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Decline an application

Decline a wholesale application with a reason, choose whether the applicant gets an email, and know what happens if they apply again.

Updated 1 min read

Declining keeps the applicant out of Shopify entirely. Nothing was created when they applied, and nothing is created when you decline.

Decline from the application

  1. Open the application and click Decline.
  2. Choose a Reason: Not a business, Outside our service area, Incomplete information, Does not meet minimums, Duplicate application or Other.
  3. Optionally add Details. They’re added to the reason in the decline email.
  4. Leave Email the applicant ticked to send your decline email, or untick it to decline quietly.
  5. Click Decline application.

The application moves to Declined and shows the reason, with “Nothing was created in Shopify.”

The reason and details are saved together, like “Outside our service area: We only ship within the EU.” You’ll find them on the application, in the applications CSV, in the decline email’s {{decline_reason}} field and in the Wholesale application declined Shopify Flow trigger.

The decline email

The applicant gets “Your wholesale application” with your reason and details. Edit the wording under Settings › Applicant emails › Application declined. See Edit the emails applicants get.

Before you decline, consider asking

If the application is only missing something, like a resale certificate, click Request info instead. The applicant gets a link to upload documents. See Ask an applicant for more information.

If they apply again

A declined application can’t be reopened. If you declined by mistake, ask the buyer to apply again.

Each submission becomes a new application. When the same person applies again, the new one shows a Possible duplicate badge, and its Duplicate check card links to the Earlier application with a Declined badge. One email address can submit up to 5 times in 24 hours.

Rules that decline

An auto-approve rule set to Decline declines matching applications as they arrive and always emails the applicant, without a reason. These show Auto-declined as their source. See Create an auto-approve rule.