How Agencies Track Shopify App Spend Across Client Stores

Agencies track Shopify app spend across multiple client stores one store at a time. For each client, get that store's Shopify billing invoice from Settings in Shopify admin, list every app charge, and flag apps that do the same job. Repeat each billing cycle and keep a simple record per client so changes show up on the next invoice.

This guide is for agencies and freelancers who look after several Shopify stores. AppTrim reads your Shopify billing invoice, lists every app charge, and flags apps that do the same job. Use it to spot tools you no longer need and apps still billing after you uninstalled them. You run it on one client store at a time, with that store's invoice.

Auditing a client's app stack from the invoice

1. 1

   Get invoice access

   Ask the merchant to download the store's Shopify billing invoice from Settings in Shopify admin, or download it yourself if your account on that store has billing access. Use the most recent full billing cycle.

2. 2

   List the charges

   Write down every app charge on the invoice with its amount. Upload the invoice on AppTrim's main screen if you want this list built for you. AppTrim reads your Shopify billing invoice, lists every app charge, and flags apps that do the same job.

3. 3

   Flag overlaps

   Group the apps by job: reviews, email, popups, upsells, shipping, and so on. Two or more apps in one group are worth a question. Sometimes both are needed, often one was left over from a test.

4. 4

   Check what each app touches before cutting

   Before you recommend removing an app, check what depends on it: theme blocks, checkout extensions, automations, product data, or integrations with other tools. Removing an app that feeds another one can break something the client relies on.

5. 5

   Cancel direct-billed vendors with the vendor

   Uninstalling stops future Shopify billing for the app. A charge already generated for the current cycle, and any usage fees you ran up before uninstalling, can still appear on your next invoice. If the vendor bills you directly, cancel with them. If the line comes back after that, send the developer your uninstall date and the invoice line, then contact Shopify support. Ask the client which tools they pay for outside Shopify.

6. 6

   Verify on the next invoice

   When the next invoice arrives, check that the charges you cut are gone. If one is still there, follow the zombie apps guide to track it down. Keep last cycle's list so you can compare.

For a single store in more detail, see the Shopify app audit guide. For charges that stay on the invoice after an uninstall, see the zombie apps guide.

Presenting findings to the client

Keep it to one page per store. List every app charge from the invoice, then mark each one as keep, question, or cut. For each app you mark as cut, say what it does, which other app already covers that job, and what you checked before suggesting removal.

Ask the client to confirm anything you could not see from the invoice: which tools the team still uses, and which vendors bill them directly. Agree who removes each app and who cancels each direct-billed vendor. Then put a date on the calendar to check the next invoice together.

Limits to be clear about

• One store at a time. Each client store has its own invoice, and AppTrim reads one invoice per analysis.
• Invoice only. AppTrim works from the Shopify billing invoice you upload. It does not connect to vendor accounts.
• No usage data. The invoice shows what a store pays, not whether anyone uses the app.
• No vendor-direct billing. Tools that charge the merchant outside Shopify do not appear on the Shopify invoice.

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