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Significant Accounting Policies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2025
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Significant Accounting Policies Significant Accounting Policies
There have been no material changes to the Company’s significant accounting policies and no material updates in the Company's assessment of the recent accounting pronouncements not yet adopted during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, as compared to the significant accounting policies described in the Company’s annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Recently Issued FASB Accounting Standard Codification Updates Not Yet Adopted
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09 on Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures that require greater disaggregation of income tax disclosures, including the income rate tax rate reconciliation and income taxes paid by jurisdiction. The Company will adopt this ASU for the year ending December 31, 2025, on a retrospective basis, and is in the process of implementing reporting processes and internal workflows to support the new disclosure requirements.
In September 2025, the FASB issued ASU 2025-06 on Improvements to the Accounting for Internal-Use Software, which clarifies and modernizes certain aspects of the accounting for and disclosure of internal-use software costs. The ASU does not change what types of costs are capitalized or when
internal-use software cost capitalization ceases. This guidance will be effective for the Company for the year ending December 31, 2028. The Company is evaluating the impact of the guidance in the consolidated financial results. We do not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements, in accordance with U.S. GAAP, requires management to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from the estimates made by management. Significant estimates, judgments and assumptions in these condensed consolidated financial statements include: key judgments related to revenue recognition in determining whether the Company is the principal or an agent to the arrangements with merchants; estimates and judgments involved in applying the measurement alternative associated with equity and other investments in private companies, including revenue growth rates and revenue multiples based on market comparables; estimates involved in our equity method investment; and the probability and amount of loss contingencies.
Concentration of Credit Risk
The Company’s cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, trade and other receivables, loans, merchant cash advances and foreign exchange derivative instruments subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk. Management mitigates this risk associated with cash and cash equivalents by making deposits and entering into foreign exchange derivative products only with large banks and financial institutions that are considered to be highly creditworthy. We limit the amount of credit exposure with any one financial institution and conduct timely evaluations of the credit worthiness of these financial institutions. Management mitigates the risks associated with marketable securities by adhering to its investment policy, which stipulates minimum rating requirements, maximum investment exposures and maximum maturities. Due to the Company’s diversified merchant base, there is no particular concentration of credit risk related to the Company’s trade and other receivables, loans receivable and merchant cash advances. Trade and other receivables, loans receivable and merchant cash advances are monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure timely collection of amounts. There are no receivables from individual merchants accounting for 10% or more of revenues or receivables.
Equity and Other Investments Risk
The Company holds equity and other investments that are subject to a wide variety of market-related risks that could substantially reduce or increase the fair value of our holdings. The Company's equity and other investments in public companies are recorded at fair value, which is subject to market price volatility. The Company also holds an investment option to purchase Series B common shares in Klaviyo, Inc. which is accounted for as a derivative instrument and valued using the Black-Scholes model, and is subject to market price volatility as well as a discount for lack of marketability. The Company's equity investments in private companies are recorded using the measurement alternative and are assessed each reporting period for observable price changes and impairments, which may involve estimates and judgments given the lack of readily available market data. Certain equity investments in private companies are in the early stages of development and are inherently risky due to their lack of operational history. Furthermore, for the equity method investment, Shopify's share of income and loss from these investments may cause volatility to Shopify's earnings. The Company's debt investments in convertible notes of private companies are recorded at fair value, which are impacted by the underlying entities' valuations and interest rates.
The Company has a high concentration of risk associated with a small number of equity and other investments that are impacted by fluctuations in their fair values or by observable changes or impairments.
Foreign Exchange Risk
The Company's results of operations and foreign currency assets and liabilities are exposed to foreign currency fluctuations.
While the majority of the Company's revenues, cost of revenues and operating expenses are denominated in USD, a significant portion are denominated in foreign currencies. Due to offering Shopify Payments, Shopify Capital, subscriptions and other billings to select countries in local currency, a significant proportion of revenue transactions are denominated in Euros ("EUR"), British pound sterling ("GBP") and Canadian dollars ("CAD"). Furthermore, a significant proportion of operating expenses are also incurred in the aforementioned foreign currencies.
Although foreign currency fluctuations associated with revenues and costs may partially offset one another in earnings, the Company uses foreign exchange derivative products to mitigate a portion of the remaining exposure of foreign currency fluctuations as discussed in Note 4. By their nature, derivative financial instruments involve risk, including the credit risk of non-performance by counterparties.