Key takeaways
- Most checkout text labels are editable in Online Store > Themes > Edit languages.
- Visual checkout customisation (logo, colours, fonts) is in Settings > Checkout.
- Shopify Plus merchants get checkout.liquid access for deeper customisation.
- Standard plan merchants have limited checkout customisation - the Checkout Editor covers branding basics.
Shopify controls the checkout page tightly - for good reason, it’s the most security-sensitive part of the flow. But you have more control over the text and branding than most merchants realise.
Why you can trust us
We’ve worked with Shopify merchants across all plan tiers on checkout optimisation. We also built Fudge — an AI storefront editor with a 5.0 rating on the Shopify App Store.
How to change checkout text labels
Most checkout field labels and UI strings are in the language file alongside all other theme text.
Step 1. Go to Online Store > Themes > Edit languages (from the three-dot menu on your active theme, or Actions > Edit languages).
Step 2. In the search box, type a word that appears in the checkout - for example:
checkout- finds headings, button labels, step labelsshipping- finds shipping method selection textpayment- finds payment section labelscontact- finds contact information field labelsaddress- finds address form labels
Step 3. Edit the strings you want to change.
Step 4. Save.
Specific examples:
Related: Translate Text Manually in Shopify.
- “Continue to shipping” - the button between customer info and shipping steps
- “Return to cart” - link on the checkout page back to cart
- “Order summary” - the heading above the order details panel
- “Pay now” - the final payment button
How to customise the Shopify checkout visually
Text string editing changes labels. For visual branding (logo, colours, fonts):
Step 1. Go to Settings (in Shopify Admin).
Step 2. Click Checkout.
Step 3. Under Checkout customization, click Customize.
Step 4. The Checkout Editor opens. Here you can:
- Upload your store logo
- Set the banner image/colour
- Choose the background colour and font
- Adjust form elements and button styling
Step 5. Save and publish.
This visual customisation is available on all Shopify plans.
Related: Change Shipping Text in Shopify.
Related: Modify checkout.liquid in Shopify Plus.
Related: Add Trust Badges to Shopify Checkout.
What can I customise at checkout on the standard Shopify plan?
On standard Shopify plans (Basic, Shopify, Advanced):
- Logo and branding in the Checkout Editor
- Checkout text via the language editor
- Order status page additional scripts (for tracking pixels)
- Shipping rate names (controlled in Settings > Shipping)
What you cannot do on standard plans:
- Add custom HTML/CSS to the checkout page
- Add custom fields or elements (gift message, order notes that appear in checkout)
- Modify the checkout layout substantially
Shopify Plus checkout customisation
Shopify Plus merchants get access to checkout.liquid - a template file that allows full HTML/CSS/Liquid customisation of the checkout page.
This unlocks:
- Custom checkout field additions
- Full layout control
- Custom trust badges, guarantee messaging, and upsell blocks on the checkout page
- Custom validation or conditional logic
If you’re on Shopify Plus and want to customise your checkout beyond the standard editor, checkout.liquid is the starting point. For custom checkout changes without writing Liquid yourself, describe what you want to Fudge.
Common checkout text changes
“Pay now” to “Complete order” - some merchants find “Complete order” less transactional-feeling, though A/B tests are mixed on this.
“Continue to shipping” to “Choose delivery” - clearer phrasing for stores with multiple delivery methods.
“Contact information” to “Your details” - slightly warmer phrasing for lifestyle brands.
Currency and cart labels - match the terminology used elsewhere on your store (e.g., if your store says “bag” instead of “cart”, the checkout can too).
Adding trust elements to checkout
Standard plan merchants can add trust content on the Order status page (the confirmation page after purchase):
Step 1. Go to Settings > Checkout.
Step 2. Scroll to Order status page.
Step 3. In the Additional scripts field, add HTML for any post-purchase messaging, tracking, or trust content.
For the checkout page itself (before order placement), branding via the Checkout Editor is the main option on standard plans.
FAQ
Checkout strings live in your theme's language file, not in section settings. The Theme Editor preview lets you click and edit section content, but the checkout's labels and buttons are language-file entries. Edit them via Online Store → Themes → Actions → Edit languages.
No. The language editor (which covers most checkout text) is available on all plans. Shopify Plus is only required if you want to modify the checkout's layout or HTML via checkout.liquid — text-only changes work on Basic, Shopify, and Advanced.
On standard plans, no native option — you'd need a third-party app that injects fields. On Shopify Plus, yes via checkout.liquid or the Checkout Extensibility framework. The cart page is a more flexible alternative on standard plans for collecting extra info before checkout.
Two common causes: you edited a draft theme but your live theme is published, or your store has multiple active locales and you only edited the English file. Each locale has its own language file — repeat the edits for every active language. To make a label change across every locale in one pass, describe what you want to Fudge ("change 'Continue to shipping' to 'Choose delivery' in every active language") and it updates each locale's language file.
Minimally, in either direction. "Pay now" is the default and shoppers expect it. Alternatives like "Complete order" or "Place order" can fit certain brand voices but rarely produce a meaningful conversion lift. Don't expect this to be a top-of-list optimisation lever.
