Balance Downpay alternative: Balance Due vs Downpay for Shopify deposits
Downpay has been on the Shopify App Store since 2023 and is built on the same Shopify mechanism as Balance Due. For many stores either will work; the biggest difference is how the price grows with your order value.
In short: Downpay and Balance Due both take a deposit at Shopify checkout through deferred purchase options and charge the balance later from the saved card. Downpay's price rises with the order value you process, from $29 a month, and it adds Shopify Flow, API and Hydrogen support. Balance Due is a flat price from free, set by how many orders have an open balance, and adds an automatic fulfilment hold and a set retry process.
The short version
Downpay is a well-reviewed deposit app built on the same Shopify mechanism as Balance Due, and for many stores either will work. Its four plans, billed in USD, are set by the total order value processed each month: $29 for up to $5,000, $49 for up to $10,000, $99 for up to $25,000 and $249 for up to $100,000, with every feature on every plan (as of September 2026). It adds bulk balance collection, 15+ Shopify Flow integrations, an API, Hydrogen support and a customer portal where customers can update their card. Balance Due is billed in GBP, includes the fulfilment hold, retries, reminders and customer page on every plan including Free, and is supported from the UK.
What each costs for high-value orders
Because Downpay's plans follow order value, high-ticket stores move up the tiers quickly. A furniture maker taking 20 orders a month at $1,500 each processes $30,000, which puts it on Downpay's $249 Scale plan. Balance Due's price depends on how many orders have an open balance at once, not on their value, so the same store with up to 30 open orders pays £19.99 on Starter. For lower-value, higher-volume stores the gap narrows, and Downpay's integrations may matter more than the price.
Side by side
| Feature | Balance Due | Downpay |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Flat monthly in GBP, £0 to £99.99, set by open payment plans | $29, $49, $99 or $249 a month, set by total order value processed ($5,000 to $100,000), billed in USD |
| Free plan | Yes, up to 3 open payment plans | No, 7-day free trial |
| Features on every plan | Yes, texts on Growth and Pro | Yes, priority support from Pro |
| Deposit at Shopify checkout | Yes, as a Shopify purchase option | Yes |
| Automatic balance charge from the saved card | Yes, on Shopify Payments and PayPal Express | Yes, or send an invoice or collect manually |
| Bulk balance collection | No | Yes |
| Failed-payment retries | After 1, 3 and 7 days, with a pay link each time | Not stated on its listing |
| Instalments | On Shopify Plus stores, Growth and Pro plans | Instalment purchase options (see its listing) |
| Fulfilment hold until paid | Shopify's own hold, automatic | Not stated on its listing |
| Reminders | Email on every plan, texts on Growth and Pro | Payment reminders and email notifications |
| Customer portal | Payment page, no login | Yes, including updating the card on file |
| Shopify Flow, API and Hydrogen | Not yet | Yes, 15+ Flow integrations, API and Hydrogen |
| Support | UK, email, one working day | Based in Ottawa, Canada |
| App Store status | Early access | Live since 2023, Built for Shopify, rated 5.0 from 93 reviews |
Downpay details are taken from its Shopify App Store listing as of 20 September 2026. Pricing and features change, so check the listing before deciding.
When Downpay is the better fit
- You run a Hydrogen or headless storefront, or need an API.
- You build automations in Shopify Flow around deposit orders.
- You want customers to update the saved card themselves, or to collect balances in bulk.
- You want an app with a long review history and Built for Shopify status; Balance Due is in early access.
When Balance Due is the better fit
- You sell high-value orders and want a price that does not rise with order value.
- You want to start free: Balance Due's Free plan covers up to 3 open payment plans.
- You want holds, retries and reminders working without configuration.
- You want GBP billing and UK support hours.
Downpay vs Balance Due questions
How much does Downpay cost?
As of September 2026 its Shopify App Store listing shows four plans billed in USD, set by the total order value processed each month: Essentials at $29 for up to $5,000, Standard at $49 for up to $10,000, Pro at $99 for up to $25,000 and Scale at $249 for up to $100,000, each with a 7-day free trial. Check the listing for current pricing.
Is Downpay made by Shopify?
No. Downpay is an independent app, listed on the Shopify App Store by its developer Downpay, which is based in Ottawa, Canada.
Do both work without Shopify Plus?
Yes. Both use Shopify's deferred purchase options, which work on every Shopify plan.
Is one of them faster to collect the balance?
Both charge the saved card when the balance is due. Balance Due charges at 9am store time and retries after 1, 3 and 7 days with a pay link each time. Downpay can auto-charge the card, send an invoice or let you collect manually, including in bulk.
Can customers update the card on file?
Downpay's customer portal lets customers update their card themselves. With Balance Due, a customer whose card fails gets a Shopify pay link that accepts any card.
Try it on a test order
The fastest comparison is a deposit order on your own dev store with Shopify's test gateway.