Shopify Payments Supports USDC Payments via Base Network in Early Access, Expected to Expand Globally by Late 2025.
Shopify has officially integrated stablecoin USDC into the Shopify Payments system through a partnership with Coinbase and Stripe, significantly expanding global payment options for sellers. The feature is currently in early access, allowing global sellers to accept USDC payments from customers through the Base blockchain, a Second-Layer Solution on Ethereum developed by Coinbase.
Customers can pay using USDC through supported wallets during checkout, including Shop Pay and account-free payment methods. According to Shopify's announcement, sellers using Shopify Payments do not need to deploy additional payment gateways or new integrations, as the connection occurs automatically within the existing system.
Notably, sellers will automatically receive payments in their local currency without foreign exchange conversion fees or international transaction surcharges. Additionally, they can choose to receive USDC directly into their personal crypto wallet through a function operated by Stripe.
Smart Contract Optimized for E-commerce
Shopify and Coinbase have collaborated to build a new smart contract with an open-source payment protocol to handle specific commercial transactions. This system can calculate taxes, record delayed payments, and process refunds, all integrated directly into Shopify's existing order processing workflow without separating from the original order processing system.
The payment experience is designed to be simple for customers when they choose to pay with USDC at checkout, then connect their crypto wallet containing USDC on the Base network through a secure pop-up window and confirm the transaction. In the US, Shopify will implement a 1% USDC cashback program for customers using this method by late 2025, without charging sellers any fees.
The current feature is only available for sellers in the early access program, but Shopify says it will expand support to all Shopify Payments stores globally by late 2025. For eligible sellers, no additional setup is required to activate this feature, demonstrating Shopify's commitment to simplifying blockchain technology adoption for e-commerce.
