Shopify moves fast, and Shopify Payments moves faster than almost any other part of the platform. In the past 18 months alone, Shopify payments news has included the largest country expansion in the product’s history, Shop Pay crossing 200 million registered users, the global rollout of BNPL, and a set of Winter 2026 Edition features that fundamentally change what the checkout experience can do.
Shopify Payments expands to 15+ new countries in 2026
The single most impactful piece of payments news on Shopify in recent is the 2026 country expansion. Shopify added Shopify Payments support for 15+ new countries, bringing total Shopify Payments coverage from 23 countries to over 39 countries worldwide.
For merchants in these newly added countries, this is a transformative change. Previously, they had no option but to use a third-party gateway and pay Shopify’s additional transaction fee (2.0% on Basic, 1.0% on Shopify, 0.5% on Advanced) on top of their gateway’s own processing fees. That double-fee structure has been permanently eliminated. They also gain access to Shop Pay, accelerated checkout options, and Shopify’s built-in fraud protection.
Full list of newly added countries:
| Country | Region | Key Opportunity for Merchants |
| Poland | Central Europe | One of Europe’s fastest-growing ecommerce markets |
| Norway | Northern Europe | Among the world’s highest per-capita online spenders |
| Croatia | Southeast Europe | Growing digital economy; EU single market access |
| Estonia | Northern Europe | One of Europe’s most digitally advanced nations |
| Greece | Southern Europe | Strong tourism-adjacent commerce opportunity |
| Hungary | Central Europe | Emerging Eastern European ecommerce hub |
| Latvia | Northern Europe | EU market with fast-growing cross-border shopping |
| Lithuania | Northern Europe | Strong Baltic digital adoption rate |
| Malta | Southern Europe | Small but high-income EU market |
| Slovenia | Central Europe | High internet penetration; growing DTC market |
| Mexico | Latin America | 130M+ population; rapidly expanding ecommerce market |
| Cyprus | Southern Europe | UK-heritage shopping behaviors; English-speaking market |
| Bulgaria | Southeast Europe | EU member; growing mobile commerce adoption |
| Luxembourg | Western Europe | Small, very high-income EU market |
| Liechtenstein | Western Europe | High-income micro-state; EU market access |
| Gibraltar | Southern Europe | British territory; GBP-denominated commerce |
Combined, these additions represent tens of millions of ecommerce consumers and billions in addressable GMV that can now be accessed through Shopify’s native payment infrastructure. For merchants following payments news on Shopify, this expansion is one of the biggest updates to the platform’s payment ecosystem in recent years.
Shop Pay hits 200 million users
Shop Pay is the centerpiece of Shopify’s payments strategy and the velocity of updates to it in the past year reflects how central it has become to the platform’s growth. Shop Pay is now used by over 200 million registered shoppers across 24+ countries, and processed $29 billion in a single quarter (Q3 2025) — a 67% year-over-year increase.
Beyond raw scale, the Winter 2026 Edition introduced a set of Shop Pay feature updates that meaningfully change the checkout experience for both merchants and customers.
Apple Pay now available inside the Shop Pay flow
One of the Winter 2026 Edition’s most practically useful updates: customers can now use Apple Pay as a payment method within the Shop Pay checkout flow. Previously, Apple Pay and Shop Pay were separate checkout options. Now, a customer who checks out via Shop Pay can authenticate with Apple Pay if they prefer.
For merchants, this requires zero additional configuration. If you have Shopify Payments and Shop Pay enabled, Apple Pay within Shop Pay is automatically available to eligible customers. This reduces friction for Apple device users who prefer biometric authentication over entering a verification code.
Shop Pay powers agentic commerce
This is the most forward-looking piece of Shopify Payments news in the Winter 2026 Edition, and potentially the most significant for long-term revenue strategy. Shop Pay now powers transactions initiated inside AI applications; specifically ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Perplexity.
For enrolled Shopify merchants, customers browsing or researching products inside these AI assistants can complete a purchase using their saved Shop Pay credentials without leaving the AI interface. This is the first real commercial implementation of what Shopify calls ‘agentic commerce’ — selling natively inside an AI conversation.
According to Shopify’s president, AI-driven traffic to Shopify stores grew approximately 7x during 2025, and orders attributed to AI search grew approximately 11x since January 2025. Agentic commerce positions Shopify Payments and Shop Pay at the center of this emerging channel, not as a passive checkout option, but as the transaction layer for AI-initiated purchases.
Shop Pay for Subscriptions
Until recently, Shop Pay’s one-click checkout only worked for standard one-time purchases. Subscription orders — which require storing a payment method and charging it on a recurring schedule — had to use a separate billing flow. The Winter 2026 Edition changes this: recurring billing now works inside the accelerated Shop Pay flow.
For subscription merchants, this is significant. It means returning subscription customers get the same one-tap experience as regular customers, reducing friction at the point of subscription sign-up and improving recurring order completion rates. This update works in conjunction with Shopify’s native Subscriptions app and major third-party subscription apps including Recharge.
Shop Pay installments go global
Buy Now Pay Later through Shop Pay Installments has been expanding steadily beyond its US origins. The global BNPL news for Shopify Payments across 2025 and into 2026 marks a significant shift in how international merchants can offer flexible payment options.
Canada Launch (April 2025)
In April 2025, Affirm and Shopify announced the launch of Shop Pay Installments in Canada — the product’s first availability outside the United States. Canadian merchants with early access could offer customers bi-weekly and monthly installment plans with rates starting at 0% APR. As with the US version, merchants receive full payment upfront; the financing risk is held by Affirm.
The Canada launch was notable not just for its market impact but as a proof of concept for the international expansion model: Affirm handles local regulatory compliance, Shopify handles the merchant and checkout integration, and the activation for merchants is a single toggle in Shopify admin.
UK Launch (Winter 2026 Edition)
Shop Pay Installments went live in the UK in December 2025, part of the Winter 2026 Edition rollout. UK merchants can now offer customers installment plans with terms up to 24 months, reflecting the different consumer credit norms in the UK market. The UK launch is powered by Affirm and follows the same merchant-side simplicity: activate from Shopify admin, receive full payment upfront, zero additional integration work.
Among the recent payments news Shopify merchants should pay attention to, the international expansion of Shop Pay Installments is one of the updates most likely to influence conversion rates.
What is coming next for Shopify Payments
Based on recent Shopify payments news, Shopify’s stated roadmap, partner announcements, and product trajectory, here is what merchants can reasonably expect next.
- Shop Pay Installments expanding to Australia and Western Europe (Germany, France, Netherlands confirmed as targets)
- Further Shopify Payments country expansion. Southeast Asia (India, Philippines, Malaysia) and Latin America (Brazil, Colombia) are likely next-wave candidates based on Shopify’s regional growth strategy
- Deeper agentic commerce integration. More AI platforms and voice assistants supporting Shop Pay checkout beyond the current ChatGPT, Copilot, and Perplexity integrations
- Shopify Balance expansion. Shopify’s merchant banking product continues to grow and may become more deeply integrated with Shopify Payments payout and cash flow management
For merchants, the takeaway is that Shopify Payments is one of the most actively developed areas of the platform. Reviewing your payments configuration at least quarterly ensures you’re capturing new features as they roll out and aren’t paying for third-party tools that Shopify Payments has made redundant.
Conclusion
Keeping up with Shopify Payments news is no longer optional for merchants who want to stay competitive. New country launches, expanded Buy Now, Pay Later availability, AI-powered checkout experiences, and ongoing Shop Pay enhancements all have a direct impact on how customers pay and how efficiently your store operates. Make it a habit to review payments news Shopify publishes with each product release, evaluate how new capabilities fit your business, and update your payment strategy regularly. Small improvements to your checkout today can translate into better conversion rates, lower costs, and a stronger customer experience over time.
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