Shopify January 2026 Updates: 14 Important Changes Every Store Owner Should Know

Shopify has kicked off the new year with 14 platform updates — and while this month may seem smaller compared to the massive Winter Editions release, there are several changes that every Shopify store owner should understand.

From major improvements to Shopify Flow email sending, to updated chargeback calculations, Sidekick analytics upgrades, and POS improvements, this month’s changelog includes both small quality-of-life enhancements and a few changes that could directly impact your store’s performance.

If you're serious about building and growing a Shopify store in 2026, staying updated isn’t optional — it’s an advantage.

Watch the full breakdown here:

1. Sidekick Can Now Write ShopifyQL Queries for Payments & Web Performance

Shopify continues improving Sidekick, its built-in AI assistant. This month, Sidekick gained the ability to generate ShopifyQL (Shopify Query Language) queries related to:

• Web performance data
• Payments data
• Fulfillments
• Payout queries

Instead of writing complex SQL-style queries manually, you can now type plain language prompts like:

• “Show me fulfillment times by carrier.”
• “What were my net payments for each payment method last quarter?”

This is especially powerful for advanced reporting — and even beginners benefit because it removes the technical barrier of learning query syntax.

2. Greater Flexibility for Inventory Transfers

Inventory management received a small but meaningful improvement. You can now:

• Edit shipment line items at any stage
• Receive inventory without specifying an origin location
• Send inventory to unspecified destinations

This is particularly useful for stores operating warehouses, fulfillment centers, or multiple retail locations. All inventory history remains auditable even if fields are left blank.

3. Bulgarian Lev Replaced by Euro

Due to Bulgaria adopting the euro for electronic transactions, Shopify automatically updated markets previously configured to use the Bulgarian Lev.

If you use Shopify’s multi-currency features, this adjustment happens automatically. If not, you should manually verify your store currency settings.

4. Easier Shopify Payments Payout Matching

Shopify Payments exports now include:

• Bank reference numbers in payout exports
• Payout IDs in order transaction exports

This makes reconciliation significantly easier when matching payouts to bank deposits — especially for growing stores processing higher volumes.

5. Marketing Pixel Data Sharing Optimization

Shopify now automatically pauses marketing pixels that stop driving traffic or sales.

If a tracking pixel sends zero meaningful signals over time, Shopify limits its data sharing to reduce unnecessary background activity. You can override this in Settings → Customer Events by toggling pixels to “always on.”

This is a subtle performance optimization that may improve store efficiency over time.

6. Liquid Code Processing Update

Shopify updated how Liquid theme code is processed. While Shopify states no action is required and store functionality remains unchanged, any update touching Liquid always deserves awareness.

If you use custom-coded themes or legacy modifications, monitor your store carefully — even though Shopify indicates no performance or behavior changes.

7. Improved Return Reasons (Better Analytics Data)

Returns now include category-specific return reasons based on Shopify’s product taxonomy.

For example:

• Apparel items may show “Too big” or “Too small”
• Other categories may show taste/style/weight-based reasons

This enhances reporting and allows better decision-making — especially when combined with ShopifyQL analytics queries.

8. POS Offline Payments Expanded to Multi-Entity Setups

If you operate physical locations using Shopify POS, this update is important.

Offline payments now work across multi-entity Shopify Payments setups. This means if your POS device loses connectivity, you can still process transactions — even across multiple operational entities.

For retail merchants, this is a meaningful reliability improvement.

9. Business Details & Store Address Changes

Shopify renamed the “Billing Address” section to “Store Address” for clarity.

However, there’s an important caveat:

If you need to change your business country and you use financial products like Shopify Payments or Shopify Capital, you must deactivate them before making adjustments.

That’s something to plan carefully to avoid checkout interruptions.

10. Change Due Calculator for Cash Payments

Quick Sale on Shopify POS now automatically calculates change for cash payments.

Enter the tendered amount and Shopify calculates change instantly. While cash usage continues declining globally, this simplifies in-person transactions for stores that still accept it.

11. Retail Location Classification Control

You can now explicitly mark physical storefronts in your location settings.

This helps distinguish:

• Physical retail stores
• POS-only locations
• Warehouses
• Pop-up locations

Improved classification enhances reporting accuracy and operational clarity.

12. Updated Chargeback Rate Calculation

This is one of the more impactful updates.

Shopify’s chargeback rate metric now includes all disputes, including those resolved through programs like Visa’s Rapid Dispute Resolution (RDR).

While Shopify states this does not change risk evaluation itself, it does change how the metric is displayed.

Your chargeback rate is crucial for:

• Shop Channel eligibility
• Payment processing stability
• Long-term account health

Merchants should monitor this metric carefully going forward.

13. Major Update: Shopify Flow Now Sends Emails From Your Domain

This may be the biggest change of the month.

Previously, automated emails sent through Shopify Flow appeared as:

flow@shopify.com

Now, Flow sends emails using your configured sender email address.

This dramatically improves:

• Email deliverability
• Brand trust
• Spam filtering outcomes
• Open rates

If you’re using Flow automations tied to Shopify Email (now Shopify Messaging), this update directly impacts your marketing performance.

For serious stores running automation workflows, this is a major upgrade.

Why Staying Updated Matters (Especially for Beginners)

Many Shopify updates seem small individually — but collectively, they shape your store’s performance, eligibility, automation power, and reporting accuracy.

That’s why on the Professor Commerce YouTube channel, we break down these changes every single month.

And if you're just getting started, this is exactly why having structured guidance matters.

At ProfessorCommerce.com, we built a 30-Day Beginner Shopify Program that’s:

• Made for beginners
• Priced for beginners
• Paced for beginners

Because Shopify isn’t hard — but it can feel overwhelming without direction.

If you want a step-by-step path that helps you build correctly from day one, our program walks you through everything from setup to optimization.

And if you’re looking for affordable evergreen advertising opportunities, you can also explore our community options on Patreon.

Final Thoughts on the January Shopify Updates

While January only brought 14 updates, there are several that truly matter:

• Flow sender email update (major)
• Chargeback rate recalculation
• Sidekick analytics improvements
• POS offline enhancements

Shopify continues to evolve rapidly. Merchants who stay informed consistently outperform those who don’t.

If you’re building a Shopify store in 2026, staying educated is your competitive advantage.

We’ll see you next month for the next changelog breakdown.

SEO Title

Shopify January 2026 Updates: Flow Email Fix, Chargebacks, Sidekick & POS Changes

Meta Description

Shopify’s January updates include major Flow email fixes, chargeback changes, Sidekick analytics upgrades, and POS improvements. Full breakdown inside.

Excerpt

Shopify January updates explained: Flow sender email fix, chargeback changes, Sidekick upgrades, POS improvements, and more.

Suggested Tags

Shopify updates, Shopify changelog, Shopify Flow, Shopify POS, Shopify Payments, Shopify analytics, Shopify beginners, ecommerce news