If your Shopify app still relies on the legacy Billing API, you’ve likely heard about the new ability to shift those existing subscriptions to Shopify App Pricing. This change means you can keep your revenue stream while giving merchants a cleaner, unified billing experience—no extra approvals required. In this post we break down exactly what changed, who needs to act, and step‑by‑step instructions for both the Partner Dashboard tool and the Shopify CLI.
What Changed – Migration Made Simple
Shopify introduced a migration path that lets apps move current Billing API subscriptions to the newer App Pricing framework. The key benefits are:
• One‑click migration for simple, fixed‑price plans via the Partner Dashboard.
• Bulk, usage‑based, or private‑plan migrations through new Shopify CLI commands.
• Subscriptions switch at the start of the next billing cycle, so merchants never see a surprise charge or approval prompt.
Who Is Affected
The change only impacts apps that currently bill merchants with the Billing API and plan to transition those charges to App Pricing. Apps already on App Pricing are untouched. If your app uses subscription types that the dashboard tool can’t handle (e.g., usage‑based or private plans), you’ll need to fall back to the CLI approach.
How to Migrate Using the Partner Dashboard
How to Migrate Using Shopify CLI for Complex Cases
When you have usage‑based tiers, price adjustments, or private plans, the CLI gives you granular control. Below is a quick workflow:
bash
# List stores with pending migrations
shopify app subscription-migrations list --app YOUR_APP_HANDLE
# Schedule a bulk migration (e.g., all stores using plan "pro_monthly")
shopify app subscription-migrations schedule \
--plan-id PLAN_ID_PRO_MONTHLY \
--target-plan-id APP_PRICING_PLAN_ID_PRO_MONTHLY \
--date 2024-11-01
# Cancel a scheduled migration if you need to adjust pricing first
shopify app subscription-migrations cancel \
--migration-id MIGRATION_12345
The CLI also lets you:
Best Practices & Checklist
• Mirror pricing exactly when drafting App Pricing plans; mismatches can cause failed migrations.
• Test on at least one dev store before rolling out to live merchants.
• Communicate proactively: even though no re‑approval is needed, let merchants know the change is coming at the next billing date.
• Monitor the migration status in the Partner Dashboard or via shopify app subscription-migrations list.
• Validate invoices after the first cycle to ensure the new plan is billed correctly.
• Rollback plan: if something goes wrong, you can cancel pending migrations and keep the original Billing API subscription active.
Conclusion & Next Steps
Moving to Shopify App Pricing streamlines the merchant experience and aligns your app with Shopify’s long‑term billing strategy. Start by drafting matching plans in the Partner Dashboard, run a few test migrations, and then leverage the CLI for any complex scenarios. Need help or have questions? Join the Shopify Partners Slack channel or drop a comment below – we’re happy to walk you through the process.
