Wondering if it is safe to use the Shopify platform? The short answer is yes. However, anyone new to starting an online store is understandably apprehensive about choosing the best ecommerce platform for their online business.
You want to ensure that you have a safe and secure platform for your ecommerce business, so it is only right to investigate and conduct a thorough analysis.
As an ecommerce business owner, I have several years of experience with online businesses. I have tried various ecommerce platforms, and the Shopify platform is among the best for store owners.
Shopify’s ecommerce platform is not only secure but also offers various features and capabilities for online businesses to thrive.
So, is Shopify legit? Keep reading to learn more about what you can expect if you create a Shopify account and set up Shopify stores!
Key Takeaways
- Shopify is a legitimate platform for online businesses as it is used by over 1,000 million Shopify websites worldwide.
- Shopify is a safe platform that offers a free SSL certificate, PCI-compliant server, and secure payment processing.
- Shopify offers trusted third-party apps to enhance your online store capabilities.
- Shopify offers transparent pricing plans and no hidden fees or charges.
- Discover the top Shopify scams so you can protect your business from them.
Article Overview:
Is Shopify Legit?
History of the Shopify Platform
Is Shopify Legit? Reasons Why Shopify is the Best eCommerce Platform
Online Store Scams to Watch Out For
Conclusion: Is Shopify Legit?
FAQs
Is Shopify Legit?
Shopify is among the most trusted ecommerce platforms for creating a successful online business. With over 700,000 users globally, it is a leading choice for anyone wanting to build an ecommerce business.
This platform for ecommerce businesses allows you to create, manage, and grow a successful online business.
History of the Shopify Platform
Shopify is the leading platform for ecommerce businesses, founded in 2004 in Canada. When the founders established Shopify, they envisioned enabling aspiring store owners to create a Shopify account that would serve as an all-encompassing solution to succeed in the ecommerce world.
Their goal is to empower store owners to manage the day-to-day operations of their small online businesses from one platform.
Since Shopify’s ecommerce platform was launched, Shopify’s ecommerce platform has grown tremendously in the past two decades. It has now expanded into over 175 countries worldwide, such that it is one of the main platforms used by many online businesses.
As of 2023, there are over 1 million Shopify websites in the ecommerce world and over 47,000 Shopify Plus online stores. The success of the Shopify platform is attributed to its user-friendly interface, which allows Shopify merchants to build a successful online business even with limited coding knowledge.
Is Shopify Legit? Reasons Why Shopify is the Best eCommerce Platform
Is Shopify legit? There are four reasons to trust Shopify as your platform for building ecommerce businesses.
1. Shopify is a legitimate and trustworthy platform.
Security is most important when setting up an online store. Shopify is the best choice when you want a legitimate and trustworthy platform that prioritizes the safety of Shopify merchants, especially when engaging in online transactions with buyers.
SSL Certificate
An SSL certificate is important when choosing a legitimate platform for online store owners. The SSL certificate is an industry standard that protects customer data when they shop from your Shopify store.
It is a form of encryption that safeguards customer data from potential breaches, especially credit card data.
Building an online store with an SSL certificate guarantees that your customers are protected from data breaches, which promotes trust with your buyers.
When you set up an online store with Shopify, it automatically equips your store with the SSL certificate instead of you having to pay for it separately. The platform offers added security, further cementing its reputation as a legitimate and trustworthy platform.
PCI Compliant
A PCI compliant server is important to avoid fraudulent transactions, and Shopify is certified as PCI compliant. PCI stands for Payment Card Industry is recognized globally as a security standard to protect credit card data from customers, and prevent the occurrence of stolen credit card information.
When you build Shopify stores that use a PCI compliant server, it shows your customers that ensure credit card data is securely handed in your online stores. It also shows the platform’s commitment to maintaining a high level of security, protecting credit card information, and reducing the risk of data breaches.
In addition, Shopify continually rolls out security updates and patches to ensure that any measures are up-to-date and keep it a secure platform for Shopify online stores.
2. Shopify offers transparent pricing with no hidden fees.
Another reason to trust Shopify as one of the best ecommerce platforms is through its transparent pricing. They charge no hidden fees. Their free trial is available for new Shopify account owners without requiring credit card information.
Hence, signing up for Shopify is risk-free if you’re a new store owner and want to test its features.
Shopify offers a straightforward pricing plan that lets you pick the right one to suit your needs and budget. The Basic plan is suited for solo entrepreneurs or those new to online business.
The Shopify store plan is suited for small online businesses with a small team. The Advanced pricing plan is available for growing ecommerce businesses.
Depending on your chosen pricing plan, Shopify clearly states the transaction fees for online transactions.
Knowing the scheme for transaction fees enables business owners to calculate their profit margin for each transaction, especially if they use external payment gateways instead of Shopify Payments.
Thus, you won’t need to worry about any unexpected transaction fees, except those stated explicitly on the website.
3. Shopify only integrates trusted third-party Shopify apps.
Integrating third-party Shopify apps expands the store’s capabilities, helping you create Shopify websites with enhanced features and functionalities. When you choose third-party apps from the official Shopify Apps store, you can be assured that Shopify experts have rigorously reviewed these apps for safety and security.
The extensive review process of Shopify apps is to protect store owners from fraudulent transactions, malicious scams, and other activities that attempt to exploit the security systems and potentially fraudulent transactions.
To help ecommerce store owners trust Shopify and its apps, they encourage users to leave feedback. The feedback and reviews from users allow potential users to assess if certain Shopify apps are good to integrate into their ecommerce website based on how others have rated their performance.
4. Shopify Payments offers payment security with trusted payment processing gateways.
As online store owners, you work hard for every sale. Therefore, getting paid for all your orders on your online business is essential, and this platform has introduced Shopify Payments as a secure payment method.
Payment security is expected on this platform, which offers the leading payment gateway providers for payment processing. Hence, you can be assured that you will get paid!
This ecommerce platform offers an integrated solution to facilitate a secure Shopify checkout. Shopify Payments is powered by Stripe, one of the leading payment processing providers.
Thus, you can guarantee a robust security system as you can easily accept credit card payments from customers, streamlining the checkout process for your Shopify online store.
Online Store Scams to Watch Out For
Due to the massive growth of the ecommerce world, cybersecurity risks abound. Online store owners must be aware of these scams and security threats and take precautionary steps to prevent them from ruining their online business and reputation.
Shopify Store Duplicator Schemes
A Shopify store duplicator is a scam scheme involving fraudulent groups or individuals who attempt to duplicate your Shopify store. The goal of the Shopify store duplicator schemes is to duplicate your store to deceive customers.
They will copy the look and content of your store to appear as the legitimate Shopify store. They will sell counterfeit items from the fake Shopify store.
This scam scheme could ruin your store reputation because customers will receive low-quality products, thinking they are from your Shopify stores. It is best to double-check the legitimacy of Shopify websites before you finalize your purchase to ensure that it is secure, not a fake Shopify store.
Fake Return Ticket
A fake return ticket is another common scam on the Shopify ecommerce platform. A fake return request is when an individual poses as a dissatisfied customer, asking for a return or refund on a purchased order.
Fake purchase orders could result in major losses as these fraudsters will send you an empty box once you have refunded the money. To get the refund, the scammers will send a fake tracking number for the return package, which looks legitimate if you are not careful enough.
Therefore, Shopify store owners must be vigilant to avoid these scams. You should set up a clear return policy and carefully inspect returns requests before issuing refunds. The supposed customer must comply with the return policy before you can release the money.
Direct Client Scheme
The direct client scheme is when a scammer pretends to be a wholesale buyer and makes a large purchase order. However, these scammers will attempt to obtain free products or samples from your store.
Once they have convinced the Shopify business owner and received their free samples, they will not fulfill their promise of placing a large order.
Conclusion: Is Shopify Legit?
Is Shopify safe and a legitimate platform? Choosing this platform and setting up a Shopify store gives you peace of mind, knowing you have a secure platform.
Whether you want to protect your customers from data breaches or streamline the checkout process, there is no better choice for ecommerce businesses.
With cybersecurity risks becoming more prevalent, Shopify’s security measures give you assurance when you set up an online store. In addition, Shopify has excellent customer service, with a dedicated team that can respond to customer inquiries should you encounter any problems setting up your website.
FAQs
Should I trust Shopify?
Yes. Shopify is a legitimate platform that offers safe and secure ways to launch and grow an online business. Millions of Shopify merchants choose the platform, which is a testament to its safety and security.
Is Shopify safe from hackers?
Even though Shopify is a safe and secure platform, there are no guarantees when it comes to online security. However, Shopify reduces the risk of data breaches and hackers by implementing advanced security systems and security protocols that ensure Shopify merchants are safe from fraudulent transactions. Buyers can trust Shopify store owners when they make a purchase.
Is it safe to purchase from Shopify?
All Shopify websites have a built-in SSL certificate and are PCI-compliant servers. Therefore, starting a Shopify ecommerce business gives customers confidence when buying from your website.
