Key takeaways
- People search "Shopify business address" for two different reasons. Some people want the address of Shopify the company. This guide answers the other question: which address a Canadian merchant gives Shopify.
- For Shopify Payments in Canada, Shopify asks for a specific business address. Shopify's Canada requirements page describes the business address as "The official registered address of the business as shown in your government registry."
- Shopify does not accept PO Box or Private Mail Box addresses for Shopify Payments. Shopify's setup page says: "You can't use PO Box or Private Mail Box addresses with Shopify Payments." A virtual mailbox address is usually a private mailbox at a mail-receiving business, so we read that sentence as covering it.
- Shopify also checks that your details match official records. Shopify's Canada page says "Even small differences can cause verification to fail."
A note on scope. This article covers the business address a Canadian merchant gives Shopify and Shopify Payments. The article does not cover Shopify's product features or United States sellers. For the same question on Amazon, see Virtual Address for Amazon Seller Central in Canada. For Stripe's separate checks, see Stripe Business Address Verification in Canada. Dropshipping sellers can read Canadian Dropshipping Business Address. For the general Canadian rules, see Does your Canadian business need a registered address?.
The two different "Shopify business address" questions
The first question is where Shopify the company is located. Shopify's Terms of Service list Shopify Inc. at 151 O'Connor Street, Ground floor, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2L8, Canada. If you only needed Shopify's own address, you can stop here.
The second question is which address you, the merchant, should give Shopify. This guide answers the second question. The rest of the post is for Canadian merchants who are setting up Shopify Payments.
Which addresses Shopify asks a Canadian merchant for
Shopify uses more than one address field. Each field has a different job.
- The business address for Shopify Payments. Shopify's Canada requirements page asks businesses on a government registry for "The official registered address of the business as shown in your government registry." Individuals with no business registration give a home address instead.
- The home address of the account representative. For individuals and sole proprietorships, Shopify's Canada page asks for a residential address in Canada that matches your documents. Shopify's FAQ on the same page says "Personal information for owners and directors, such as their names or home addresses, is never shown publicly."
- The public store address. Shopify's store details page says "Your store address is public, and your customers might view this information on marketing emails, packaging slips, and policy pages." The same page says "The store address must be in the same country as your business entity address."
Shopify's Canada page also sets a rule for the payout account: "The bank account is a checking account with a bank in Canada." The same list says that if your payout currency is USD, the bank account must be in USD and "can be with a Canadian or United States financial institution."
Why a virtual mailbox address does not fit Shopify Payments
Shopify's setup page has a section called "Address Requirements". The first sentence is direct: "You can't use PO Box or Private Mail Box addresses with Shopify Payments."
A virtual mailbox address is usually a mailbox at a business that receives mail for its customers. We treat a mailbox of that kind as a private mailbox, even when the street address belongs to a real commercial building and carries a unit or suite number.
For Shopify Payments, use the business address Shopify asks for. In Canada, Shopify asks for the address shown in your government registry. Shopify's Canada page also says "Shopify banking partners verify your information by comparing it against business registries in Canada."
Shopify may ask for a document when your business details can't be verified. The Canada page says a business verification document "must clearly display the legal entity name and address of your business." The accepted documents on that page include a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Notice of Assessment or Re-Assessment dated within the past 12 months.
Specific scenarios: individual, sole proprietor, and corporation
The business type you choose changes what Shopify asks for.
Individual. Shopify's Canada page describes individuals as single owner businesses "that haven't registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) or any provincial business registries, and are doing business privately." An individual gives Shopify a legal name, date of birth, email address, phone number, and home address in Canada.
Sole proprietor. Shopify's Canada page describes sole proprietorships as businesses wholly owned by one person "who have registered the business either federally with the CRA, or provincially." A sole proprietor gives the legal business name, a registration number, and the business address from the government registry. Shopify says the registration number "is typically a 9-digit business number from the CRA." To learn when a small business gets a Business Number, see Do Canadian Small Businesses Need a Business Number?.
Corporation. A corporation gives the same business details. Shopify also says: "You need to provide the names of all the directors who appear on the government registry for your business." The address on your corporate record depends on your registry filings. For the different office types, see registered office vs records office vs head office. A corporation that also operates in a second province may need to register there as well. See extra-provincial registration in Canada.
Seller based outside Canada. Shopify's Canada page asks individuals and sole proprietors for a home address in Canada. The page also lists bank account rules. Shopify says the bank account is a checking account with a bank in Canada. The same list says that if your payout currency is USD, the bank account must be in USD and "can be with a Canadian or United States financial institution." Check Shopify's requirements page for your business type before you plan a Canadian setup.
Address alignment across Shopify, your bank, and CRA
Shopify's Canada page tells merchants to "ensure that your business name and business address match exactly as they appear in the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) or provincial business registry." The page lists letter case, punctuation, and spacing as details to match.
| Record | What to check |
|---|---|
| Shopify Payments business details | The business name and business address you enter in Shopify |
| Government registry or CRA record | The name and address that Shopify's banking partners compare against |
| Canadian business bank account | The account details you connect for payouts |
Keep one address across your registry, your CRA Business Number record, your bank, and Shopify. Matching records leave fewer differences to explain. Shopify's Canada page warns that "Even small differences can cause verification to fail."
FAQ
What address do I put for my Shopify store?
Shopify has more than one address field. For Shopify Payments in Canada, Shopify asks for "The official registered address of the business as shown in your government registry." Your public store address is a separate setting that customers might see. Shopify says the store address must be in the same country as your business entity address.
Can I use a virtual mailbox address for Shopify Payments?
In most cases, no. Shopify's setup page says: "You can't use PO Box or Private Mail Box addresses with Shopify Payments." A virtual mailbox address is usually a private mailbox, so use the business address from your government registry instead.
Will customers see my home address if I give my home address to Shopify Payments?
Shopify's Canada page says home addresses of owners and directors are never shown publicly. The same page says your business name, business phone number, and business address might sometimes appear on customers' credit card statements.
Can a seller based outside Canada use Shopify Payments for Canada?
Check the Shopify requirements for your business type. For individuals and sole proprietors, Shopify's Canada page asks for a home address in Canada. The page also lists bank account rules: a checking account with a bank in Canada, or, for USD payouts, a USD account with a Canadian or United States financial institution.
Bottom line
For Shopify Payments in Canada, give Shopify the business address shown in your government registry. Shopify says you can't use PO Box or Private Mail Box addresses with Shopify Payments, and we treat a virtual mailbox address as part of that group. Keep the same address on your registry, your CRA Business Number record, your bank, and Shopify.
A Canadian mailing address can still help with the mail around your business, such as CRA letters, registry notices, and bank letters. Reserve a Toronto or Vancouver address for that mail, and use the address Shopify asks for in your Shopify Payments account.
