- Short answer
- Yes, in the US: add PayPal Express as a third-party gateway — Venmo shows to eligible buyers, and Shopify's third-party fee applies.
- Who can use it
- US-based merchants on an upgraded Shopify Checkout.
- Venmo settings on Express
- Not in your Shopify admin — contact PayPal to change Venmo availability.
- Third-party fee
- Charged without Shopify Payments; PayPal transactions are exempt if Shopify Payments is your primary payment provider.
- Buyers who see it
- US customers with the latest Venmo app, online purchases on, paying in its connected browser with cookies, no incognito.
What's New Since Publication: Updated since publication · 1 change
- Shopify reworded the PayPal exemption from its third-party feeShopify's help pages now say PayPal transactions are exempt from third-party transaction fees if you elect to use Shopify Payments as your primary payment provider, and the Third-party transaction fees page no longer lists PayPal Express Checkout among the methods exempt when you use Shopify Payments. Without Shopify Payments, Venmo orders through PayPal Express still carry the fee.
Can a US store offer Venmo without Shopify Payments?
Yes — add PayPal Express Checkout as a third-party gateway. Shopify's PayPal providers page requires you to be based in the United States and use an "upgraded Shopify Checkout"; Venmo then "automatically displays" to "eligible customers".
If you want to offer Venmo to your customers as a payment method, but you don't want to use Shopify Payments, then you can offer the option to pay with Venmo by adding PayPal Express as a third party gateway.
Shopify's PayPal overview says Express "isn't available to merchants in France or the United States"; the setup page says Express "isn't available as a separate payment gateway" for US and French merchants who "use Shopify Payments".
No Shopify page we read on October 9, 2026 defines an "upgraded Shopify Checkout": the providers page links to a guide on upgrading the Thank you and Order status pages, which doesn't use the term.
What changes compared with Venmo through Shopify Payments?
Control moves to PayPal. "You can't manage Venmo availability for PayPal Express Checkout from your Shopify admin," so you contact PayPal directly to change it. On PayPal Wallet with Shopify Payments active, Shopify Support deactivates Venmo instead.
Third-party transaction fees apply on all third-party gateways, and PayPal transactions are exempt "if you elect to use Shopify Payments as your primary payment provider" — so without Shopify Payments, Venmo orders through Express carry the fee (see how the third-party transaction fee works). PayPal also charges its own fee on Venmo payments.
Activating Shopify Payments doesn't clearly guarantee Venmo either: "automatically available" on the US PayPal Wallet page, "Select merchants" on the providers page.
Which customers won't see Venmo at checkout?
On either route, Shopify lists four conditions your customers must meet:
- Located in the United States.
- The latest Venmo app installed on their mobile device.
- Their connected browser in the Venmo app, with cookies accepted — Venmo doesn't support private browsing or incognito mode.
- The online purchases setting activated in their Venmo app.
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