’s functionality. This will show you how easy it is to add features to your store, such as email marketing, social media integration, and more.
Checkout Process Testing
Place a test order to verify the checkout process is functioning correctly. This will help you detect any issues with the checkout process and make sure that your customers have a smooth buying experience.
Get Assistance
Take advantage of Shopify’s support team who are ready to answer any questions and provide guidance on how to utilize the platform effectively.
How Do I Get An Extended Free Trial On Shopify?
Shopify used to provide extensions with longer free trials, such as a 60-day trial or a 45-day trial, giving users time to get to know the platform and try out its features without making any commitments. Currently, the only trial option available is a 3 Day trial and it doesn’t come with any free extensions.
You may be pondering over the idea of waiting for a longer trial period. Before you say yes to that- remember that Shopify’s main plans are currently offered at a discounted rate. So, if you take advantage of the available 3 Day trial now, you can transition to a core plan at a cheaper rate. Better yet, there’s a plan that enables you to sell your products for a $1 subscription fee for 3 months, although it comes with limitations- most notably the lack of a direct online store.
In the end, it’s your call to weigh the advantages and disadvantages and choose what suits your business best.
How To Sign Up For A Free Shopify Trial & Activate It
Are you ready to give Shopify a try? Signing up for a free trial is easy and hassle-free; you won’t even need a credit card. Here’s how:
- Visit the Shopify website and click the “Start free trial” button.
- Fill out your contact information and choose a store name.
- Complete the business profile questionnaire.
- Check your email for confirmation and access to your store.
That’s all. With just a few clicks, you’ll be on your way to creating a custom online store. Keep in mind, during the free trial, your store will be hosted on a myshopify.com domain, which can be upgraded to a unique custom domain later on.
Exploring Non-Shopify Options
If you’re on the hunt for a different eCommerce platform over Shopify, here are a few alternatives to consider. While Shopify remains a popular choice, these options might better meet the needs of your business.
BigCommerce
With an array of features and tools on par with Shopify, BigCommerce is a strong pick for companies seeking a polished online store. With an intuitive interface and the ability to easily customize designs and connect with popular apps, this platform also boasts a robust inventory management system and support for multiple languages and currencies. The only drawback? BigCommerce may come with a higher price tag.
Magento (Adobe Commerce)
Magento offers a lot of flexibility with its open-source platform and a wide range of customization options. This platform provides support for multiple languages and currencies, a comprehensive inventory management system, and a multitude of extensions and plugins. However, it also may come with a heftier price tag and more of a technical challenge to set up and maintain.
WooCommerce
For those who already have a WordPress website, WooCommerce offers a convenient way to integrate eCommerce functionality. This open-source plugin is equipped with features similar to Shopify, including payment gateway integration and inventory management. However, those looking for a user-friendly experience may find WooCommerce to require more technical know-how.
Squarespace
If you’re after a simpler option, Squarespace is a website builder with eCommerce capabilities. Though it doesn’t match the scope of Shopify, it provides a user-friendly platform and a range of design templates to choose from. However, Squarespace may not be suitable for businesses with more complex eCommerce requirements and could be more expensive.
When choosing a platform, it’s important to weigh all the pros and cons to determine which one aligns with your business needs.
Maximizing Your Shopify Experience Beyond the Free Trial
Are you going to continue using Shopify? If so, here are some tips to help you reach success with your store beyond the trial period. These suggestions will help you optimize your Shopify store and achieve growth for your online business.
Refine Your Store’s Layout
Ensure your store is visually appealing and optimized for conversions. This includes making your store mobile-responsive, having a user-friendly interface, and including a strong call-to-action.
Apply Search Engine Optimization
To attract more customers to your store, use search engine optimization techniques. This involves optimizing your product descriptions, titles, and images, as well as creating compelling blog content related to your products.
Make Use of Marketing Tactics
Explore the different marketing tools offered in the Shopify App store, such as email marketing, social media integration, and more. These tools will allow you to reach a wider audience and boost sales.
Track Your Progress
Monitor your store’s performance using the analytics tools provided by Shopify. This will allow you to see your website’s traffic, conversion rates, and customer behavior, and make any necessary changes for improvement.
Check Out Shopify Courses
Consider taking an eCommerce or Shopify course to further your skills and knowledge. Online courses, like those provided on sites like Udemy or Coursera, can give you in-depth instruction and hands-on training to help you make the most of Shopify. These classes are a terrific method to hasten your success with your online store and include subjects including product sourcing, inventory management, and marketing.
Ask for Help
Lastly, don’t forget to turn to the Shopify support team if you need assistance. They can offer valuable advice and support to help you reach success with your store.
By following the above tips, you can optimize your Shopify store beyond the trial period and achieve success for your online business.
FAQs
Q: Does Shopify charge you after a free trial?
A: Yes, after the free trial period, you will need to select a paid plan to continue using Shopify’s services.
Q: How much does Shopify cost after a free trial?
A: The cost after the free trial period depends on the plan you choose. The Basic plan starts at $19 per month, while other plans have different pricing options.
Q: Is Shopify trial limited?
A: Yes, the free trial period is limited to 3 Days.
Q: Can I cancel my Shopify plan at any time?
A: Yes, you can cancel your Shopify plan at any time. However, it is important to note that any charges for the current billing cycle are non-refundable.
Q: Can I pause my Shopify store and not pay?
A: If you pause your Shopify store, you will still be charged the monthly fee for your selected plan. However, you can downgrade your plan to a lower-priced option or cancel your plan entirely to stop payments.
Final Thoughts
Although the once popular Shopify 45 Day Trial is no longer available, you can still benefit from the platform’s numerous plan selections. With the 3 Day trial period presently available, now is the ideal moment to familiarize yourself with the platform and determine whether it has all you need to bring your online shop idea to life. The Shopify website builder also has a lot of cool features, and the trial will show you how powerful it can be.
So don’t be disappointed. You can still get a good sense of Shopify’s potential without having to get a paid plan- you can even take advantage of some of the best premium plan bargains at the same time. Check out the link below to see what trial offers are now available to you.
