When you look for someone to customise a Shoptet e-shop, you'll run into the Shoptet Partners catalogue and a logical thought: "I'll take someone with the badge, that's the safe bet." The badge is a useful signal, but it's worth knowing what exactly it means, what it doesn't guarantee, and which questions separate a good supplier from a bad one more reliably than any certification.
Full disclosure right up front: I'm currently not in the Shoptet Partners catalogue. I've been doing Shoptet customisations and bespoke templates for several years and plan to join, which is exactly why I can write about what the badge really says and what it doesn't, from the position of an independent supplier.
Shoptet Partner is a catalogue of suppliers (partneri.shoptet.cz) individually vetted and listed by Shoptet, with bronze, silver and gold levels. The badge confirms the partner knows the Shoptet administration, passed a test and a personal interview. It does not guarantee the price, deadline or quality of a specific job, Shoptet says it does not adjudicate disputes; feedback from both parties may still inform partnership decisions. Choose by references with verifiable live e-shops, an itemised quote and a public rate card, for partners and non-partners alike.
What Shoptet Partner actually is
Shoptet runs a catalogue of vetted suppliers at partneri.shoptet.cz. It lists agencies and freelancers from fields around e-commerce: template programming, graphics, marketing, SEO, photography.
How a supplier gets in:
How a supplier gets into the catalogue
- Individual assessment Shoptet evaluates services, experience and value for its clients
- Entry conditions bronze: own website, knowledge of the Shoptet administration, a test, a meeting or call and a backlink to Shoptet
- Three levels bronze, silver, gold; new partners start at bronze
Submitting an application is not automatic acceptance, intake has at times been paused with applications merely logged. Promotion to a higher level is handled individually based on the cooperation.
So the badge says: this supplier knows Shoptet, passed vetting, and Shoptet has experience with them. That's real value, a filter against outright amateurs.
What the badge does not guarantee
Here's the part certification marketing likes to skip. Shoptet itself states it fairly in its terms:
What the badge does not guarantee
- The outcome of a job contract, price, deadline and quality are purely between you and the supplier
- The price partners charge their own rates, the badge is not price regulation
- Capacity and communication confirm availability and response times in the quote and contract
- Breadth the badge level attaches to the partner, not to every service they offer
Shoptet explicitly writes that it is not responsible for partners' work: "We are not the ones to judge a potential dispute; that is solely between the client and the Partner." A partner certified for template programming may not know SEO, feeds or Pohoda integrations. Quotes for the same work often differ severalfold.
And in the other direction: the absence of a badge doesn't mean a supplier can't do Shoptet. The catalogue is not a mandatory licence, it's Shoptet's marketing programme with individual selection and its own intake pace. Plenty of experienced developers work outside it; references should decide, not a logo.
How to actually recognise a good Shoptet supplier
Questions that work on partners and non-partners alike, and tell you more than any badge:
- "Show me three live Shoptet e-shops you built." Not screenshots, URLs. Browse them on a phone, try the cart, measure speed with PageSpeed Insights.
- "What exactly is included in the price?" A serious quote itemises the scope: template, customisations, integrations, testing. "E-shop customisation from €400" with no scope isn't a quote, it's bait. If a supplier recommends Shoptet Premium straight away, ask why a standard plan with template customisation is not enough; the signals for switching are in Shoptet Premium: when you need it.
- "How do you maintain and test changes after platform updates?" CSS is a legitimate part of customisation. Stable selectors, documentation, testing and a rollback path matter.
- "Who will own the access credentials?" The right answer: you. Admin account, domain, feeds, analytics, all under your accounts. A supplier who keeps the credentials "with them" is keeping you hostage.
- "What's the hourly rate for extra work and support?" A transparent supplier has the rate public. I charge €60/h and it's written on the website, everyone you consider should pass this test.
- "What happens if we part ways?" Handover of documentation, credentials and work in progress. Ask up front, not at the break-up.
If the choice is between a supplier with a badge and no references, and a supplier without a badge but with three live e-shops you can click through, take the e-shops. Certification is a filter at the entrance; references are proof at the exit.
Worked example: A specialist should explain their own work
ORIGINAL EXAMPLE · FICTIONAL DATA
| Question | Concrete evidence to request |
|---|---|
| What changed? | URL, initial problem, own contribution |
| How was the theme changed? | Code location and handover method |
| How was it checked? | Mobile, product variant, cart |
| What after updates? | Agreed checks and support scope |
Quote-review worksheet; no supplier receives a fabricated reference.
When the partner catalogue is a good place to start
To be fair in both directions, situations where the catalogue is a good first stop:
When the catalogue is a good first stop
- No referral you need a candidate shortlist fast; the catalogue is pre-filtered and sorted by field
- A specific combination for example marketing and programming at one agency; the catalogue lets you filter
- Shoptet's specifics template constraints, the add-on system, the API; the test and interview verified that for partners
Even then, the checklist above applies. The badge narrows the list; the questions pick the supplier.
Worked example: Directory membership and work evidence differ
ORIGINAL EXAMPLE · FICTIONAL DATA
| Evidence | What it can establish |
|---|---|
| Official directory | Current listing of a specific business |
| Supplier profile | Stated services and contact |
| Live example | Store appearance and behaviour |
| Contribution details | What the supplier actually did |
Verification model. No claim that Le Artist is an official Shoptet partner.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Shoptet Partner the same as Shoptet?
No. Partners are independent companies and freelancers. Shoptet recommends them but is not responsible for their work and doesn't set their prices.
How much do Shoptet customisations cost with a partner vs. an independent developer?
The badge doesn't regulate prices at all. Request each supplier's actual rate, billing method and scope. The itemised quote decides, not the logo.
Can a non-partner break my e-shop?
Yes, and so can a partner. What lowers the risk is the way of working: changes on a test template first, a backup before deployment, documented modifications. Ask about that; it matters more than certification.
Why aren't you in the catalogue if you do Shoptet work?
I plan to apply; acceptance is Shoptet's individual assessment, at their pace. Until then, what applies to every supplier applies to me: references, a public rate card, and an itemised scope up front.
Summary
The Shoptet Partner badge is a useful entry filter: it confirms platform knowledge and Shoptet's vetting (bronze → silver → gold). But it doesn't guarantee price, capacity, communication or outcome, Shoptet does not adjudicate disputes but may collect partnership feedback, and the contract is purely between you and the supplier. Choose by live references, an itemised quote, a transparent hourly rate and ownership of credentials, those four criteria work more reliably than any logo, for partners and non-partners alike.
Need your existing Shoptet customised, sped up or integrated? I do Shoptet support at €60/h or in packages from €600, and you're welcome to open with all six checklist questions above.
If you are building a new store instead, the scope and pricing are on the custom Shoptet e-shop page.
Sources and links
- Shoptet Partners, catalogue, the official catalogue
- Partnership levels, bronze, silver, gold
- Certification and conditions, the programme's entry conditions
- Partner information for e-shop owners, including the passage on not resolving disputes