If you have searched for this, you have probably seen the Shopify Community thread that says trust badges cannot be added to the checkout page and recommends the cart page or the footer instead. That answer is out of date. Since Checkout Extensibility, any Shopify Plus store can place a row of badges anywhere in checkout, including directly above the Complete order button, through an app. This guide covers the how, the which, and the where.
Why checkout, not the footer
A badge in the footer is seen by people browsing. A badge above the pay button is seen by people deciding. In our own six-week test across 40 Plus merchants, the same three badges moved from the theme to the checkout lifted conversion on first-time visitors by about 6%. Returning customers barely noticed; they already trusted the store. New customers are the whole game, and new customers are hesitating at the pay button, not in the footer.
Step 1: install a checkout app that ships a badge block
Shopify's checkout editor cannot create a badge row on its own. You need a checkout UI extension that provides one. Checkout Ninja ships two: the Trust Badge block, a vertical list with an icon, a title and a one-line explanation per badge, and Trust Badges (Horizontal), a compact single row for mobile. Both are on the Advanced plan and both are in the 3-day trial. Install from the Shopify App Store; it takes about a minute. The other trust blocks you can pair with it, from payment icons to live reviews, are on the Shopify checkout trust badges page.
Step 2: open the checkout editor and drop the block in
In Shopify admin go to Settings, then Checkout, then Customize. In the left panel choose Add app block and pick Trust Badge. Drag it to the position you want. The two positions that test best are directly above the payment section and directly above the Complete order button. Avoid the very top of the page; shoppers scroll past it before doubt sets in.
Step 3: pick three badges, not eight
Every badge you add dilutes the others. Three is the number that works: one for returns, one for security, one for delivery or support. Write the label as a promise the customer can hold you to. "30-day returns" beats "Satisfaction guaranteed". "Ships today before 2pm" beats "Fast shipping". "Secure checkout" is fine on its own because Shopify's padlock already does the heavy lifting; use the slot for something specific to you.
Step 4: choose icons that match the promise
The block includes an icon library, so you do not need to design anything. If you want a custom seal, for example a money-back guarantee with your own day count, our free Guarantee Badge Maker and Trust Badge Icon Maker export a transparent PNG sized for checkout. Keep icons monochrome or two-colour; full-colour stock badges look like ads and get ignored.
Step 5: show the right badges to the right shopper
This is where an app beats a static image. With Conditional Visibility you can show the returns badge only to first-time customers, swap in a customs badge for international carts, or show a warranty badge only when the cart contains electronics. On the Deluxe plan you can also run two badge sets in an A/B test and let the numbers pick.
What about Shopify's own Checkout Blocks app?
Shopify's free Checkout Blocks app can place an image in checkout, so you can upload a badge graphic you made elsewhere. What you do not get is an icon library, per-badge labels and links, conditional display, or the horizontal layout for mobile. If a single static image is all you need, it works. If you want to test, target and iterate, use a dedicated block.
Badges that hurt
Fake security seals from unknown vendors, badges with expired dates, and anything that claims a certification you do not hold. Shoppers recognise these, and Shopify's checkout already carries the real security signals. A vague or fake badge lowers trust; a specific, true one raises it.
That is the whole method: three true promises, above the pay button, shown to the people who need them. It takes about ten minutes to set up and it is the single highest-return change most Plus stores can make to their checkout.