How to add Snap Finance to your Shopify store
Adding Snap Finance to your Shopify store is much simpler than merchants expect thanks to a plugin that handles most of the technical complexity – but a smooth launch still depends on proper setup and testing. Learn how to avoid common mistakes and save time and energy later on.
Key takeaways
Test before you launch. Stop customer complaints before they start by using the demo environment repeatedly.
State requirements matter. This will determine what product types apply to you which in turn determines the correct implementation.
Tax handling is not always standard. For example, for Snap Tax by Snap States (STBS) jurisdictions, reconciling tax data comes at a different step in the process.
Most setup problems happen after installation. Skipped testing, backend order mismatches, or misunderstood compliance requirements lead to issues – don’t let it happen to you.
Snap Finance has a Shopify plugin – here's how to set it up, avoid common mistakes, and test before launch.
Adding a new financing option on Shopify sounds overwhelming, but the Snap Finance Checkout Plugin takes away a lot of the headache.
While this blog focuses on Shopify, Snap also provides plugins for WooCommerce, Magento, and BigCommerce, all of which help merchants add financing without building a custom checkout from scratch.
While installation is straightforward and the plugin does most of the heavy lifting for you, merchants should avoid a few common mistakes. One, don’t skip testing in the demo environment. Two, read and understand the tax state documentation. Three, don’t launch before confirming that order data flows correctly back into Shopify.
The good news? Most issues are easily avoidable.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting the Snap Finance plugin running on your Shopify store the right way.
Step Zero: What to do before you install the plugin
Make sure e-commerce settings are enabled on your Snap account
If you’re already a Snap Partner, your Customer Success Manager must enable e-commerce settings on your account before the plugin will work. This step is not automatic.
If you’re a new merchant, become a Snap Partner today.
Whether you’re already a partner or becoming one, confirm that e-commerce functionality has been activated for your account before installing the plugin or configuring any settings. This can save troubleshooting later.
Know which product type applies to your state
Snap-branded products include lease-to-own financing (LTO), installment loans, and retail installment contracts (RIC) that may or may not be available to you based on the state in which you operate. It’s important to confirm which product types are applicable to you before proceeding since each product requires unique implementation. Because compliance rules, agreement flows, and tax handling can vary by product type and jurisdiction, getting implementation right is highly important.
Before plugin installation, review the implementation documentation available through the Snap developer portal to confirm which product type, and therefore which setup, applies to your business.
Get your API credentials
The last step before installing the plugin: getting your API credentials from the Snap developer portal. Specifically, you’ll need a Client ID and Secret Key. These credentials allow your Shopify store to securely communicate with Snap during financing applications, approvals, and order processing.
Keep these credentials private and store them securely. Treat them like passwords. Reach out for developer support.
A step-by-step guide to setting up the Snap Finance Shopify plugin
Step 1: Install the Snap Finance Shopify plugin
Once your account settings are enabled and your API credentials are ready, you can install the Snap Finance Shopify plugin.
The exact installation flow may vary slightly depending on your Shopify theme and checkout configuration, but the general process looks like this:
Install the Snap Finance app/plugin
Open the plugin settings inside Shopify
Enter your Client ID and Secret Key
Save your configuration
Enable financing messaging and checkout options
At this stage, many merchants are tempted to go live immediately. Don’t.
The most important step comes next.
Step 2: Use the demo environment before going live
Snap provides a demo store environment specifically for testing integrations before launch – and we highly suggest using it to test the entire financing flow end to end.
Skipping this step is one of the biggest mistakes merchants make. Even if the plugin installs correctly, you still need to confirm that your specific store setup works properly with your theme, products, taxes, and checkout flow.
Testing in the demo environment helps catch problems before real customers encounter them. Learn how to test within the demo environment in the video below.
[ insert Snap Finance Checkout Plugin - Installation and Setup Testing video from developer portal ]
Step 3: Understand Snap Tax by Snap States (STBS)
Because tax handling works differently in different states, this is another area that commonly causes confusion.
In Snap Tax by Snap States (STBS) jurisdictions, Snap Finance handles sales tax collection and remittance directly. This means that merchants in STBS jurisdictions must reconcile the Tax Amount field after the financing agreement is signed, not before.
If your store operates in multiple states, make sure your development or operations team understands which jurisdictions fall under STBS requirements.
Step 4: Confirm order data flows back into Shopify correctly
Don’t just test approvals – test fulfillment data too.
Some merchants only test the customer-facing financing flow and forget to validate backend order handling. Confirming that completed order data returns correctly to Shopify after the agreement is finalized can avoid operational issues after launch, especially for fulfillment teams and accounting workflows.
Before launch, confirm that:
Orders appear properly in Shopify
Customer information matches correctly
Product details sync accurately
Taxes and totals reconcile correctly
Fulfillment workflows trigger as expected
Reporting data remains accurate
Common setup mistakes to avoid
Going live without testing production-like scenarios
Testing one small transaction is not enough. Run multiple test cases with different product totals, taxes, shipping combinations, and customer flows.
Ignoring state-specific requirements
Lease-to-own, loan, and RIC implementations are not the same. Make sure your configuration matches your applicable state requirements and what is available through your business.
Treating tax handling the same in every state
STBS jurisdictions require a different reconciliation process. Review the documentation carefully before launch.
Forgetting backend workflow validation
Make sure Shopify receives accurate finalized order data after approvals are complete.
A seamless financing experience for your customers – and your business
Normalizing financing early is the key to reducing stigma and building trust – but integrating it into your Shopify store can be problematic.
That was until Snap created a plugin that handles most of the technical complexity, so you can quickly and easily enable Snap Finance as a checkout feature on your Shopify store. No coding from scratch is needed.
Just be sure to enable e-commerce settings early, confirm the correct product type for your state, use the demo environment thoroughly, understand STBS tax handling, and test order data flows before launch.
For implementation questions or troubleshooting help, reach out to devsupport@snapfinance.com. If you want to add Snap Finance to your Shopify store but are not yet a partner, learn more here.
After you’re all setup, learn how to further optimize your e-commerce checkout for alternative financing options.
Snap Finance, its affiliates, and partners offer consumers a range of solutions, which may include lease-to-own financing, installment loans, retail installment contracts, and credit cards. Product availability may vary. For detailed information, visit snapfinance.com/legal/products.