The Shopify EU and UK supplementary terms are a second contract for merchants based in the European Union or the United Kingdom, and a breach of them is one of the grounds Shopify lists for placing a store in restricted access. They sit on top of the Terms of Service and the Acceptable Use Policy and do not replace either one. They also give EU and UK merchants tools the main terms leave out, including a free internal complaint-handling system, two named mediators and defined data rights after termination. Behind them sits the Platform-to-Business Regulation, which requires a statement of reasons for restrictions and, in most cases, 30 days’ notice before a full termination. A closed store is still repaired the same way, by finding the cause and appealing from the admin with evidence. What changes is how much you can make Shopify explain, and which routes stay open if the first answer is no.

How the Shopify EU and UK Supplementary Terms Handle Store Closures

Shopify’s help page on handling store termination lists three documents a store must follow, the Shopify Terms of Service, the Shopify Acceptable Use Policy and the Supplementary Terms for E.U. and U.K. Merchants. Violations of any of them can lead to restricted access, which Shopify says is commonly based on activity that is not, or is suspected not to be, a legitimate commerce practice. During restricted access your storefront is unavailable to customers, you keep limited access to your admin, and billing is paused. You can still view store details, billing and payout information, submit an appeal with documents, request a bank account change and track the appeal.

Most merchants learn about it from an email that says the store has been closed for violating Shopify’s Acceptable Use Policy, followed by a login that opens on the appeal prompt instead of the dashboard. The same page warns that stores may be placed in restricted access without prior communication. For an EU or UK merchant the visible effect is identical to a store in Texas or Ontario. The difference sits in the legal layer underneath. Shopify’s supplementary terms, which it also calls the P2B Terms, exist because its core store services fall under Regulation (EU) 2019/1150 on fairness and transparency for business users of online intermediation services, and under the version of that regulation the United Kingdom kept after Brexit. Shopify’s own legal notices state that the regulation was implemented on July 12, 2020. Our parent guide on responding when Shopify closes your store under the AUP covers the appeal itself in more depth.

Who the supplementary terms apply to

The terms apply solely to EU and UK based merchants who use what Shopify calls the P2B Services, the core services that let those merchants host an online store selling to consumers in the EU and the UK. A merchant outside those markets, or one that does not use the P2B Services, is not covered. The contracting party is Shopify International Limited, an Irish company with its registered office in Dublin, and the terms are governed by the laws of Ireland with the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods excluded. The Supplementary Terms of Service for E.U. and U.K. Merchants show a last updated date of February 14, 2022, while the main Shopify Terms of Service were last updated on October 20, 2026. Read both dates before you quote either document in an appeal.

One scope point catches many merchants out. Shopify Payments, Shopify Capital and Shopify Shipping are listed as Out of Scope Services. Their own terms and policies apply, and they are not subject to the P2B Terms unless the P2B Terms say so. A payout hold or reserve is therefore governed by the Shopify Payments Terms of Service, even when the store itself sits under the supplementary terms. Our guide to the Shopify Payments balance after an AUP closure covers that side of the account.

Closures that start outside Shopify follow their own path. Read our guides on store closures tied to legal or government requests and on a denied Shopify Payments closure appeal if either fits your notice better.

What the EU and UK Supplementary Terms Add to the AUP

Shopify says the main Terms govern your use of the P2B Services generally, except as supplemented and amended by the P2B Terms. Where the two conflict the P2B Terms govern, but only to the extent needed to resolve the conflict. A store therefore has to satisfy the Terms of Service, the AUP and the supplementary terms at the same time.

The grounds for restriction, suspension or termination

Section 2 of the supplementary terms states that Shopify may restrict, suspend or terminate your account, your access to the services, or certain products you make available through your store. Restriction can include removing products from search results in the Shop app. Shopify lists five reasons and ties each one to a clause of the Terms of Service.

A breach of the EU Terms, as determined in Shopify’s sole discretion under section 14.3 of the Terms of Service, including the AUP or the terms of any Out of Scope Service.
Fees outstanding for more than 60 days, under section 5.4 of the Terms of Service.
A dispute over rightful ownership of the account that Shopify, acting reasonably, cannot resolve, under section 3.6.
Verbal or written abuse of any kind toward a Shopify or merchant customer, employee, member or officer, under section 3.3.
Suspected fraudulent activity, whether shown by conviction, settlement, insurance or escrow investigation, or otherwise.

That list is narrower than the general wording in section 14.3 of the Terms of Service, which lets Shopify end an account for any reason, without notice and at any time unless the law requires otherwise. For an EU or UK merchant the list works as a map. If your notice does not say which ground Shopify used, these five are the candidates. An AUP breach and suspected fraud need different appeals. An unpaid fee needs payment more than argument, because section 5.4 lets Shopify suspend after it fails to collect fees for 28 days and terminate once they stay unpaid for 60 days after suspension. Our guide on a store frozen for an unpaid bill walks through that case.

The right to clarify the facts

The same section says that if you disagree with a restriction, suspension or termination of your account, or of your ability to offer certain products, you may use Shopify’s complaints handling system to clarify the facts and circumstances surrounding the decision. That sentence is the key addition for a closed store. It gives you a documented route to ask what happened, running alongside the appeal in the admin. One drafting quirk is worth knowing. Section 2 points the reader to “Section 8 below” for the complaint system, but the complaint system sits in section 9. Name the complaint system by its title in your request so the cross reference does not confuse the reviewer.

Notice of changes to the terms

Section 1 sets notice periods when Shopify changes the EU Terms. Pricing changes need at least 30 days of written notice. Changes that would force you to make technical or commercial adaptations need at least 15 days, or longer where that is reasonable and proportionate. Other substantive changes need at least 15 days, unless the P2B Regulation allows less. You can cancel before the notice period ends if you do not agree. Shopify adds that if you make new products available after notice of a section 1(c) change, you waive the right to terminate for that change.

If the store is your main income and the notice names no ground, ask our Shopify suspension team to read the notice and the store before you send anything to Shopify.

Where the Digital Services Act Fits Next to the P2B Rules

Merchants searching for a Shopify DSA store closure answer usually find two European laws and assume they overlap. They are different instruments. Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, the Digital Services Act, has applied in full since February 17, 2024. Article 17 requires providers of hosting services to give a clear and specific statement of reasons when they restrict content, suspend or end monetary payments, suspend or end the service, or suspend or terminate an account on the ground that the content is illegal or breaches their terms. The statement must include the facts and circumstances relied on, whether the decision followed a notice or the provider’s own investigation, and whether automated means were used.

For online platforms, Article 20 adds an internal complaint-handling system that must stay open for at least six months after the decision and must be free of charge. Shopify’s Digital Services Act page says it may be treated as an online platform only to the extent any of its offerings qualify. The same page names the Help Center Assistant as its Article 12 contact point for users and reports that its average monthly active EU recipients for January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025 were well below the 45 million mark that defines a very large online platform.

Use the two laws in a set order. Quote Article 4 of the P2B Regulation when you ask Shopify to explain a store restriction, because the supplementary terms are written to implement it and Shopify reports its P2B complaints separately. Mention Article 17 of the DSA as a second basis only when the closure turns on content, such as a product page, a listing claim or a reported item. The DSA is EU law and does not apply in the UK, so a UK-only merchant relies on the retained P2B rules.

What EU and UK Merchants Get Beyond the Main Rules

Beyond the listed grounds and the right to clarify, the supplementary terms give EU and UK merchants three practical tools that a US or Canadian store does not get on paper.

An internal complaint-handling system

Section 9 describes a complaint-handling system that is free of charge. You can complain about Shopify’s compliance with its P2B obligations, technological issues directly related to the P2B Services, and measures Shopify takes in providing those services that affect you. A store closure is such a measure. You submit the P2B form linked from the terms, and Shopify says the complaint is reviewed and forwarded to the appropriate internal teams. Article 11 of the regulation requires that system to be easily accessible, to handle complaints within a reasonable time frame and to send the outcome in plain, individualised language.

Set your expectations from Shopify’s own numbers. Its P2B complaint handling annual report for January to December 2025 lists 8 P2B complaints, 7 enforcement decisions upheld, 1 overturned and an average processing time of 3.01 days. The most frequent issues were payouts and two-factor authentication. A complaint is a fast route to an answer. It is rarely a route to reversal on its own, which is why the corrected store and the admin appeal still carry the case.

Mediation

Section 10 says mediation may be an option for disputes about the P2B Services, including complaints the internal system could not resolve. Either side can ask the other to mediate, and both must engage in good faith. Shopify names two mediators it is willing to use, the ICDR and CEDR, and the parties may agree on another. Mediation costs time and money, so we treat it as the step after a denied appeal and a completed complaint, not the opening move.

Defined access to your data

Section 4 sets out what store data you can view and export by logging in. The list covers contact and staff details, store policies, product and customer information, installed apps, theme customizations, transactions, payouts, subscription invoices and analytics reports. Payment and banking details, Know-Your-Customer records and tax documentation are described as contractually accessible on request. Within 60 days after termination Shopify will provide, on request, personal information that relates to you, and it deletes personal information in the store within 90 days of termination except where the law requires otherwise. Shopify also states that you have no right to access information about its decisions on, or investigations into, your eligibility for the P2B Services. Export customers, orders and products while restricted access still lets you in.

What the main Shopify Terms of Service give every merchant against what the EU and UK Supplementary Terms add. Compare each row before you respond.

Comparison of the main Shopify terms and the EU and UK Supplementary Terms

Topic	Terms of Service and AUP	EU and UK Supplementary Terms
Grounds	Any reason, without notice, unless the law requires otherwise (section 14.3)	Five listed grounds tied to sections 14.3, 5.4, 3.6 and 3.3
Disagreeing with a decision	Appeal from the admin	Admin appeal plus the free P2B complaint form
Further route	Courts named in section 13	Mediation with the ICDR, CEDR or an agreed mediator
Data	General terms	Listed export rights, a 60 day personal data request window, deletion within 90 days
Changes to terms	Reasonable advance notice, 30 days for fees	30 days for pricing, 15 days for other substantive changes
Shopify Payments	Shopify Payments Terms	Out of scope, Payments terms still apply

Fixing a Store Closure Under the EU and UK Terms

The repair starts where any AUP closure starts. Work out what Shopify most likely saw, correct it, and appeal from the admin with evidence. Our method for EU and UK merchants adds two moves that use the supplementary terms and the regulation behind them.

Match the notice to one of the five section 2 grounds.
Request the facts through the P2B form when the notice is vague.
Correct the store and log every change with a date.
File the admin appeal with the corrections attached.
Escalate to complaint follow-up or mediation only after a denial.

Step 1. Identify the ground

If the notice cites the AUP, look at products, claims, delivery promises and business information, because Shopify’s closure page links restricted access to legitimate commerce concerns. If it mentions fraud, pull order patterns, chargebacks and account details for the last 90 days. If you have unpaid fees, pay them first. If there is an ownership dispute, gather incorporation papers, the bank account letter and the domain registration that prove control of the business.

Step 2. Ask for the facts if the notice is vague

Under Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1150, a provider that restricts or suspends its services for individual goods or services must give a statement of reasons on a durable medium, before or when the restriction takes effect. For a termination of the whole service, the statement must arrive at least 30 days before the termination takes effect. Article 4(5) says the statement must refer to the specific facts or circumstances, including any third-party notifications, and to the applicable grounds. If your email only repeats the AUP headline, use the complaint form to ask Shopify to clarify the facts and circumstances, as section 2 of the supplementary terms allows.

Step 3. Correct and document

Make the corrections the cause calls for and record each one with the date and the page URL. For an AUP case that usually means rewriting or removing product claims, fixing delivery promises, completing trader details and aligning business information across Shopify, the store and the bank. Our method keeps the position to one sentence. Either the store complies with the AUP and the EU Terms, or a named issue has been corrected so that it now complies.

Step 4. Appeal from the admin

Submit the appeal through the on-screen prompt and select Submit for review once the explanation and documents are attached. Shopify examines your documents, identity verification and explanations, decides on an overall evaluation and emails the outcome to the store owner’s address. If store access returns but Shopify Payments does not, Shopify says you can submit a separate Payments appeal.

Step 5. Use the complaint system and mediation when needed

If the appeal is denied and you believe the decision is wrong, the complaint system and mediation are the documented next steps for EU and UK merchants. Our guide on what to change after a denied AUP closure appeal covers the rework before you escalate.

What to put in a complaint

A complaint under the supplementary terms works best when it reads like a request for facts. It is a different document from the appeal and should run to a few short paragraphs.

The store name, the store owner email and the date the restriction took effect.
The decision you are complaining about, described in one sentence.
What the notice said and what it left out, such as the specific product, page or practice behind the decision.
A request that Shopify clarify the facts and circumstances surrounding the decision, citing section 2 of the supplementary terms and Article 4(5) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1150, and identify the ground relied on.
A line confirming that an admin appeal with corrections and evidence has been filed or will follow.

Keep the tone neutral. Quote the clause, ask for the facts, and leave legal argument for later. A complaint that reads as a threat slows the answer you need.

First closure compared with a repeat closure

Shopify’s pages publish no warning tier before restricted access. The regulation adds a point that matters for repeat cases. One of the three exceptions to the 30-day notice for full termination applies when the provider can show the business user has repeatedly infringed the applicable terms. A store restricted before for the same issue sits closer to that exception, and the same exception lets Shopify skip the statement of reasons under Article 4(5). Your appeal and any complaint should show that the earlier issue was different, or that the controls added after it have held and the new concern has a separate cause that is now fixed.

A composite example

This example is a composite of patterns we see, not any one client. A UK clothing store selling to UK and EU buyers was placed in restricted access with a notice that cited the AUP and nothing more. The owner’s first instinct was to argue that the products were ordinary apparel. Before writing the appeal, the owner used the complaint form to ask Shopify to clarify the facts and the ground relied on, quoting section 2 of the supplementary terms.

In parallel, a review of the store found three gaps. Sale prices compared against figures that had never been charged, which conflicts with the prior price rule for EU buyers and with UK misleading action rules. Reviews on several product pages had been imported from a supplier site. The contact page had no geographic address. The appeal took one position, that these practices had been corrected and the store now met the AUP and the EU Terms. It attached the corrected pricing log, a record of the removed reviews and the completed trader details, with a named owner for monthly checks. The complaint and the appeal told the same story, and each one stood on its own.

The 30-day notice and its exceptions

Merchants often read the 30-day rule as a guarantee. Article 4(4) lists three cases where the notice period does not apply. The first is a legal or regulatory obligation that requires termination in a way that does not allow the notice period. The second is a right of termination exercised for an imperative reason under national law. The third is proof that the business user has repeatedly infringed the applicable terms and conditions. Even then, the provider must give a statement of reasons without undue delay. The UK version of Article 4 on legislation.gov.uk keeps the same structure, with the imperative reason wording amended by S.I. 2020/796 from December 31, 2020. An immediate closure can be lawful, so build your case on the facts and your corrections first.

Article 4(3) also says that if the provider revokes the restriction, suspension or termination, it must reinstate the business user without undue delay, including access to data from before the decision.

Business models that run into these terms

The business models behind EU and UK closures match the ones we see in the US, with European consumer law adding weight to each.

Dropshipping stores with unrealistic claims or delivery promises. Long supplier lead times are common for stores shipping into the EU and UK from Asia. A product page that promises 3 to 5 days and delivers in three weeks generates complaints and disputes that read as not legitimate commerce. Publish real delivery ranges per market, keep supplier tracking exports and tell customers about delays before they ask.

Stores selling restricted or high-risk products. The first principle of the Shopify Acceptable Use Policy says you cannot use Shopify for anything illegal where you do business. Product safety, labelling and health claim rules differ across the 27 member states and the UK. Check each product against the rules of each destination and remove claims you cannot substantiate with a document or a test.

New stores with thin business information and aggressive ads. Article 6(1)(c) of the Consumer Rights Directive requires the geographical address where the trader is established. Shopify’s acceptable business practices page for Shopify Payments says reviewers look for mismatches in business details and check that reviews and endorsements are authentic. Publish your legal name, address and contact details, and keep them identical in Shopify, the store and the bank account.

The consumer law behind your store

The supplementary terms govern your relationship with Shopify. Consumer law governs your relationship with buyers, and breaking it can trigger the AUP’s first principle. The table maps the rules we check most often for EU and UK storefronts. Confirm how each one applies to your products with a qualified adviser in your market.

Market	Law	What it requires of a store
EU	Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU	Trader identity and address before purchase, a 14-day withdrawal period for most distance sales (Article 9), extended by 12 months when withdrawal information is missing (Article 10).
EU	Unfair Commercial Practices Directive 2005/29/EC	No misleading or aggressive commercial practices toward consumers.
EU	Directive 98/6/EC, Article 6a, inserted by Directive (EU) 2019/2161	A price reduction must show the lowest price applied in at least the 30 days before it, with national rules applied from May 28, 2022.
UK	Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013	Pre-contract information and a cancellation period ending 14 days after the buyer receives the goods (regulation 30).
UK	Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024	Section 225 bans unfair commercial practices, and paragraph 13 of Schedule 20 bans fake consumer reviews from April 6, 2025.

Where to Verify the EU and UK Rules

Clauses move, so we reopen each source when we take a case. These are the pages we check, in this order.

The Supplementary Terms of Service for E.U. and U.K. Merchants on shopify.com. Check the last updated date at the top before relying on any section.
The Shopify Terms of Service, especially section 14 on term and termination, section 5.4 on unpaid fees and section 13 on courts.
The Shopify Acceptable Use Policy, whose seven principles Shopify says it will update from time to time.
Shopify’s help page on handling store termination, which describes restricted access, the admin appeal and the separate Payments appeal.
Shopify’s legal notices page, which carries the P2B complaint report and the DSA user figures.
The Shopify Payments Terms of Service, which govern payouts and reserves and carry a separate United Kingdom part.
Regulation (EU) 2019/1150 on EUR-Lex for EU merchants, and the retained version on legislation.gov.uk for UK merchants.

Read the clause itself whenever a decision depends on exact wording. Summaries, ours included, drift as soon as Shopify edits a page.

Compliance Routine for EU and UK Merchants

Prevention for an EU or UK store means testing every product page, claim and checkout policy against the seven AUP principles and against local consumer law before launch, then repeating the test whenever the catalog or prices change. We run it on three clocks.

Before launch

Legal name, geographic address, email and phone published and identical across Shopify settings, the store and the bank account.
Withdrawal and cancellation terms written for EU or UK distance selling, with the 14-day right where it applies.
Delivery ranges based on real supplier performance into each market.
Product legality, labelling and claims checked for each destination.

After every catalog or pricing change

New products pass the claim, legality and delivery checks before publishing.
Any sale price shows a lawful prior price under the 30-day rule.
Reviews and endorsements come from verified buyers.

Every month

Review disputes, refund reasons and late orders, and trace patterns to a cause.
Check the supplementary terms, the AUP and the Payments terms for updates and notices of change.
Confirm that fees are paid and that no balance is approaching the 60-day ground in section 2.

The checks an EU or UK Shopify merchant runs before launch, after every catalog change and each month. Step through each stage to see what to keep on file.

EU and UK requirement checklist for each product

Product is legal and permitted in each EU or UK market you ship to.
Labelling and safety information meet the destination’s rules.
Every claim on the page can be substantiated with a document or test.
Delivery range on the page matches supplier data for that market.
Price and any reduction announcement meet the prior price rule.
Withdrawal or cancellation terms are shown before purchase.
Reviews on the page are from real buyers.
Supplier invoices and any brand authorization are on file.

If your closure involved subscriptions, reviews or delivery promises, our guide on Shopify closures for deceptive practices covers the Payments review signals in more depth. Stores that share owners or payment details can fall together, which our guide on linked store closures explains. If the closure became a termination, read our guide on what Shopify termination means.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Shopify EU and UK merchants have extra terms?

Yes, Shopify’s Supplementary Terms of Service for E.U. and U.K. Merchants apply to EU and UK based merchants who use Shopify’s core store services. Shopify lists violations of these terms alongside the Terms of Service and the AUP as grounds for restricted access.

What happens if I breach the Shopify EU and UK Supplementary Terms?

Shopify may restrict, suspend or terminate your account, your access to the services or certain products, including removing products from Shop app search. In restricted access the storefront is unavailable, admin access is limited and billing is paused, and you appeal from the admin.

Does the Digital Services Act protect a closed Shopify store?

It can add a second right to a statement of reasons when the closure is based on content that Shopify treats as illegal or against its terms, under Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065. For most store closures the stronger tool is Article 4 of the P2B Regulation, which the supplementary terms implement.

Where are the official Shopify EU and UK rules?

They sit on Shopify’s own legal pages, mainly the Supplementary Terms of Service for E.U. and U.K. Merchants, the Terms of Service and the Acceptable Use Policy, all linked in the Sources section. The regulation behind them is on EUR-Lex and legislation.gov.uk.

Do the Shopify UK merchant terms replace the main Shopify policies?

No, they add to the main Terms of Service and AUP and override the main terms only where the two conflict. A store has to meet both, and Shopify Payments stays under its own terms.

How long does Shopify take to answer a P2B complaint?

Shopify reports an average of 3.01 days to process P2B complaints in 2025, across 8 complaints. Seven of those decisions were upheld and one was overturned.

How do I stay compliant as an EU or UK Shopify merchant?

Test products, claims and policies against the AUP and your local consumer law before launch and after each catalog or price change. Add checks for trader identity, withdrawal rights, prior price rules and genuine reviews.

Get Help With Shopify Store Closures

For EU and UK merchants, a closure involves the AUP, the supplementary terms and the regulation behind them. We identify the ground Shopify relied on, request clarification where the notice is vague, build the appeal and evidence, and use the complaint route when it is warranted. We do not promise outcomes. We make sure each submission is specific, documented and uses every route Shopify documents.

EU and UK owners can open a file with our Shopify suspension service, submit your case, or book a consultation. Stores that also sell on Amazon, Etsy or TikTok Shop can review our full set of marketplace reinstatement services.

Shopify Store Closures Under the EU and UK Supplementary Terms