Last Updated on by Dan S
Originally Published May 10, 2021.
Normally, the checkout page in your Shopify store only shows the shipping method. But what if you need to add additional details, such as VAT information for different countries, shipping policies, or delivery timeframes?
Adding this information can be crucial for setting clear expectations with your customers and ensuring a smooth purchasing process.
While Shopify has security limitations on direct checkout editing, there are now more powerful ways than ever to provide important information to your customers through the new Checkout Extensibility platform.
Why Merchants Might Want to Add Text to the Checkout Page
As a merchant, providing additional information on the checkout page can greatly enhance the customer experience. Whether it’s specifying regional tax details, highlighting special shipping conditions, or offering promotional messages, this added transparency can help reduce cart abandonment and increase customer satisfaction.
With cart abandonment rates averaging around 70% globally in 2025, optimizing every aspect of your checkout experience has never been more critical for conversion success.
Benefits, Reasons, and Use Cases for Adding Text to the Checkout Page
1. Transparency and Trust
- Benefit: Adding detailed information about shipping methods, taxes, or any additional charges builds trust with customers by providing transparency.
- Use Case: Informing customers about VAT charges applicable to their region helps them understand the final cost upfront, reducing surprises and potential disputes.
2. Enhanced Customer Experience
- Benefit: Clear and concise information can streamline the checkout process, making it easier for customers to complete their purchases.
- Use Case: Highlighting estimated delivery times or shipping delays directly on the checkout page can manage customer expectations effectively.
3. Regulatory Compliance
- Benefit: Ensuring all necessary information is displayed can help meet legal requirements and avoid potential fines or customer dissatisfaction.
- Use Case: Displaying specific tax rates or shipping regulations for different regions ensures compliance with local laws.
4. Marketing Opportunities
- Benefit: Utilize the checkout page to promote special offers, discounts, or loyalty programs.
- Use Case: Including a message about a limited-time discount on the checkout page can encourage customers to finalize their purchase promptly.
5. Reducing Customer Support Inquiries
- Benefit: Providing detailed information on the checkout page can reduce the number of customer support inquiries related to shipping, taxes, and other checkout-related issues.
- Use Case: A clear explanation of shipping policies and potential delays due to holidays can preemptively address common customer questions.
6. Customization and Personalization
- Benefit: Tailoring the checkout experience to include personalized messages or instructions can enhance customer satisfaction.
- Use Case: Including a personalized thank you message or instructions for receiving a special gift with their order can create a more engaging and memorable shopping experience.
Adding text to checkout page using Checkout Language Settings
While Shopify doesn’t allow direct editing of checkout CSS for security reasons, you can still add informational text next to shipping methods. If you want to show your customers any additional information, you can also put it on the cart page.
Here’s a method that explains how to add a terms and agreement page on the cart page of your store. However, there’s a built-in way to add information directly on the checkout page without making any changes to code.
On Shopify, you can change the text shown for certain actions, even those displayed on the shipping page. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to Settings in your store
- Click on Checkout and go to Checkout language
- It will show you a list of texts that can be edited. Search for ‘shipping method notice’
- Typically, this is empty. You can add any text here (that you want to show on the checkout page), and it will be displayed alongside the shipping method
Using Checkout Extensions (The Modern Approach)
As of 2025, Shopify has transitioned to Checkout Extensibility as the primary way to customize checkout pages. The old checkout.liquid method was deprecated in August 2024, making checkout extensions the recommended approach for all merchants.
Checkout extensions offer several advantages over the previous methods:
- Upgrade-safe: Your customizations won’t break when Shopify releases new features
- Shop Pay integration: Your customizations work seamlessly with Shop Pay’s faster checkout experience
- Better performance: Built with modern platform technology that boosts conversion rates
- Enhanced security: Extensions run in a sandboxed environment for maximum safety
You can find checkout extension apps in the Shopify App Store. These apps allow you to add custom text, banners, and information fields to various parts of the checkout, including next to shipping methods. Look for apps that offer “Checkout UI extensions” functionality.
For Shopify Plus merchants, you have access to advanced checkout customization capabilities through UI extensions that can be placed at specific targets including shipping method areas. You can see a great roundup of checkout apps here including extensions that will allow you to add text next to shipping methods and in other areas of the checkout conditionally.
Using an app
If the aforementioned language settings method doesn’t work for you, or you need more advanced customization, you can use apps from the Shopify App Store. Product Warnings on Checkout is one option that lets you add warning pop-ups to your checkout or cart page. Here are some of the things you can display in the popups:
- Lock-down announcements
- Product availability
- Shipping delays
- Pre-order
- Change in business hours
Instead of having to assign a warning to each product, you can set alerts for collections or variants. Plus, the app also lets you set warnings for specific locations or countries.
There are also dedicated checkout customization apps available on the Shopify App Store that use modern checkout extensions. These apps are built specifically for the new Checkout Extensibility platform and offer more flexibility than older solutions.
Important Note About Checkout.liquid Deprecation
As of August 2024, checkout.liquid customizations no longer work for the information, shipping, and payment pages. For Shopify Plus merchants still using checkout.liquid for Thank You and Order Status pages, the deadline to upgrade was August 28, 2025. All stores need to transition to Checkout Extensibility to maintain custom checkout functionality.
If you’re on Shopify Plus and have customized your checkout using checkout.liquid in the past, you should migrate to checkout extensions to ensure your customizations continue working and to take advantage of new features as they become available.
Conclusion
Adding custom text to the checkout page in your Shopify store can significantly enhance the customer experience by providing crucial information and setting clear expectations.
With Shopify’s transition to Checkout Extensibility in 2024-2025, merchants now have access to more powerful, secure, and upgrade-safe ways to customize their checkout experience. Whether you use the built-in checkout language settings for simple text additions or implement checkout extension apps for advanced customization, you have multiple options to integrate important details such as VAT information, shipping policies, and promotional messages.
By leveraging these modern tools, merchants can increase transparency, build trust, comply with regulations, and create marketing opportunities. With cart abandonment rates around 70% globally, optimizing your checkout with clear, helpful information is more important than ever.
Ultimately, enhancing the checkout process with additional information can lead to higher conversion rates, reduced customer support inquiries, and greater overall customer satisfaction.
