SecuLinks
Developing a public Shopify app designed to help Shopify merchants secure third-party links and comply with new platform security requirements.
Zip Co
Public Shopify app reversioning with smooth data migration, modern architecture, regional settings, and a sleek UX, ensuring compliance, high performance, and long-term scalability
Empowering a leading fintech brand with a future-ready Public Shopify app
| Location | Sydney, Australia | Cooperation model | Fixed Price, Time and Material, Retainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | Partnership period | August 2023 - March 2025 | |
| Improvements plan | Search analytics and improvements, performance upgrade, support and maintenance | Team size | 3 Shopify developers, 2 Team leads, 1 QA, PM/BA, DevOps, Web designer |
| Technologies | |||
About the client
Our client, Zip Co, is a financial services company that has its core markets in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Zip empowers consumers and merchants with fair, flexible, and transparent credit solutions through a scalable installment payments platform. With a focus on point-of-sale credit and digital payments, Zip connects millions of customers with tens of thousands of merchants worldwide.
Guided by a commitment to people-centered innovation, Zip goes beyond financial technology. The company actively promotes positive change, from supporting financial empowerment and mental health to going climate neutral with carbon offset programs. Their culture emphasizes giving back through charity donations, volunteering, and wellbeing initiatives for all.
About the product
Zip Co’s installment payments platform gives customers a smarter, more manageable way to shop online and in-store by breaking purchases into smaller, interest-free payments. Designed for flexibility and ease of use, the platform helps businesses boost conversions on their Shopify stores while giving customers financial control and confidence.
The product supports multiple regions and currencies, includes tailored onboarding flows, and integrates seamlessly with ecommerce platforms like Shopify. It’s engineered for performance, user-friendly design, and regulatory compliance, delivering a smooth, transparent experience for both merchants and shoppers.
Public financial Shopify app modernization: Key challenges
When Zip Co approached us, their existing Public Shopify app was outdated and no longer aligned with modern Shopify standards and technologies. The business-critical nature of the app, combined with compliance and infrastructure limitations on their side, the project demanded a comprehensive fintech Shopify app rebuilding approach. This involved overcoming a number of complex technical and organizational challenges to boost Shopify performance as well as ensure scalability and compliance.
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Legacy app limitations: The existing app was outdated and relied on deprecated APIs. It could no longer support modern Shopify features or updates, posing performance and security risks.
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Database migration without a new listing: Zip Co needed to update their Shopify financial legacy app without building a new Shopify app and creating a new listing in the Shopify App Store, which required overwriting the existing app while ensuring a seamless experience for current users.
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Compliance with “Built for Shopify” requirements: The new version of the application needed to meet Shopify’s strict “Built for Shopify” standards, ensuring modern tech stack compliance, performance benchmarks, and a clean uninstall flow.
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Theme extension architecture: We had to transition the app to use Theme Extensions and App Blocks, leveraging our expertise in Shopify app extensions development while preserving existing merchant setups.
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Complex regional logic in the app configuration: The app had to support multiple regions (Australia, New Zealand, US, Canada) and dynamically show or hide certain contact info, documentation links, and options based on a merchant’s location, adding complexity to configuration logic. Our team needed to ensure that each region's specific requirements are accurately reflected in the app's behavior and UI/UX, delivering a seamless experience typical of a robust fintech application.
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User experience alignment with Figma designs: The client provided detailed Figma files for every screen in the onboarding flow, Theme Editor, and dashboard. Creating a pixel-perfect and intuitive admin experience that mirrored these designs while complying with Shopify’s Polaris system was essential.
Shopify app rebuild: Our tailored solutions
To address Zip Co’s challenges, the DigitalSuits team created scalable, high-performance solutions that ensure a seamless user experience. These solutions include:
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Streamlining legacy installations without the Assets API: We re-architected the app using Shopify’s latest technologies, enabling clean installs and uninstalls. All reliance on the deprecated Asset API was removed, and we implemented App Bridge to ensure the app was embedded seamlessly in Shopify Admin.
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Seamless data migration and re-authentication: Our development team executed a Shopify migration of the app, preserving all merchant data. We introduced a new ‘stores’ database to track setups and regions, verified store compatibility with Shopify’s latest standards, and guided users through a quick re-authentication process. This ensured a fluid transition and smooth experience for existing users.
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Shopify compliance and performance optimization: We reviewed the app using the Built for Shopify checklist, added Theme Extensions, embedded it in the admin with App Bridge, used Polaris UI from Figma designs, and optimized performance (FID, LCP, and CLS). We also set up webhooks for uninstall events and Zapier integration.
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Implementing Theme Extensions and App Blocks: We built a Theme Extension system that adds the right Zip scripts and widgets based on the merchant’s region and preferences. We made sure the themes support App Blocks before proceeding. Scripts are only added when needed, so the store loads faster and avoids extra code.
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Refined UX: Based on the Figma layouts and Shopify web design best practices, we built a clear and user-friendly admin dashboard. From onboarding to widget activation, each screen was carefully designed to follow Shopify's Polaris system, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience for merchants from the very first click.
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Quality assurance: We have conducted all the necessary types of software testing and QA to make sure that the application works well on all devices, thus avoiding any problems post-launch.
Results of the seamless Public Shopify app migration
Our collaboration with Zip Co upgraded their fintech public Shopify app according to the latest Shopify standards. The new version of the app delivered enhancements in performance, usability, and compliance. Thanks to the tailored solutions, the following improvements were achieved:
- 100% alignment with Shopify’s “Built for Shopify” standards, ensuring top-notch performance.
- Removal of outdated APIs and adoption of Theme Extensions that resulted in 50% app performance and improved user experience.
- Seamless Shopify app migrations ensured 100% data integrity and continuity, with minimal disruption for existing merchants during the transition.
- The new interface is user-friendly and simpler to navigate, resulting in higher merchant satisfaction.
These upgrades enhanced the app and positioned Zip Co up for long-term success with technical stability, usability, and scalability.
If you're planning to upgrade or develop a Shopify app from scratch, contact the DigitalSuits team. We are ready to turn your ideas into effective solutions that drive sales, increase revenue, and support growth.
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