How to Set Up a Shopify Store for International Selling

How to Set Up a Shopify Store for International Selling (2025 Guide)

If you're running a successful Shopify store in your local market, the next big step is going global. Selling internationally unlocks new revenue streams, diversifies your customer base, and builds a stronger brand—but only if done strategically.

In this guide, we'll show you how to set up a Shopify store for international selling, including everything from multi-currency support to localized domains and taxes.

🌍 Why Sell Internationally with Shopify?

Shopify makes it easier than ever to go global, thanks to built-in features like:

  • Shopify Markets – Centralized international selling tools

  • Multi-currency support – Sell in 135+ currencies

  • Localized domains – Show region-specific content

  • Custom duties & tax management

  • Language translations

🚀 Step-by-Step: How to Set Up Shopify for International Selling

✅ Step 1: Enable Shopify Markets

Shopify Markets is your all-in-one tool for managing international customers.

  • Go to your Shopify Admin > Settings > Markets

  • Enable international markets (by country or region)

  • Group countries together if needed (e.g., EU, Asia)

You can:

  • Set preferred currencies per region

  • Offer different pricing or discounts by market

  • Customize domains for better SEO

💱 Step 2: Set Up Multi-Currency

To accept payments in different currencies:

  1. Use Shopify Payments (required for multi-currency)

  2. In Settings > Payments > Shopify Payments, click Manage

  3. Add the currencies you want to support

Shopify will auto-convert prices based on current exchange rates—or you can set manual conversion rates with Shopify Markets Pro or Advanced plans.

💡 Bonus Tip: Use rounding rules to keep prices psychologically attractive (e.g., ₹999 instead of ₹1027.23).

🗣️ Step 3: Enable Multi-Language Support

Shopify allows you to display your store in multiple languages.

  1. Go to Settings > Languages

  2. Add new languages (Shopify supports over 20)

  3. Use a translation app like:

    • Translate & Adapt (by Shopify)

    • Langify

    • Weglot

These apps help automatically or manually translate your content—great for SEO and UX.

🌐 Step 4: Set Up Country-Specific Domains

Using country-specific domains or subfolders helps your international SEO.

Options include:

  • store.com (global)

  • store.com/en-gb (UK)

  • store.com/en-us (USA)

  • store.fr (France)

You can configure this in:
Online Store > Domains > International Domains

🧠 Shopify automatically redirects visitors based on their location (if browser-based geolocation is enabled).

📦 Step 5: Set Up Shipping Zones & Rates

International shipping = higher expectations. Set accurate rates.

  1. Go to Settings > Shipping and Delivery

  2. Create zones for each region (e.g., North America, Europe)

  3. Assign shipping rates using:

    • Flat rates

    • Weight-based

    • Carrier-calculated (DHL, FedEx, UPS)

Consider adding a shipping app to integrate live carrier rates globally.

🧾 Step 6: Handle International Taxes & Duties

No one wants surprise costs at checkout.

  1. In Settings > Taxes and duties, enable tax collection per market

  2. Shopify can calculate import duties & VAT at checkout (via Markets Pro or third-party apps like Zonos)

  3. Show taxes inclusive or exclusive based on location

💳 Step 7: Offer Local Payment Methods

To build trust, offer familiar payment options. Shopify Payments allows:

  • Credit/debit cards

  • Apple Pay / Google Pay

  • Local wallets (e.g., Klarna, iDEAL, Bancontact)

For markets like India, Brazil, or China, consider third-party gateways (e.g., Razorpay, PayPal, PayU).

🧠 Step 8: Localize Your Marketing

  • Use geo-targeted ads (Google & Meta)

  • Create market-specific campaigns

  • Highlight localized benefits: fast delivery, trusted payment, language, etc.

📊 Bonus: Monitor International Performance

Track everything using:

  • Google Analytics 4 – Geo & behavior reports

  • Shopify Reports – Country-based sales

  • Heatmaps/Session Tools – Understand visitor friction (e.g., Hotjar, Clarity)

✅ Final Checklist for International Shopify Setup

Task Done?
Enable Shopify Markets ✅
Set currencies per region ✅
Translate store content ✅
Configure domains & SEO ✅
Set regional shipping rates ✅
Manage taxes/duties ✅
Offer local payment methods ✅
Run localized marketing ✅

🌐 Ready to Go Global?

Going international with Shopify isn’t just for enterprise brands anymore. With the right setup, even small businesses can scale globally with minimal friction.

🤝 Need Expert Help?

At RootSyntax, we help Shopify businesses expand globally—with multilingual stores, currency integrations, custom development, and complete Shopify Markets setup.

👉 Get in touch and let’s take your brand worldwide.

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