Shopify Free Trial: How to Start an Online Store

Video: Shopify free trial 2026 - Get 90 Day trial + Bonus worth $299

Oct 20, 2026 · based on the channel Space Media Mastery

Key takeaways

Shopify's standard trial is 3 days; the widely promoted $1-for-3-months offer runs through partner and affiliate links.
The Space Media Mastery video promotes a 90-day trial plus a bonus bundle advertised as worth $299.
Shopify plans are billed monthly or annually; annual billing typically saves about 25% versus monthly.
A valid email, store name and product details are enough to open a store; no developer is required.
Extra costs to budget for: domain, apps, payment processing fees and paid themes.

A Shopify free trial is a limited-time, no-cost way to open a working online store on Shopify before you commit to a paid subscription. You sign up, build a storefront, add products and test checkout, and you are only charged once the trial ends or you pick a paid plan. Offers vary by link and region, so the exact length and perks depend on the promotion you sign up through — the offer promoted in the Space Media Mastery video, for example, advertises a 90-day trial plus a bonus bundle worth $299 via this Shopify trial registration link.

What a Shopify free trial actually gives you

The trial gives you a functional store, not a demo: you can publish a theme, upload products, configure shipping and taxes, and run test orders. Shopify's standard trial is 3 days, and the company has long run a $1-per-month-for-three-months promotion for new merchants; both are frequently replaced or extended by partner and affiliate offers, which is why the length you see advertised varies so widely. During the trial you get access to the admin dashboard, the theme store, app installation and the payment settings you need to take a real order.

What the trial does not remove are transaction-level costs. Payment processing fees still apply on real sales, premium themes and most apps are paid separately, and a custom domain costs extra. Treat the trial as free time to build and validate, not as a free store.

The 90-day offer promoted in the video

The Space Media Mastery video "Shopify free trial 2026 - Get 90 Day trial + Bonus worth $299" points viewers to a partner link rather than Shopify's homepage. The description is explicit that the link is an affiliate link and that offers are subject to eligibility, availability and the terms shown on the linked page. In practice that means three things:

The 90-day length and the $299 bonus bundle apply only to signups made through that specific link and only while the promotion is live.
Eligibility can depend on region, whether the email has held a Shopify account before, and which plan you choose.
The bonus is delivered separately — the video sends viewers to a second page, https://shopifybonus.netlify.app, to claim it, which usually means confirming your signup and following the listed steps.

Before entering payment details, read the terms on the linked page and note the date the trial ends. Screenshot the offer terms; if a bonus does not arrive, that record is what support will ask for.

Signing up takes about ten minutes; building a presentable store takes a few evenings. The sequence that avoids rework:

Use the offer link you intend to buy through, so the trial terms attach to your account.
Register with an email you actually monitor — trial reminders and bonus instructions arrive there.
Answer Shopify's onboarding questions about what you sell; they shape the default theme and settings.
Add 5–10 products with real titles, prices, weights and at least one image each, so shipping rates calculate correctly.
Set up a payment provider and run a test order with a real card, then refund it, to confirm checkout works.
Connect a domain, install only the apps you have tested, and publish.

If the offer page asks for a card, that is normal — Shopify collects payment details at signup and charges only when the trial converts. Use a card that supports the currency Shopify bills in for your region.

Choosing a plan after the trial ends

Shopify's tiers differ mainly in staff accounts, reporting and calculated shipping rates, not in the ability to sell. The Basic plan covers a single store with the essentials; Grow adds more staff seats and better reports; Advanced adds deeper analytics and third-party calculated shipping. Billing monthly keeps you flexible, while annual billing typically cuts roughly 25% off the monthly price — worth taking only once you know the store is staying open.

Two costs catch new merchants out. First, using a payment provider other than Shopify Payments adds an extra transaction fee on each order. Second, apps are the quiet budget line: a handful of subscriptions can exceed the plan price, so audit what you installed during the trial and remove anything you have not used in two weeks.

Common mistakes that waste the trial

Most trial time is lost to setup, not selling. The recurring mistakes are building a perfect store before showing it to anyone, importing a catalog of hundreds of products with no clear niche, and skipping the test order — which is how broken shipping rates and missing payment methods get discovered by customers instead of by you.

A tighter approach: launch with a small catalog, send traffic from one channel for a week, and judge the store on whether visitors add to cart and check out. Also check the trial end date in Settings → Plan and set a calendar reminder two days before it, so the conversion charge is a decision rather than a surprise.

Useful links

Shopify trial registration through the offer link: https://shopify.pxf.io/freetrial
Bonus claim page referenced in the video: https://shopifybonus.netlify.app
Space Media Mastery channel: https://bit.ly/3IKmPnH

Bottom line

A Shopify free trial is best treated as a deadline for proving a store can sell, not as free hosting for an unfinished idea. The 90-day window and $299 bonus promoted by Space Media Mastery are partner terms — confirm them on the linked page before signing up, and note the conversion date. Build a small catalog, test checkout with a real order, and pick monthly billing until sales justify an annual commitment. Start with the Shopify trial offer, then claim the bonus and keep the terms on file.

Source: Shopify free trial 2026 - Get 90 Day trial + Bonus worth $299 · Markdown version

Questions & answers

How long is the Shopify free trial?

Shopify's standard trial runs 3 days, and the company has also offered a $1-per-month-for-three-months promotion for new merchants. Partner and affiliate links, including the one in the Space Media Mastery video, can advertise longer periods such as 90 days, but those terms apply only through that link and while the promotion is live.

Do I need a credit card to start the trial?

Shopify normally asks for payment details at signup, even when the trial itself is free, so it can charge you when the trial converts to a paid plan. The card is not charged during the trial unless you choose to upgrade or add paid services early.

What happens to my store when the trial ends?

If you do not pick a paid plan, the store is paused rather than deleted, and you can reactivate it later by choosing a plan. Products, themes and settings are retained, but the storefront stops accepting orders while it is inactive.

Is the $299 bonus included with every Shopify trial?

No. The $299 bonus bundle is tied to the specific partner offer promoted in the video and must be claimed separately through the bonus page linked in its description. Check the eligibility rules and terms on that page, since the offer can change or end without notice.