Why payment method order matters
The first option wins
This is basic checkout behavior. On desktop, customers tend to select the first payment method in the list. On mobile — where the majority of e-commerce happens — the effect is even stronger because customers often don’t scroll through the full list.
Moving your preferred payment method to position 1 can significantly shift which method customers choose.
Reduce processing fees
Different payment gateways charge different rates. PayPal charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Shopify Payments rates are typically lower, especially on higher Shopify plans. If your checkout shows PayPal first and Shopify Payments second, you’re steering customers toward the more expensive option.
By reordering to show Shopify Payments / credit card first and PayPal second, you can save hundreds or thousands per month on a high-volume store — without removing PayPal entirely.
Local payment preferences
Shoppers in different countries have strong payment preferences. Dutch customers expect iDEAL. Belgian customers look for Bancontact. Chilean merchants want Fintoc at the top. Showing the locally preferred payment first improves conversion rates in each market.
Regulatory compliance
In some countries, regulations require specific payment method ordering. Finland, for example, requires credit-based payment methods to be listed last under the Consumer Protection Act (effective October 2023).
How to reorder payment methods
Method 1: Using an app (recommended)
This works on all Shopify plans and requires no code.
- Install Nex Reorder Payment Method from the Shopify App Store
- Create a reorder rule
- Select the payment method you want to move (e.g., “Credit Card” or “iDEAL”)
- Set the position — position 1 means it appears first at checkout
- Set conditions (optional):
- By country — move iDEAL to position 1 only for Netherlands customers
- By customer tag — move bank transfer to position 1 for B2B customers
- Always apply — change the order for everyone
- Activate — changes take effect immediately
You can create multiple reorder rules. For example:
- Rule 1: Move iDEAL to position 1 when country = Netherlands
- Rule 2: Move Bancontact to position 1 when country = Belgium
- Rule 3: Move Credit Card to position 1 (no condition — default fallback)
Method 2: Shopify Checkout Blocks (Plus only)
- Go to Apps → Checkout Blocks → Functions
- Create function → Payment methods → Reorder
- Add payment methods and arrange them in your desired order
- Manually reordered methods appear first; all others follow in Shopify’s default order
- Save and activate
Limitation: Checkout Blocks reorder is unconditional — you can’t reorder differently per country or customer tag. It applies the same order for everyone.
Method 3: Custom Shopify Function (developer required)
Build a custom app using the Payment Customization Function API with move operations. Each move operation specifies a payment method and a target position index. This gives full programmatic control with conditional logic.
Common reorder setups
Reduce PayPal fees
Goal: Steer customers to Shopify Payments (lower fees) instead of PayPal.
| Position | Payment method |
|---|---|
| 1 | Credit Card (Shopify Payments) |
| 2 | Shop Pay |
| 3 | PayPal |
Condition: Always apply
Country-based ordering for Europe
Goal: Show the locally preferred payment first for each country.
| Country | Position 1 | Position 2 | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | iDEAL | Credit Card | Default order |
| Belgium | Bancontact | Credit Card | Default order |
| Germany | SOFORT | Credit Card | Default order |
| All others | Credit Card | PayPal | Default order |
Condition: Country per rule
B2B: bank transfer first
Goal: Wholesale customers see bank transfer / invoice first instead of credit card.
| Customer type | Position 1 | Position 2 |
|---|---|---|
| B2B (tagged “wholesale”) | Bank Transfer | Credit Card |
| Retail (everyone else) | Credit Card | PayPal |
Condition: Customer tag = “wholesale”
Reorder vs hide: which should you use?
| Situation | Use reorder | Use hide |
|---|---|---|
| You want PayPal available but not prominent | ✅ Move it down | |
| You want to remove Klarna for pre-orders | ✅ Hide it completely | |
| You want iDEAL first for Dutch customers | ✅ Move to position 1 | |
| You want to block BNPL for CBD products | ✅ Hide it | |
| You want to reduce PayPal fee spend | ✅ Move below credit card | Optional: hide entirely |
| You want B2B to only see bank transfer | ✅ Hide everything else |
Reorder keeps all payment methods visible but changes their priority. Hide removes them entirely. You can combine both — reorder the methods you want to keep, and hide the ones you don’t.
Things to know
Wallets can’t be reordered in express checkout
Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Shop Pay in the express checkout section (the buttons at the top of checkout) can be hidden but not reordered. Reorder only applies to the main payment method list below the express section.
Shopify’s default order
When you don’t reorder, Shopify displays payment methods in the order they were activated in your store settings. Credit card (Shopify Payments) typically appears first, followed by alternative payment methods in the order they were added.
Multiple reorder rules
You can create multiple rules targeting different payment methods. They’re applied in sequence. If two rules conflict (both trying to put a different method at position 1), the last-activated rule takes precedence.
25 rule limit
Shopify allows a maximum of 25 active payment customization functions per store across all apps. This includes hide, rename, and reorder rules combined. Most stores use 3-10 rules total.
Before you had apps: the history
Before 2023, reordering payment methods at checkout was only possible on Shopify Plus using Shopify Scripts (Payment Scripts in the Script Editor app). Non-Plus merchants had no way to change payment method order.
In 2023, Shopify introduced the Payment Customization Function API as part of Shopify Functions, opening up payment customization to all Shopify plans through third-party apps. Shopify Scripts were then deprecated in August 2025.
If you’re on an older setup still using Scripts, now is the time to migrate to an app-based solution.
Summary
| Method | Plan | Conditional | Code | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| App (Nex Reorder) | Basic and up | ✅ Yes | No | 5 minutes |
| Checkout Blocks | Plus only | ❌ Unconditional | No | 10 minutes |
| Custom Function | Any (custom app) | ✅ Yes | Yes | Hours |
The biggest quick win: move your lowest-fee payment method to position 1. On a $50,000/month store, even a small shift in payment method selection can save hundreds per month in processing fees.
Install Nex Reorder Payment Method → | See All Features → | See Pricing →