Shopify Protect is Shopify's chargeback protection for Shop Pay orders. It covers a narrow set of chargebacks on a narrow set of orders, so it helps to know exactly where the edges are. Eligibility rules change, so treat this as a summary and check Shopify's Shopify Protect page for the current terms.
What it is
Shopify's help center describes Shopify Protect as chargeback protection from fraud for eligible Shop Pay orders, and says the feature is free. When a protected order gets a fraudulent or unrecognized chargeback, you are reimbursed the chargeback amount and the chargeback fee.
- Covers: Chargebacks with a fraudulent or unrecognized reason
- Applies to: Eligible orders processed through Shop Pay
- Cost: Shopify says it is available for free
Which orders are eligible
At the time of writing, the help center lists these conditions. Check the page before relying on any of them.
- Store: Based in the United States, with a US Shopify Payments account
- Payment: Processed through Shop Pay, including Shop Pay used as an accelerated checkout on other platforms
- Contents: Only physical items that require shipping
- Subscriptions: Only the first order in a subscription is eligible
What you have to do to keep protection
Eligibility at checkout is not the end of it. An eligible order shows a Shopify Protect status, and you have to fulfill it properly for that to become Protected by Shopify Protect.
- Fulfill: Within 7 days of the order being placed
- Tracking: Add tracking from a carrier on Shopify's supported list
- In transit: The carrier marks the order as in transit within 10 days of it being placed
- All items: Every non-refunded line item must be fulfilled
You can filter the Orders page by Shopify Protect status to find orders that still need action.
What it does not cover
Most of the surprises come from here. An order with the Not protected by Shopify Protect status goes through the normal chargeback process.
- ❌ Chargebacks for other reasons, such as a product not received, or a product that is defective, damaged or not as described
- ❌ Shop Pay Installments orders
- ❌ Orders that include any digital product or any item bought online and picked up in store, even if the rest ships
- ❌ Recurring subscription orders after the first
- ❌ Orders where the shipping address was changed after checkout, which voids coverage
- ❌ Orders where tracking was added after the fulfillment deadline
What happens when a protected order is charged back
Shopify says you do not need to take any action. The disputed amount and fee are debited and then immediately reimbursed to you as a credit, which you can see in the transactions on your Payouts page. If the cardholder's bank later rules in your favor, Shopify reverses that credit, since the bank returns the money.
For chargebacks Shopify Protect does not cover, you respond yourself. See how to respond to a chargeback on Shopify.
Doing this at scale
Shopify Protect leaves you to judge orders paid another way and orders that fall outside its conditions. RiskClarity reviews each paid order, explains the risk in plain English with the fraud signals behind it, and recommends allow, verify or hold, with every decision logged in an audit log you can export for chargeback disputes. See RiskClarity.