5 Easy Steps to Become a Shopify Partner

Become a Shopify partner to help merchants, marketers, or any other Shopify store owners with your expertise. Why? Because you get to join hands with the biggest global platform and utilize all the expertise you have. 

With this program, you get the chance to reach a broad audience. It is not only about contributing to make Shopify a good place, but it's also about sharing your knowledge and expanding your services. Follow the 5-step guide discussed in this blog and become a Shopify partner today!

What is a Shopify Partner?

Shopify partners are individuals who help Shopify merchants grow and contribute their expertise to the platform. Suppose you are an expert developer. You can help Shopify merchants by setting up stores, assisting with store migrations, providing custom development, or providing ongoing support. While all these services would help Shopify store owners, they would also help you to extend your services at the same time.

Now you might wonder who can contribute to the platform and become a Shopify partner. Honestly, anyone with a set of expertise can become a Shopify partner. Especially if you are a:

• Photographer
• Marketer
• Developer
• Influencer
• Designer
• Affiliate Marketer

There are two types of Partner track: the Service Partner and the Technology Partner. You can enroll in the Shopify Partner Program and start providing your services or products. Through joint efforts, you will help merchants grow their businesses and earn a good fortune.

Levels of the Shopify Partner Program

Shopify's partner program offers various levels of partnership. Here's what it includes:

• Shopify Registered Partners: This is the entry-level of the Shopify partner program. At this stage, you will gain access to all the essential resources and tools that will help you get started on your growing journey.
• Shopify Select Partner: This is the second stage of the Shopify Partner Program. This stage is exclusively reserved for the Service partners. At this stage, you need to demonstrate expertise for merchants, particularly for new merchants. It is for the partners who have shown a certain level of knowledge. To become a Select partner, your referred merchants must have accrued $100k or a minimum of $500k revenue from the merchants you are managing in the last 5 years, and a minimum ≥ 1 Plus/Ent or ≥ 10 Standard deals closed in the last 5 years.
• Shopify Plus Program: This tier is unlocked for any partner who demonstrates sufficient expertise. You can unlock the Plus program once you have helped merchants grow and successfully run their stores. By unlocking this tier, you will gain access to additional support and resources. The requirement for becoming a Plus partner is that your referred merchants need to save ≥ $500k or ≥ $2.5M by the merchants you manage and ≥ 2 Plus/Ent Or ≥ 40 Standard deals closed by you in the last 5 years.
• Shopify Premier Partner: This is the platform for high-performing partners. The Premium partner program offers expanded support, strategic collaboration opportunities, and priority access to any Shopify events. To level up to the Premier program, your referred merchants or your managed merchants must have saved ≥ $2M, ≥ $10M in the last 5 years, respectively, and you have closed ≥ 4 Plus/Ent deals over the last 2 Years.
• Shopify Platinum Partner: If you are a Shopify Service Partner, this is the highest tier available to you. The platinum partner level is reserved for the most successful partners. This partnership level comes with features such as personalized account management, unparalleled growth opportunities, and global industry recognition. Also, to tier up to the Platinum ladder, your referred and managed merchants must have accrued ≥ $5M or≥ $25M, respectively, in the last 5 years, and you have closed ≥ 6 Plus/Ent deals in the previous 2 Years.

Get to know more about the Shopify partner levels here.

Benefits of Becoming a Shopify Partner

The key benefits of the Shopify partner program include extensive testing of various plans, access to the Shopify Academy, and a range of marketing and sales tools. Here are a few of the benefits you get from the program:

• By becoming a Shopify Partner, you gain access to unlimited test stores. You don't need any paid plans to test and build stores.
• Free access to Shopify Academy. Which means you will gain access to all the courses and certifications for free. This is because Shopify wants its partner to enhance their knowledge and capabilities.
• The Shopify Partner program includes free marketing tools and materials to promote your services. This opens the door to reaching more merchants and increasing your services as you go.
• As you level up, you get access to priority customer services. This means you can solve your own and your clients' issues quickly.
• Shopify offers special discounts, tools, and apps for its partners, which can be utilized for various purposes.
• The Shopify partner program gives you exposure to a global community, meaning more opportunities for networking, collaboration, and learning.

How Much You Can Earn From the Shopify Partner Program?

Now, the most important part: how do you earn as a Shopify partner? It depends on the type of partner you are and the amount of effort you put into the partnership. Earning varies depending on whether you are a service partner or a Technology partner.

The Service partner program is designed for agencies, consultancies, and system integrators. In this part, you will get started by helping clients to onboard, build, and migrate or design their Shopify stores. You will continue to provide consultancy, analysis, and performance improvement services.

By delivering crucial recurring services, you can grow. Shopify provides revenue to the service provider, and as of July 1, it has expanded the earnings of service partners. Now, you can earn from both recurring subscription fees and variable platform fees.

• Service partners get a 20% monthly share when they create and transfer a new development store to a Shopify merchant. This revenue share remains in effect as long as the merchant and the partner remain active on the Shopify platform.
• Partners receive a $ 2,500 one-time incentive upon submitting a qualified referral and by working with Shopify sales to sell a Plus or Enterprise plan.
• Partners have the opportunity to get a 15% revenue share when they launch a new merchant through a qualified sales opportunity. This revenue share is counted based on whichever is higher, the merchant's base or the variable platform fee.

As for the Technology Partner program, it is made for independent software vendors, application developers, resource planning providers, or other tech companies. With the Shopify app store, you can launch your own app and join the millions of entrepreneurs around the world.

As a Technology partner, you will start by providing future-proof migration and integration services to the merchants. You will continue to provide strategies, integrations, and customized global storefronts that will boost sales. To grow as a Technology partner, you need to deploy advanced solutions and improve key merchant KPIs. The primary source of revenue for a Technology partner is the creation and sale of solutions.

• You can earn 100% of the first $1 million USD by building a public app and monetizing it through the App Store. After the first $1 million, partners will receive 85% of the revenue.
• You can also earn by developing and selling solutions and integrations directly to enterprises. You will require custom license and service agreements to sell integrations.
• There’s also an opportunity to sell themes in the Shopify Theme store. You can sell themes as a one-time purchase and earn 85% of the total revenue.

How to Become a Shopify Partner: 5 Easy Steps

Now, the crucial part is how you can actually become a Shopify partner. To become a Shopify partner, simply register as a partner, fill in the required details, and start using the Shopify partner dashboard effectively. Here’s a detailed guide on becoming a Shopify partner in just 5 steps:

Step 1: Register As a Shopify Partner

First, search for the Shopify Partners webpage. There, you will immediately find the option to ‘Become a Partner’. 

Hit the button, which will take you to the page. There, you will need to enter your email and continue to the next page. Fill out your Name, Last Name, and password, then click the Create Account button.

Step 2: Fill Out All the Necessary Information

As soon as you hit the Create Account button, it will direct you to a page where you can select whether to create a new partner organization or join an existing one. Select the 'New Partner Organization' creating button if you are starting as a complete beginner.

Then, you need to fill out information such as your main focus as a partner, the location of your business, and your contact details. After fulfilling all the details, hit ‘Create Partner Organization’.

Step 3: Verify The Email

Now, a new window will open, and you will need to verify the email address provided. A verification email will be sent to your email account with a button for verification.

Click the Verify email button, and your Shopify Partner Dashboard will open.

Step 4: Fill Out All the Details

After creating the partner account and opening the Dashboard, you will need to fill out some additional details. Add your store details in the dashboard. Include the method by which you will be paid and provide your service-related information. All these details will be found under the Settings option.

Step 5: Explore the Dashboard

Now you are all done with creating a partner account and working as a partner. At this stage, you will explore the dashboard and get yourself familiar with the environment. With that, you are an official Shopify partner.

Concluding Words

Becoming a Shopify partner is not difficult and doesn't require much time. However, the partnership offers numerous benefits. Every level you rise, you get some additional benefits. Shopify's partner program has different levels that can be unlocked through various growth efforts. But you can always start your journey with minimal effort.

If you are looking for a platform that will give you exposure and the kick-start needed to launch your journey, look no further. There is no better option than the Shopify partner program. So don’t delay and start your Shopify Partner journey with the 5-step guide.

FAQ's: Easy Steps to Become a Shopify Partner