Is Shopify Legit? How Trustworthy is Shopify?

But let’s dive a little deeper. As someone who’s reviewed the Shopify platform multiple times, bought products from Shopify stores, and dove behind the scenes of countless competing platforms, I can tell you honestly, it’s a legit platform.

However, here, I’m going to show you why I believe that.

Here’s everything you need to know about the safety of Shopify.

Is Shopify a Legit Ecommerce Platform?

Personally, I consider Shopify to be one of the best e-commerce store builders out there. It offers an excellent combination of ease-of-use, and rich features, like comprehensive inventory management, reporting, and marketing tools.

Plus, there are built-in features for SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

But is it a legitimate platform?

The answer is 100% yes.

First, Shopify, first launched in 2004 by three entrepreneurs in Ottawa, Canada, has grown significantly in the last 20 years.

There are more than 7 million Shopify customers worldwide, with nearly 3 million of those located in the US.

If Shopify was well-known for scams or security issues, it’s unlikely so many companies would be using the platform.

Secondly, Shopify merchants get a number of protections from the vendor as soon as they sign up for an account.

Shopify stores sensitive data in secure data centers, and safeguards it with regular backups and advanced security protocols.

The platform also benefits from:

A User-Friendly Design

Creating a storefront and growing your business with Shopify is extremely easy. You can set up an online store with virtually no coding knowledge, which means you’re less likely to make coding mistakes that could harm the security of your website.

All of the Shopify themes (Free and paid) are also tested by Shopify to ensure they have the right security methods in place, while still giving you the freedom to customize your site.

Constant Growth and New Features

Legitimate businesses like Shopify make great profits from their customers, and they often invest these profits into the development of new features.

For instance, Shopify offers a range of services, from Shopify Capital (for business financing) to the Shopify Fulfillment Network.

It also has its own POS (Point of Sale) solution, called Shopify POS, a powerful range of AI tools like Shopify Magic and Sidekick, and an ever-growing app marketplace full of partner integrations.

Transparent Pricing with No Hidden Fees

Some ecommerce platforms aren’t very forthcoming with their fees and prices, but that’s not the case with Shopify.

Any online business can determine exactly how much they’re going to pay for a monthly subscription to the platform, as well as gaining insights into transaction fees and extras.

Although Shopify does charge transaction fees to companies using external payment gateways, as well as payment processing fees for Shopify Payments, it’s open and honest about these costs.

You can even find data about the Shopify chargeback fees on the company’s website.

Is Shopify Payments Legit?

Shopify Payments is a core component of the ecommerce platform, allowing you to process transactions on the platform without having integrate a third-party solution.

The solution is built on top of Stripe, one of the best-known international payment processing solutions.

It’s completely PCI DSS compliant, as you can see from Shopify’s privacy and security reports here. Plus it applies extensive protections to every payment processed, offering a secure and safe purchasing experience, without compromising on convenience for shoppers.

Shopify Payments supports a range of currencies and payment methods, and companies can even implement additional security measures for “Shop Pay”, the simple one-click payment solution powered by Shopify Payments.

For instance, there are options for creating passkeys, verification codes, and more.

If you choose to use something other than Shopify Payments to process transactions (such as PayPal, or Amazon Pay), you’ll still be able to keep credit card information and customer data secure with each vendor’s built-in security settings.

Key features that make Shopify Payments reliable include:

• PCI Level 1 encryption protocols: Shopify uses PCI Level 1 encryption protocols and two-factor authentication to safeguard transactions from fraudsters and risks.
• Payment gateway integrations: Shopify collaborates with leading payment gateway providers like PayPal and Stripe to ensure transactions will always be handled by trusted providers that offer a streamlined experience.
• Anti-fraud: Shopify also offers advanced anti-fraud solutions for fraud analysis, address verification and CVV verification, to help keep customers and your company safe from scammers and thieves.

Are Shopify’s Other Services Legit?

As I mentioned above, Shopify has evolved into more than just an ecommerce platform in recent years. The functionality offered by the company is always evolving, giving companies endless ways to grow.

That’s one of the reasons Shopify is the number one ecommerce solution in the US for business services.

Let’s look at some of the security features of Shopify’s other offers.

Shopify Capital

Shopify Capital is Shopify’s unique financing offering, created to help ecommerce businesses rapidly grow and scale.

It gives you access to unsecured cash advances that can range up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, based on your previous sales.

Payments are delivered securely, and you can monitor your repayments and other factors within your Shopify admin dashboard.

As an added benefit, there are no hard credit checks required to apply for funding, so you don’t have to worry about your credit score.

Shopify Fulfillment Network

The fulfillment network offered by Shopify allows companies to manage warehousing and fulfillment operations more efficiently, through partnerships with trusted logistics partners.

With this solution, businesses can easily and safely store inventory in multiple locations, and automate processes.

The offering integrates seamlessly with the Shopify ecommerce platform, ensuring business owners can manage all of their operations from a single interface.

You can track inventory levels and more in one space, and leverage extensive data reports for planning.

Shopify Point of Sale

I love the fact that Shopify’s POS (Lite) solution comes built into the ecommerce platform packages, giving you more freedom to run an omnichannel store.

The system allows companies to manage in-person sales and automatically sync inventory across channels.

Like most of Shopify’s solutions, the POS features built-in security solutions for fraud protection, PCI compliant payment processing, and more.

Plus all of the hardware offered by the company is secure by design, giving every consumer a safe checkout experience.

Is Dropshipping with Shopify Safe?

If you’re planning on building your own dropshipping business, or print on demand company, I think Shopify is a great option.

One of the main reasons for this is that Shopify actively promotes features and functionality that help to make dropshipping easier for beginners.

Plus, the platform integrates with a huge range of dropshipping apps and vendors. You can connect your Shopify account to well-known solutions like Printful, Printify, Zendrop, AutoDS, and DSers.

Of course it’s worth remembering that while you might be still using Shopify for your ecommerce store, and payment options, the company won’t be responsible for the security of your dropshipping partner.

I recommend evaluating each potential dropshipping business you want to work with, learning as much as you can about the quality of their products, and their approach to security.

Reading reviews from other companies can be very helpful too.

Keep an eye out for any monthly fee or additional costs that might add onto your Shopify pricing plans too.

A fee doesn’t necessarily mean that a dropshipping platform isn’t legit, but it does mean you’ll need to be more vigilant when choosing the right manufacturers.

Are Shopify Apps and Themes Safe?

As I mentioned above, one of the best things about Shopify is that it’s so easy to use, giving you comprehensive themes you can use to build an incredible website with minimal effort.

Check out my Shopify review, and you’ll see these themes are consistently assessed by Shopify to ensure every Shopify website remains safe. They’re also regularly updated with security patches.

Alongside a range of themes, Shopify also offers access to a comprehensive range of integrations and plugins.

Though almost any developer can upload an app to the Shopify app store, they will be subject to a Shopify review, to ensure the right security measures in place.

Plus, since customers can rate and review each app, you can usually instantly see whether any tools suffer from security or usability issues.

For the most part, you can expect the apps available on the app store to be secure, and ready to integrate seamlessly with your Shopify themes.

However, I do recommend you conduct your due diligence, and learn as much as you can about the security features included.

What are the Most Common Shopify Scams?

Speaking of doing your due diligence, although Shopify does everything it can to keep your business and customers safe, it’s vulnerable to the same attacks as any online platform.

There will always be scammers out there who try to steal your data, no matter which platform you use.

Some of the most common Shopify scams we’ve encountered include:

Shopify Store Duplicates

This is a method some criminals use to try and convince customers to purchase products from fake stores, rather than the official website.

If a Shopify store gains a lot of traffic and customers, a scammer might create a “duplicate” version of that store to attempt to steal revenue.

Obviously, this process is harmful to both shoppers and the reputations of legitimate store owners. If you notice any company trying to replicate your store, or you visit a company’s website and notice something different (like a changed domain name), contact Shopify directly.

The Triangulation Scheme

The triangulation scheme has gained a lot of attention in the ecommerce landscape in recent years. Basically, it involves a criminal stealing credit card information to purchase products from a Shopify store, then sell them on third-party marketplaces.

Protecting yourself and your customers from this scam can be difficult, but implementing anti-fraud measures, such as address verification and fraud detection can help.

It’s also important for consumers to research the legitimacy of any third-party seller or marketplace where products are sold.

As a shopper, pay close attention to the checkout process too, and the security measures implemented.

The Fake PayPal Confirmation Scam

This is a scam that’s almost caught me out a few times, despite my experience in the ecommerce world. It involves a scammer sending a fake email from PayPal that appears to show that a “customer” has made a payment, and expects you to send a product.

If you receive an email like this, I’d recommend logging into your PayPal account safely and checking for evidence of the transaction.

If you don’t see anything, even if your customer insists you ship the item immediately, wait, and contact PayPal. You should be able to find out whether any payments are actually pending or not.

The Skip the Line Scheme

This is another very common scam that makes people question whether Shopify is actually legit. The scam is effective because it preys on a customer’s desire to access their products as quickly as possible. We all want our items fast when we’re shopping online.

With this scam, someone offers a customer a way to get their items delivered faster, usually for an additional cost.

Unfortunately, once you’ve paid the extra fee, the chances are your product won’t be delivered any faster. In fact, you might not get the item at all. That’s why it’s so important to thoroughly research each seller you interact with on Shopify.

A good thing to check for is evidence of genuine reviews on a Shopify store, from real people. If a company doesn’t share any reviews, there’s a good chance something shady is going on.

Return Ticket Fraud

This is a scam that affects Shopify store owners more than buyers. What happens is a customer purchases an item from your store, then gets a “return ticket” for the product.

They then sell the ticket on a third-party site, and never actually return the product. This means you’re chased up to return money to a consumer, but you never get your item back.

To avoid scams like this, it’s important to conduct thorough checks on your customers, and set up a secure return process.

Make sure you have a fraud detection system in place, and ask for evidence of a customer shipping the product back to your store if they ask for a refund.

The Fake Purchase Order Scam

Another serious scam that’s been affecting business owners using Shopify recently, is the purchase order scam.

This cam targets larger companies, who receive big purchase orders from other companies. For instance, if you’re selling products wholesale, you might get a “purchase order” from another organization.

In the scam, the scammer sends your company a purchase order (which often looks legitimate), asking you to rush delivery of a large number of products.

Unfortunately, many companies fulfill this order, and invoice the company, then realize the payment they receive is fraudulent.

If you’re a small business owner, the concept of fulfilling a huge sale can be very exciting, but it’s important to do some digging.

Check the purchase order is truly legitimate, and make sure you’re wary of any company that asks to make payment after a delivery.

How Can Shoppers Tell if a Shopify Store is Legit?

As a platform provider and vendor, Shopify is a legitimate company. However, that doesn’t mean it can control the actions of all the vendors who sign up and create a store.

As a consumer, it’s up to you to be cautious when shopping online.

First, inspect the design and structure of a website. If a store is well-designed and easy to navigate, this is a good sign that the company has invested in running a legitimate business.

Check that the store has an SSL certificate (these are included with Shopify pricing plans).

Additionally, make sure you check customer reviews and ratings. Be wary of any reviews that seem as though they were created by the store owner themselves.

For instance, if a lot of customers have seemingly fake names and say the same thing, the testimonials may not be real.

For extra protection, look at the companies approach to customer support, and how quickly they respond to any questions you have.

It’s also a good idea to look for insights into contact details, shipping policies, returns, and payment policies.

When you reach the Shopify checkout, make sure the checkout is secured, and offers safe payment options.

If the company is using a well-known payment processor, there’s a better chance your data will be protected from fraudulent entities.

How Can You Protect your Brand on Shopify?

Customers aren’t the only people who fall victim to bad actors on Shopify. As a business owner, it’s partially your responsibility to keep your Shopify account protected, and secure your store.

The good news is that Shopify will give you most of the tools you need to create a safe experience.

Here are my top tips for keeping Shopify safe:

• Use two-factor authentication: Enabling two-factor authentication is a great way to protect your account. Make sure both you and your employees have this feature enabled, and use strong, unique passwords for each account.
• Use Shopify SSL encryption: Each Shopify account will come with access to a Secure Sockets Layer encryption solution. This encrypts the data transmitted between your customer’s browsers and your store, helping to keep data safe from threats.
• Be cautious with third-party apps: Whether you’re building a dropshipping business and working with a third-party vendor, or using apps for social media and email marketing, check the security of each app you install on your website.
• Choose a trusted payment processor: Either stick with Shopify’s secure payment processing solution for your store, or select a reputable, well-known third-party vendor. Don’t cut corners just to reduce transaction fees.
• Monitor your analytics: The user-friendly interface offered by Shopify comes with a robust set of reporting features. I recommend paying attention to your data, tracking any suspicious activities and customer behavior. Contact Shopify if you’re concerned about anything.

Additionally, make sure you stay vigilant. Threats in the ecommerce landscape are changing all the time, so make sure you know what kind of risks you need to look out for.

So, Is Shopify Legit?

Based on my research, Shopify is a safe and legitimate platform. It’s a reliable choice for many business owners, offering access to an incredible range of features for a relatively low monthly fee.

It combines in-depth security measures, with a strong reputation, and an ever-evolving range of amazing tools. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t threats to consider.

Both Shopify store owners and consumers need to ensure they’re being vigilant when using any ecommerce platform, even Shopify.

As a consumer, you need to ensure you’re vetting each company you purchase products from carefully, before sharing payment details.

As a business owner, you need to consistently use Shopify’s security features, and ensure you know as much as possible about the current threats in your industry.

The good news is that Shopify will give you most of the features you need to protect yourself, your business, and your customers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)