Understanding the Shopify cart & checkout
Learn how the Shopify cart and checkout work for your customers, what you can customize, and what to expect on each plan.
Every Shopify store has two built-in steps between browsing and buying: the cart and the checkout. Understanding how they work helps you set up your store confidently and set realistic expectations for what you can and can't change.
Quick summary
The cart is where shoppers collect items before buying. The checkout is the secure, multi-step process where they enter their address and pay. Shopify controls most of the checkout design — your ability to customize it depends on your plan. Basic branding is available on all plans; deeper customization requires Shopify Plus.
How the cart works
When a customer clicks Add to cart on your store, the item is saved to their cart. Think of it like a physical shopping basket — they can keep browsing, add more items, or remove things before they're ready to pay.
Your cart page shows:
- Each item, with its image, name, price, and quantity
- A subtotal
- A Checkout button
Shopify also offers a drawer cart (a side panel that slides in without leaving the current page). Whether you have a drawer or a full cart page depends on your theme.
Cart contents are temporary
If a shopper closes their browser without checking out, their cart may be lost — unless they have a Shopify account or you have cart-recovery emails set up. See Shopify apps explained for tools that help recover abandoned carts.
How the checkout works
Once a customer clicks Checkout, they move into Shopify's secure, hosted checkout. This is a separate, locked-down area managed by Shopify. It is not part of your regular theme.
The checkout walks customers through these steps:
Contact information. The customer enters their email address (or phone number for SMS updates).
Shipping address. They enter where they want the order delivered.
Shipping method. They choose from the shipping options you've set up. See Setting up shipping zones & rates.
Payment. They enter their card details or choose an express option like Shop Pay, PayPal, or Apple Pay.
Order confirmation. They see a thank-you page and receive a confirmation email automatically.
What you can customize — and what you can't
This is one of the most common questions we hear. Here is an honest breakdown:
| What you can change | Available on |
|---|---|
| Your logo in the checkout header | All plans |
| Brand colors and accent color | All plans |
| Background image or color | All plans |
| Font choice | All plans |
| Custom checkout fields (e.g. gift messages) | Shopify Plus only |
| Full checkout layout redesign | Shopify Plus only |
| Removing "Powered by Shopify" from emails | All plans (via settings) |
| Adding custom scripts to checkout | Shopify Plus only |
If you are on the Basic, Shopify, or Advanced plan, you can add your logo and match your brand colors — but you cannot rearrange the layout or add custom sections. That level of control requires Shopify Plus, which is an enterprise tier.
Be careful with checkout apps
Some apps claim to customize the checkout. Always check that they are compatible with your plan before purchasing. Some only work on Shopify Plus.
Shop Pay and express checkout options
Shopify offers Shop Pay — a fast checkout option that remembers a customer's details across all Shopify stores. When they return, they can check out in seconds.
You can also enable express checkout buttons for PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. These appear on the cart page and product pages, letting customers skip straight to payment.
We recommend enabling these — they reduce friction and tend to increase conversions.
Common questions
Related guides
- Setting up shipping zones & rates
- Payment providers (Shopify Payments, PayPal, etc.)
- Understanding orders in Shopify
- Shopify apps explained
- Shopify plans & billing
Need a hand?
Learn more
Writing product descriptions that sell
Practical advice for writing Shopify product descriptions that help customers understand your products and feel confident buying them.
Setting up shipping zones & rates
Learn how to create shipping zones and set the rates your customers see at checkout in your Shopify store.