Shopify Markets, launched in 2021 and significantly expanded since, is the platform’s answer to international selling. Instead of managing separate stores per country, Markets lets you control localised pricing, language, domains, and duties from a single admin. Here is what you need to know to sell internationally in 2026.
Shopify Markets Overview
Markets groups countries into regions — you might have a “European Union” market, a “Middle East” market, and a “North America” market. Each market gets its own settings for currency, language, domain or subdirectory, pricing, and duty handling. Changes apply market-wide, so you are not editing individual country settings one by one.
Shopify Markets Pro (a paid add-on) adds managed duty remittance, guaranteed landed cost, and localised payment methods. For most SMBs, the standard Markets feature inside Shopify Advanced or Plus is sufficient.
Local Pricing vs Currency Conversion
Currency conversion (showing prices in the customer’s local currency using a live exchange rate) is the minimum viable international experience. Local pricing goes further — you set fixed prices per market, independent of exchange rates. This lets you price £49 in the UK and $59 in the US rather than having the US price fluctuate with GBP/USD movements. For anything above £30 AOV, fixed local pricing is strongly recommended.
Translated Storefronts
Shopify supports multiple languages per store. You can add translations via the Translate and Adapt app (free, built by Shopify) or use a third-party app like Langify. Each language gets its own subdirectory (e.g., /fr/) or subdomain. Google treats translated URLs as separate pages, so a French translation of your product page can rank in French search results independently.
DDP vs DDU for Customs Duties
DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid) means the customer pays customs charges on arrival. This is cheaper for you but creates a poor customer experience — parcels get held at customs, customers receive unexpected bills, and returns spike. DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) means you collect duties at checkout and remit them to the destination country’s tax authority. This removes the customs surprise entirely.
For orders into the EU above €150, you must collect and remit VAT. DDP is effectively mandatory for professional EU selling. Shopify Markets Pro automates this remittance.
Key Market Entry Requirements by Country
| Market | VAT/Tax threshold | Duties model | Key requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | €0 (all B2C) | DDP strongly advised | OSS VAT registration or Shopify Markets Pro |
| United Kingdom | £135 import threshold | DDP above £135 | UK VAT registration for non-UK sellers above £85k |
| United States | Varies by state | DDU common | Sales tax nexus rules per state |
| Australia | AUD 1,000 | DDU below threshold | GST registration for non-AU sellers above AUD 75k |
| UAE | AED 375 de minimis | DDP advised | Customs registration; 5% VAT on most goods |
| India | INR 0 (all imports) | DDP advised | Customs duty varies by HS code; IGST applies |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need separate Shopify stores for different countries?
Not with Shopify Markets. A single store can serve multiple countries with localised pricing, languages, and domains. Only very large enterprises with genuinely distinct product catalogues per region typically benefit from separate stores (using Shopify’s Expansion Stores feature on Plus).
What currencies does Shopify support?
Shopify Payments supports over 130 currencies for display and around 20 for actual settlement into your bank account. You display in the customer’s local currency; Shopify converts and settles in your chosen payout currency.
How does Shopify handle international returns?
International returns are operationally complex because returned goods crossing borders incur customs charges. Many merchants using DDP use a regional returns hub (a third-party logistics provider in the destination country) to avoid paying duties twice — once on export, once on re-import.
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