Shopify’s latest Merchant Changelog introduces a powerful new tool: the ability to waive an order’s payable balance right from the order page. This change streamlines handling of unpaid orders, improves buyer transparency, and adds dedicated reporting for write‑offs. In this post we break down exactly what changed, who needs to act, and how to get the most out of the new feature.
What’s New?
Merchants can now select “Do not collect” on an order and immediately apply a waiver to the outstanding amount. The waiver appears on the payment card on the order details page, and you can remove it later if needed. Shopify also automates adjustments: when an order is edited, refunded, or returned, any existing waivers are recalculated. If the order total drops below the waived amount, Shopify reverses only the excess, starting with the oldest waiver.
Who Is Affected?
The change is purely merchant‑focused; developers don’t see a new API surface, but they may need to consider the waiver values when building custom order‑related logic (e.g., custom reporting or fulfillment apps). Merchants, store admins, and any staff who process orders will interact with the UI, and they must have the new “Waive order balances” admin permission enabled.
How to Waive an Order Balance
These steps require the “Waive order balances” permission (see next section).
Automatic Adjustments on Edits, Refunds, and Returns
When you edit an order (e.g., change line items) or issue a refund/return, Shopify evaluates existing waivers. If the new order total is lower than the waived sum, the platform automatically reverses the excess amount—starting with the earliest waiver—so the net payable never exceeds the final total. This prevents over‑waiving and keeps accounting accurate without manual recalculation.
Staff Permissions & Access
A new admin permission called “Waive order balances” governs who can apply or remove waivers. The permission is turned on by default for high‑privilege roles (Store admin, Owner). For custom staff roles you’ll need to edit the role in Settings → Plan and permissions and enable the toggle. Without this permission, the waive button will not appear on the order page.
New Write‑Off Reporting
Shopify adds a “Write‑offs by order” default report, plus new metrics and dimensions for tracking waived balances. You can find the report under Analytics → Reports → “Write‑offs”. It shows each order, the waived amount, date, staff member, and related dimensions (location, sales channel, etc.). Use this data for accounting, tax prep, and performance analysis.
Action Checklist for Merchants
Conclusion
Waiving outstanding balances is a small UI tweak with big implications—less friction for merchants handling unpaid orders, clearer communication for buyers, and built‑in analytics for finance teams. Enable the permission, train your staff, and start leveraging the new reporting to keep your books clean. Got questions or need help integrating the feature with your custom workflow? Reach out in the Shopify Community or drop a comment below!
