Shoptet Partner: what the badge means, what it doesn't guarantee, and how to pick a specialist

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, without a conflict of interest in either direction.

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:

• Individual assessment. Shoptet evaluates services, experience and value for its clients. Submitting an application is not automatic acceptance — intake has at times been paused with applications merely logged.
• Entry conditions (bronze level): own presentation website, demonstrated knowledge of the Shoptet administration, a test, a personal meeting or call — and a backlink to Shoptet from the partner's website.
• Three levels: bronze, silver, gold. New partners start at bronze; promotion 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:

1. It doesn't guarantee the outcome of a job. 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." Contract, price, deadline and quality are purely between you and the supplier.
2. It doesn't guarantee the price. Partners charge their own rates — the badge is not price regulation. Quotes for the same work often differ severalfold.
3. It doesn't guarantee capacity or communication. The most common e-shop owner complaint isn't "they can't do it" but "they don't respond" — and no certification measures that.
4. It doesn't guarantee breadth. A partner certified for template programming may not know SEO, feeds or Pohoda integrations. The badge level attaches to the partner, not to every service they offer.

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:

1. "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.
2. "What exactly is included in the price?" A serious quote itemises the scope: template, customisations, integrations, testing. "E-shop customisation from 10,000 CZK" with no scope isn't a quote, it's bait.
3. "How do you handle template changes — in the code, or via CSS hacks?" Shoptet templates can be modified superficially (fast, fragile, breaks with the next update) or properly. Whoever can't explain the difference does it superficially.
4. "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.
5. "What's the hourly rate for extra work and support?" A transparent supplier has the rate public. I charge 1,500 CZK/h and it's written on the website — everyone you consider should pass this test.
6. "What happens if we part ways?" Handover of documentation, credentials and work in progress. Ask up front, not at the break-up.

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:

• You have no referral and need a candidate shortlist fast. The catalogue is pre-filtered and sorted by field.
• You want a specific combination (e.g. marketing + programming at one agency) and the catalogue lets you filter.
• You need certainty the supplier knows 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.

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. Market hourly rates run roughly from 800 to 2,500 CZK/h depending on experience and type of work — partners and non-partners alike. 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 explicitly doesn't resolve disputes, 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 1,500 CZK/h or in packages from 15,000 CZK — and you're welcome to open with all six checklist questions above.

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