“Shopify says €70K. Your bank says €3.2K. What’s going on?”

That’s what one Shopify seller said to me during a Check-Up Call.

She was pulling in €70K a month in revenue.

But when she looked at her bank balance, it was barely scraping €3.2K.

No, she wasn’t hiding from her books. No, she wasn’t overspending on handbags and holidays.

Her numbers were just... misleading.

And she’s not the only one.

The 3 Big Traps Messing with Your Shopify Cash Flow

If you’re a 6–7 figure Shopify seller, you’ve probably felt this too.

The sales are up — but the cash just doesn’t stick around.

Here’s what we see behind the scenes:

1. Ad Spend Creep

Many Shopify owners ramp up Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok spend right before busy seasons or product launches — but forget to check if it’s still profitable.

One seller we worked with was spending €12K/month on ads for a product that hadn’t been profitable in 4 months.

They didn’t even realise until we rebuilt their metrics.

2. Delayed Payouts from Shopify & Stripe

Shopify and Stripe don’t pay you instantly. Depending on your provider, payout delays can stretch from 3–7 days… or longer with cross-border conversions.

You’ve earned the money — but it hasn’t landed yet.

So while your dashboard shows €40K, your bank account shows €2K. Cue panic.

3. Blind Spots on Profit Margins

A common trap: only looking at Stripe or Shopify payouts as "profit."

We recently worked with a seller who thought she had €11K in profit... but once we factored in inventory, ad spend, and hidden VAT bills?

She was actually in the red.

The Real Problem? No Margin Visibility

Shopify sellers often don’t know their actual profit margins.

They see revenue. They see Stripe payouts. But they don’t know what’s left after:

• Ad spend

• Product costs

• VAT

• Shopify fees

• Payment processing

• Wages (if any)

That’s the “invisible chaos” draining your confidence — and your cash.

A Cash Flow Fix that Works: Real Client Example

Let me show you what clarity looks like.

Emma runs a skincare brand via Shopify, with steady €40–50K monthly sales.

When she came to us, she had:

• Zero clarity on margins

• No forecast of VAT bills

• No idea what was “safe” to spend

We rebuilt her cash flow model to include:

✅ Ad spend limits based on real ROI
✅ Weekly tracking of margin per SKU
✅ Forecasts of VAT, wages, and payouts
✅ A monthly “safe to withdraw” amount

In just 6 weeks, Emma went from panicking before payroll to confidently paying herself €2.5K/month.

Her words?

“I used to feel like I was running blind. Now, I finally know what I’m looking at.”

Want to Check What’s Actually Yours?

Here’s one quick exercise you can do today:

Look at last month’s Stripe payouts.

Now subtract:

• Ad spend

• Inventory

• Fees

• VAT owed (estimate 20% if unsure)

That’s your actual net — and it might surprise you.

Final Thoughts: Profit ≠ Payouts

Just because Shopify says you sold €70K doesn’t mean you have €70K.

Most Shopify sellers feel broke not because they’re bad with money, but because no one ever showed them how to read the numbers that matter.

You don’t need a finance degree.

You just need the right setup — and someone to walk you through it.

💬 P.S. Want help sorting your Shopify cash flow?

Book a free Check-Up Call with me.

We’ll walk through your numbers, find one quick win, and help you finally see what’s really going on.

👉Click here to book