This article explores the benefits, capabilities, and costs of Shopify Plus.
What is Shopify Plus?
Shopify Plus is Shopify's most expensive plan, generally intended for large businesses (corporations or enterprises) with very high sales volumes, a presence in multiple markets around the world, and operational complexity requiring extensive capabilities, particularly for marketing and operational automation.
In this article, we'll discuss the plan's benefits and cost, and answer the question: who should upgrade to Shopify Plus?
Shopify Plus offers several benefits:
- Automated workflow management
- Complex promotion management
- Scheduling storefront design changes and promotions
- Access to extensive API capabilities
- A dedicated Shopify representative you can contact directly
- Customization of the checkout appearance
- The ability to integrate exclusive apps and extensions, such as customer service and sales promotion apps
Of the impressive features listed above, a few are worth exploring in more detail:
Shopify Flow
Shopify Flow is a system that lets you set up automated workflows based on events and responses. For example, you can set it to send an email alert to the site manager when a particular collection or item reaches the minimum inventory level set in the system. Another example is automatically identifying loyalty club members when they browse the site and offering them a discount at checkout. You can also set up an automatic discount coupon for those customers to use on their next purchase.
In addition to the events and responses you can configure manually, Shopify also offers a selection of useful automations you can implement.
Shopify Scripts
Shopify Scripts is commonly used to manage complex discounts and coupon promotions, such as volume discounts (bundles). For example, with Scripts you can set up a deal offering three items for the price of two.
Since Shopify Plus is aimed at corporations that often also have physical stores, it makes sense that they would need the option to replicate more complex in-store promotions online. Shopify Scripts therefore lets them create unique promotions in their online store that go beyond Shopify's default options.
Shopify Launchpad
Shopify Launchpad is a tool for creating scheduled marketing events. For example, if a holiday or sales event such as Black Friday is coming up, you can decide on changes to your site's appearance and special promotions in advance. You can schedule the changes and designs you want to see on your site: highlight relevant products, offer special limited-time discounts, add a festive header, and so on. When the sale date arrives, the site will update at the date and time you set. You can also set when the marketing event should end, so the site automatically returns to its original state afterward, without any further action on your part.
Access to advanced API capabilities
Another feature available only on the Shopify Plus plan is access to more extensive and complex APIs. For example, integrations for processing gift vouchers (such as Multi Pass, which supports BuyMe vouchers), and integrations with customer loyalty club systems that offer discounts (such as "Hever"), among others.
Shopify Plus - how much does it cost?
Shopify Plus is priced differently from Shopify's other plans. While the other plans require a fixed monthly fee plus a transaction fee, Shopify Plus costs $2,000 per month or 0.25% of sales - whichever is higher. The crossover point is $800,000 in monthly sales. In other words, if your Shopify store's monthly sales exceed that amount, you'll pay 0.25% of sales; otherwise, you'll pay $2,000 for that month.
In addition to this fee, Shopify charges a 0.15% transaction fee on every purchase. This fee applies because businesses in Israel don't process payments through Shopify's built-in payment system, Shopify Payments. Every transaction routed from Shopify to an external payment provider is subject to the additional 0.15% fee.
When Should You Upgrade to Shopify Plus?
The reasons for upgrading to Shopify Plus are usually related to the need for the specialized capabilities discussed above. However, the most common reason to consider an upgrade is financial. If your current plan costs close to $2,000, consider whether upgrading to Shopify Plus - and all the features it offers - would be worthwhile for you.
Want to learn more about BOA Ideas' ecommerce agency services and how we can help you set up a Shopify Plus store? Contact us, and we’ll be happy to tell you more.
