Updates to our Partner Program Agreement and API License and Terms of Use
We recently made some updates to the Shopify Partner Program Agreement (PPA) and the Shopify API License and Terms of Use (API Terms). These changes encourage the best possible merchant experience within our developer and partner ecosystem, and protect the integrity of the Shopify platform.

Please review the summary below, which highlights some of the changes we've introduced. We also encourage you to take a few moments to review the updated PPA and Shopify API Terms in order to better understand how all of the updates may impact your business.

Changes that apply to all partners (effective March 13, 2019):

We will now restrict partners from soliciting merchants to leave the Shopify platform. In exchange for being a member of our partner ecosystem and having access to countless merchants, we require that our partners do not actively encourage our merchants to leave the Shopify platform.
Development stores can only be used to process test orders. They are not meant to bypass the need for a paid Shopify plan.
Changes that apply to developers (effective May 12, 2019):

All data relating to a merchant's customers that a partner collects on behalf of the merchant (excluding any sensitive personal information) must be sent back to Shopify.
All checkout and payment processing must go through Shopify checkout. Partners cannot bypass Shopify checkout unless authorized by Shopify in writing.
Developers cannot create multiple applications that offer substantially the same services.
For the changes outlined above that apply to developers, Shopify will provide you 60 days to make the necessary updates to your applications before these sections come into force. All other changes are effective immediately.

If you have any questions about this update, please contact support through your partner dashboard.

Thanks,
Shopify Partners