When you create your workspace from the MemberArea Connect app in your Shopify admin, Shopify bills you for your plan. This article explains what the Billing page shows in that case and how to move billing to memberarea.
How a workspace is billed by Shopify
Only a workspace created through the Shopify app is billed by Shopify. It starts without a paid plan and gets one when you pick a plan on the app's pricing page in Shopify. That plan sets your limits like any other memberarea plan. Connecting a workspace you already have to your shop, for example with a connection code, does not change how it is billed.
Starting from the Shopify App Store
What the Billing page shows
Open Settings > Billing. A notice reads This workspace is billed by Shopify. and explains that your plan, your payment method and your invoices live in your Shopify admin. Below your Current plan you see Billed by with your shop's address and Next billing with the date Shopify charges you next.
The plan cards, the payment method button and the Billing address box are not shown. Instead of the invoice list, the Invoices section says Your invoices are in Shopify, and Open Shopify billing opens the bills page of your Shopify admin.
Changing your plan
Click Manage plan in Shopify to open the app's pricing page in Shopify. You upgrade, downgrade or cancel there, and Shopify charges the new price on your Shopify bill. Your workspace picks up the change once Shopify reports it.
While Shopify bills your workspace, memberarea takes no order, no card and no billing details for it. A request to do so is refused with This workspace is billed by Shopify. A link that would open a plan order, for example from the page shown when your plan has run out, leads to the Billing page instead, and no order dialog opens.
Paying for MemberArea through Shopify
If your Shopify subscription ends
If you cancel the app subscription or uninstall the app, the notice reads Your Shopify subscription is cancelled. The button changes to Choose a plan in Shopify, and the date line reads Access until. You keep the plan you paid for until that date. After it, admin access is paused until you have a plan again. Nothing is deleted.
Switching to memberarea billing
Only the account owner sees Bill me by MemberArea instead. Clicking it opens Switch billing to MemberArea?. When Shopify has charged you for a period, the dialog names the date it runs until and says that your first memberarea invoice starts after that. Confirm with Switch to MemberArea billing.
The switch does not cancel the app subscription in Shopify. As the dialog says, cancel it in your Shopify admin yourself.
What happens after the switch
The Billing page now works as for any other workspace, with plan cards, your card and your billing address. What happens to your plan depends on what Shopify already charged:
- A paid plan with time left: the plan keeps running until the end of the period Shopify charged for. It shows Cancelled, and the date line reads Access until. Choose a plan before that date to keep working without a break. Otherwise admin access is paused on that date and admin pages lead to Your subscription has ended.
- A paid plan with no time left: admin access is paused right away. Choose a plan on the Billing page, which stays open.
- No plan picked in Shopify yet: the workspace stays in the restricted state. Choose a plan on the Billing page.
When you choose a plan while the Shopify period is still running, your first memberarea billing period starts only once that period ends, so you do not pay twice for the same days. Uninstalling the app after the switch leaves your memberarea billing alone.
Disconnecting Shopify and deleting the workspace
While Shopify bills your workspace, you cannot disconnect the Shopify integration. The attempt is refused with Switch billing to MemberArea before disconnecting Shopify.
Deleting your workspace does not stop your Shopify billing either. Uninstall the app in your Shopify admin to end it.