Shopify International Selling: Expand Your Store Globally

Expanding your Shopify store internationally is one of the most powerful growth strategies available to e-commerce businesses. With over 2 billion online shoppers worldwide and cross-border e-commerce growing at 25% annually, limiting your store to a single market means leaving significant revenue on the table.

The good news? Shopify has built robust tools specifically designed for international selling. From Shopify Markets to multi-currency checkout and automated duties collection, you can expand globally without the complexity that once required enterprise-level resources.

This guide covers everything you need to know about taking your Shopify store global: market research, technical setup, localization strategies, shipping logistics, and compliance with international tax regulations.

Why Sell Internationally on Shopify?

Before diving into the how, let's examine why international expansion deserves your attention:

The Market Opportunity

• Global e-commerce reached $6.3 trillion in 2024 and continues growing
• Cross-border shopping accounts for 22% of all e-commerce worldwide
• Emerging markets in Asia, Latin America, and Africa are growing fastest
• Customer acquisition costs are often lower in less competitive markets

Competitive Advantages of Going Global

1. Revenue diversification - Reduce dependence on a single market
2. Seasonal balancing - Summer in the Northern Hemisphere is winter in the Southern
3. Currency hedging - Earn in multiple currencies to offset exchange rate fluctuations
4. Extended product lifecycle - Products mature in home markets may be new elsewhere
5. Brand building - Global presence enhances brand perception

Why Shopify Is Ideal for International Expansion

Shopify's infrastructure was built with global commerce in mind:

• Shopify Markets for centralized international management
• Multi-currency support with automatic conversion
• 130+ supported currencies and 50+ languages
• Global payment methods including local options
• International shipping integrations with major carriers
• Duties and import tax automation through Managed Markets

Understanding Shopify Markets

Shopify Markets is the foundation of international selling on Shopify. Released to simplify cross-border commerce, it allows you to manage multiple international markets from your existing store.

What Shopify Markets Does

Shopify Markets enables you to:

• Create distinct markets for different countries or regions
• Set local currencies with automatic or manual pricing
• Configure languages and translate your store
• Use local domains or subfolders for SEO benefits
• Set market-specific pricing strategies including rounding rules
• Manage international SEO with proper hreflang tags
• Control product availability per market

Setting Up Your First International Market

Here's how to add a new market in Shopify:

1. Navigate to Settings > Markets in your Shopify admin
2. Click Add market
3. Choose countries or regions to include
4. Configure market settings:
   • Currency (local or converted)
   • Language (if using translations)
   • Domain strategy (subfolder recommended for most)
   • Duties and import taxes settings
5. Enable the market when ready

Market Types in Shopify

Primary Market Your home country/region with default settings. This is typically where your business is based.

International Markets Custom markets you create for specific countries or regions. Each can have unique settings.

Rest of World A catch-all market for countries not assigned to specific markets. You can still sell internationally without configuring every country individually.

Shopify Markets Pro (Managed Markets)

For merchants wanting a fully managed international solution, Shopify offers Markets Pro (powered by Global-e). This premium service includes:

• Merchant of record services - Global-e handles international transactions
• Guaranteed duties and taxes - No surprises for customers
• 150+ currencies and localized payment methods
• Fraud protection for international orders
• Simplified compliance with international regulations
• Currency conversion with competitive rates

Markets Pro is ideal for stores serious about international revenue and willing to pay for a hands-off solution.

Multi-Currency Setup and Strategy

Displaying prices in local currencies dramatically improves conversion rates. Studies show that 92% of shoppers prefer buying in their local currency, and stores offering multi-currency see 10-15% higher conversion rates internationally.

Enabling Multi-Currency

With Shopify Payments, multi-currency is built-in:

1. Go to Settings > Payments
2. Under Shopify Payments, click Manage
3. In the Currencies section, add currencies
4. Configure how each currency appears

Currency Conversion Options

Automatic Conversion Shopify converts prices automatically using current exchange rates. The platform adds a small buffer to protect against rate fluctuations.

Pros:

• Zero maintenance
• Prices always current
• Works with large catalogs

Cons:

• Odd price points ($47.83 instead of $49.99)
• Conversion fees apply

Manual/Fixed Pricing Set specific prices for each market manually in Shopify Markets or using CSV import.

Pros:

• Clean price points (psychological pricing)
• No conversion fees
• Full control

Cons:

• Requires ongoing maintenance
• Must monitor exchange rates
• More work for large catalogs

Price Rounding Rules

For automatic conversion, configure rounding rules to create better-looking prices:

1. Go to Settings > Markets
2. Select your market
3. Under Products and pricing, click Manage
4. Configure rounding rules (e.g., round to .99 or .95)

Market-Specific Pricing Adjustments

You can increase or decrease prices for specific markets:

• Price increase: Account for higher shipping costs or duties
• Price decrease: Compete in price-sensitive markets
• Per-product adjustments: Override for specific items

Example strategy:

• EU market: +10% to account for VAT-inclusive pricing
• UK market: Round to .99 endings
• Australia: Match competitor pricing with manual prices

Translating Your Store for Global Audiences

Language localization is essential for international success. Even in countries where English is widely spoken, 65% of consumers prefer content in their native language, and 40% won't buy from websites in other languages.

Shopify's Translation Options

Translate & Adapt App (Free) Shopify's free first-party app for translations:

• Translate all store content
• Adapt content per market (not just language)
• AI-powered translation suggestions
• Manual editing for accuracy

Third-Party Translation Apps Popular options include:

• Langify - Popular, well-established
• Weglot - AI-powered with visual editor
• Transcy - Budget-friendly option
• GTranslate - Google Translate powered

What to Translate

Prioritize these elements for maximum impact:

High Priority

1. Product titles and descriptions
2. Checkout pages (critical for conversion)
3. Navigation and menus
4. Cart and error messages
5. Email notifications

Medium Priority 6. Collection pages and filters 7. Homepage content 8. About/contact pages 9. FAQ sections 10. Blog posts

Lower Priority (but still valuable) 11. Policy pages 12. Meta titles and descriptions 13. Alt text for images

Translation Best Practices

1. Don't rely solely on machine translation - Have native speakers review
2. Transcreate, don't just translate - Adapt messaging for cultural context
3. Test checkout flows - Ensure translations don't break the purchase process
4. Update translations when content changes - Keep in sync
5. Consider local idioms - "Add to bag" vs "Add to basket" vs "Add to cart"

Multilingual SEO Considerations

Proper setup ensures search engines show the right version to each audience:

• Hreflang tags: Shopify Markets adds these automatically
• Subdirectories: yourstore.com/fr/ for France (recommended)
• Subdomains: fr.yourstore.com (alternative)
• Country domains: yourstore.fr (strongest signal, most complex)

International Shipping Strategy

Shipping is often the make-or-break factor for international success. High shipping costs are the #1 reason for international cart abandonment.

Understanding International Shipping Options

Direct Shipping from Your Location Ship orders directly from your warehouse/fulfillment center.

Best for:

• Low to moderate international volume
• Products with good margins
• Regions without strict customs requirements

Challenges:

• Higher per-order shipping costs
• Longer transit times
• Complex customs documentation

Third-Party Logistics (3PL) with International Warehousing Partner with fulfillment providers that have global warehouse networks.

Popular options:

• ShipBob (US, Canada, EU, UK, Australia)
• Flexport
• Deliverr (now part of Shopify Fulfillment Network)
• Local 3PLs in target markets

Best for:

• Higher volume international sellers
• Faster delivery requirements
• Avoiding customs for local fulfillment

Cross-Border Shipping Partners Specialists that simplify international shipping:

• Passport Shipping: All-in-one international solution
• Global-e: Powers Shopify Markets Pro
• Zonos: Duties calculator and compliance
• Easyship: Rate comparison and automation

Shipping Rate Strategies

Real-Time Carrier Rates Show actual carrier rates at checkout. Requires carrier accounts and Shopify's carrier-calculated shipping (Shopify plan or higher).

Flat Rate Shipping Simple pricing by region:

• North America: $15
• Europe: $20
• Rest of World: $30

Free Shipping with Minimum Order Absorb costs while increasing AOV:

• Free international shipping over $150
• Subsidized options below threshold

Price Shipping into Products Increase product prices slightly and offer "free shipping" internationally.

Carrier Selection for International Shipping

Postal Services (Cost-Effective)

• USPS Priority Mail International
• Royal Mail International
• Australia Post
• Canada Post

Best for: Lightweight items, price-sensitive customers, longer delivery acceptable

Express Carriers (Speed/Reliability)

• DHL Express
• FedEx International
• UPS Worldwide

Best for: High-value items, time-sensitive delivery, better tracking

Regional Specialists

• Asendia (US/Europe)
• Landmark Global (North America)
• Sendle (Australia/NZ)

Setting Up Shipping in Shopify Markets

1. Go to Settings > Shipping and delivery
2. Create shipping profiles for international zones
3. Add rates per market/region
4. Consider offering multiple speed options
5. Test checkout to verify rates display correctly

Duties, Taxes, and Compliance

International tax compliance is complex but critical. Getting it wrong frustrates customers and creates legal liability.

Understanding Duties and Import Taxes

Customs Duties Fees based on product category (HS code) and country of origin. Vary significantly by country and product type.

Import VAT/GST Value-added tax or goods and services tax collected at import. Many countries have de minimis thresholds below which no tax applies.

De Minimis Thresholds (2025)

• USA: $800
• EU: None (all imports taxed since July 2021)
• UK: None
• Canada: CAD $20
• Australia: AUD $1,000
• Japan: JPY 10,000

Shipping Terms: DDP vs DDU

DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid) Customer pays duties and taxes upon delivery.

Pros:

• Lower upfront shipping costs
• Simpler for merchant

Cons:

• Surprise fees frustrate customers
• Higher refusal/return rates
• Poor customer experience

DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) Duties and taxes collected at checkout, included in shipping.

Pros:

• No surprise fees for customers
• Better customer experience
• Lower refusal rates

Cons:

• More complex to set up
• Requires duty/tax calculation
• Potential for over/under collection

Collecting Duties and Taxes in Shopify

Option 1: Shopify Markets Duty Collection Enable duty collection per market:

1. Go to Settings > Markets
2. Select your market
3. Enable Collect duties and import taxes
4. Configure whether prices include duties

Option 2: Shopify Markets Pro / Managed Markets Global-e handles all duty calculation and collection automatically with guaranteed amounts.

Option 3: Third-Party Apps

• Zonos (duty calculator and compliance)
• Avalara (tax compliance)
• TaxJar (primarily US but expanding)

VAT Registration Requirements

Many countries require VAT registration for remote sellers:

EU: Typically required if selling over EUR 10,000 to EU consumers (One-Stop Shop simplifies registration)

UK: Required if UK sales exceed GBP 85,000

Australia: Required if Australian sales exceed AUD 75,000

Canada: GST/HST registration varies by province

Consult a tax professional for your specific situation. The costs of non-compliance far exceed the cost of proper registration.

HS Codes and Product Classification

Every product crossing borders needs a Harmonized System (HS) code for customs. Proper classification affects:

• Duty rates applied
• Whether product is restricted
• Documentation requirements

Add HS codes to products in Shopify:

1. Go to Products
2. Edit product
3. Under Customs information, add HS code and country of origin

Localizing the Customer Experience

Beyond translation and currency, truly localized experiences build trust and drive conversion.

Local Payment Methods

Different regions prefer different payment methods:

Europe

• iDEAL (Netherlands)
• Bancontact (Belgium)
• Klarna (widespread)
• SEPA Direct Debit

Asia-Pacific

• Alipay (China)
• WeChat Pay (China)
• PayPay (Japan)
• GrabPay (Southeast Asia)

Latin America

• PIX (Brazil)
• OXXO (Mexico)
• Mercado Pago (regional)

Shopify Payments supports many local methods, and you can add others via Shopify's payment provider integrations.

Local Domain Strategy

Subfolders (Recommended for Most) yourstore.com/fr/, yourstore.com/de/

Pros:

• Share domain authority
• Easiest to manage
• Works well with Shopify Markets

Country-Code Domains yourstore.fr, yourstore.de

Pros:

• Strongest local signal
• Better for established brands
• Can boost local rankings

Cons:

• More complex management
• Requires multiple domains
• Doesn't share authority

Customer Service for International Customers

Consider these elements:

• Time zone coverage: Support hours when customers are awake
• Language support: At minimum, translated help center articles
• Local returns addresses: Consider return hubs in major markets
• Cultural awareness: Train support on regional expectations

Marketing Localization

Localize your marketing, not just your store:

• Local social platforms: WeChat in China, LINE in Japan
• Regional influencers: Authentic local voices
• Market-specific promotions: Local holidays and events
• Localized ads: Translated and culturally adapted

Measuring International Success

Track these metrics to optimize your international strategy:

Key Performance Indicators

By Market

• Conversion rate (compare to primary market)
• Average order value
• Return rate
• Customer acquisition cost
• Customer lifetime value

Operational Metrics

• Shipping time to delivery
• Customs clearance time
• Duty/tax accuracy
• Support tickets per order

Financial Metrics

• Revenue by market
• Margin by market (accounting for shipping/duties)
• Currency conversion costs
• Payment processing fees

Attribution and Analytics

Set up proper tracking:

1. Google Analytics 4: Use currency conversion tracking
2. Shopify Analytics: Filter reports by market
3. UTM parameters: Track marketing by region
4. Multi-touch attribution: Understand international customer journey

Common International Selling Challenges (and Solutions)

Challenge 1: High Cart Abandonment on International Orders

Solutions:

• Display total landed cost (including duties) upfront
• Offer multiple shipping speeds/prices
• Show estimated delivery dates
• Accept local payment methods
• Build trust with local-language content

Challenge 2: Returns Are Too Costly

Solutions:

• Establish return hubs in major markets
• Partner with local 3PLs for returns processing
• Implement stricter return policies for international (with clear communication)
• Focus on reducing return reasons (better descriptions, sizing guides)

Challenge 3: Currency Fluctuation Eating Margins

Solutions:

• Use manual pricing for key markets
• Build currency buffer into automatic conversion settings
• Review and adjust international pricing quarterly
• Consider pricing in USD for some markets

Challenge 4: Customs Delays and Customer Complaints

Solutions:

• Provide accurate HS codes
• Include proper commercial invoices
• Work with carriers experienced in your product categories
• Set realistic delivery expectations
• Proactive tracking and communication

Building Your International Expansion Roadmap

Here's a phased approach to going global with Shopify:

Phase 1: Research and Foundation (Weeks 1-4)

1. Analyze current international traffic and sales
2. Identify top 2-3 target markets based on opportunity
3. Research competitors in target markets
4. Understand regulatory requirements
5. Calculate landed cost and margin by market

Phase 2: Technical Setup (Weeks 5-8)

1. Enable Shopify Markets for target regions
2. Configure currencies and conversion settings
3. Set up shipping zones and rates
4. Enable duty/tax collection
5. Implement translations for primary market

Phase 3: Soft Launch (Weeks 9-12)

1. Launch to first market with limited marketing
2. Monitor conversion rates and customer feedback
3. Resolve shipping and fulfillment issues
4. Optimize based on data
5. Refine customer support processes

Phase 4: Scale and Expand (Ongoing)

1. Increase marketing in successful markets
2. Add additional markets based on demand
3. Consider local fulfillment for high-volume markets
4. Expand payment method options
5. Build local partnerships and brand presence

Conclusion

International expansion is no longer reserved for enterprise brands with massive budgets. Shopify's infrastructure makes global selling accessible to businesses of all sizes. With Shopify Markets handling the technical complexity, multi-currency checkout reducing friction, and integrated duties collection eliminating surprises, you can focus on what matters: reaching new customers and growing revenue.

Start with one or two markets that show organic interest in your products. Set realistic expectations for the learning curve, but also recognize the compound benefits of establishing international presence now. As you build experience and refine your processes, expanding to additional markets becomes increasingly efficient.

The world is shopping online. Your store should be ready to serve them, regardless of where they live.

Ready to expand your Shopify store internationally? Explore Shopify's international selling tools to get started with Shopify Markets and multi-currency selling.