Selling on Shopify UK: The Complete Guide

Starting an online store in the UK can feel complex, especially when you’re trying to balance platform choice, costs, and payments. Are you confident you understand what it really takes to run a Shopify business successfully?

In this guide, we've explained how to set up and run a Shopify store in the UK, including pricing, features, payments, and the key costs you need to consider to make informed decisions.

We've also explained how Wise Business can support your international payments needs.

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Key takeaways

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What is Shopify?

Shopify is a commerce platform that helps businesses sell online and in person.

Entrepreneurs and businesses use Shopify to create online stores, manage products, and process payments.

Shopify’s tools work together as a unified system to support selling, marketing, and operations.

How Shopify works in the UK

Shopify is currently available to businesses in the United Kingdom.²

You can configure your store for GBP transactions and manage taxes such as VAT using Shopify’s tax settings.¹

For UK businesses, it is important to follow HMRC requirements, including VAT registration rules.¹

Shopify UK’s main features

Shopify includes tools designed to help businesses launch and manage an online store.⁵

Storefront and hosting

Shopify allows you to buy a domain or connect an existing one.⁸

It also provides hosting features. Shopify Payments supports transactions and is PCI compliant.⁹

SEO and marketing tools

Shopify includes marketing tools such as discount codes, campaigns, and integrations with social platforms.⁵

It also supports abandoned checkout recovery, which can send emails to customers who did not complete a purchase.⁴

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Sales and inventory management

Shopify allows you to manage inventory levels, track stock, and monitor product availability through its dashboard.³

Shopify dropshipping in the UK

Dropshipping allows products to be shipped directly from a supplier to the customer.¹⁰

This means you do not need to hold inventory and only pay for products after they are sold.¹⁰

Shopify supports dropshipping through integrations and apps.⁵

Shopify UK pricing and plans

If you use a third-party payment provider, Shopify currently charges an additional transaction fee depending on your plan.⁶

Beyond the subscription: The real costs

Running a Shopify store may include additional costs beyond the subscription fee.⁷

Payment processing fees

Shopify Payments charges a percentage per transaction depending on your plan.⁶

Third-party providers may include additional fees from both Shopify and the provider.⁶

Currency conversion & international fees

If customers pay in another currency, Shopify Payments converts funds to your payout currency and applies a conversion fee.¹¹

Other potential costs

• Domain: Domain pricing varies depending on provider and domain type.¹²
• Themes: Shopify offers free and paid themes.¹³
• Apps: The Shopify App Store offers additional functionality.¹⁴

Shopify Payments UK: Getting paid

Shopify Payments allows you to accept card payments and other payment methods.^15,2

It integrates payments into your Shopify dashboard.¹⁵

In the UK, payouts are typically sent in GBP to your bank account within a few business days.¹⁶

If customers pay in other currencies, funds are converted before payout and may include conversion fees.¹¹

Getting started with Shopify UK

Shopify provides tools to launch an online store without technical expertise.⁷

Steps include:

1. Create a Shopify account
2. Choose a store name
3. Build your store
4. Set up payments and shipping
5. Start selling

UK operational setup: Shipping, taxes, and legal

Choosing UK shipping providers

Shopify supports integrations with shipping carriers and fulfilment services.^17,18

• Royal Mail is available through Shopify Shipping.¹⁷
• DPD supports domestic UK shipping.¹⁹
• DHL integrations are available through apps.²⁰
• Shopify Fulfilment Network allows third-party logistics providers to manage fulfilment.²¹

Understanding UK VAT for e-commerce

You must currently register for VAT if your turnover exceeds £90,000.²²

Once registered, you must charge VAT on applicable sales.²²

Shopify allows you to enter your VAT number and apply VAT rates automatically at checkout.¹

VAT-registered businesses may also need to follow Making Tax Digital requirements.²³

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited, its subsidiaries or affiliates. It should not be treated as advice from, or a communication with, HMRC, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining business advice from a tax advisor or any other professional.

Pay suppliers and manage profits from Shopify with Wise Business

Wise Business is used by countless ecommerce businesses in the UK for domestic and global money management.

With Wise Business, you can:

• 🌍 Send money to 140+ countries at the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees or sneaky exchange rate markups (product availability varies by region)
• 📥 Receive payments in 24 currencies and counting
• 💵 Get local account details for 8+ currencies, including USD and EUR, to let your customers pay in a currency they know and trust - convenience for them and peace of mind for you
• 💰 Hold money in 40+ currencies
• 🔁 Convert currencies anytime at the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees
• ⚡ Use the batch payments tool to create and send up to 1,000 payments in a single transfer
• 👥 Run payroll and make international payments for up to 1,000 employees all over the world - including paying suppliers using local payment methods like ACH, SEPA, and Faster Payments
• 💳 Get business debit cards with 0.5% cashback for you and your team to keep track of team expenses and spend all over the world, with real-time visibility and categorisation
• 🏢 Manage cash in 55+ currencies across international offices from a single business account and move money between business accounts in seconds (exact speeds can vary depending on individual circumstances and may not be the same for all transactions)
• 🧾 Connect and sync every business transaction to your favourite accounting software, including Xero, Quickbooks, and more
• 🔐 Create your own payment approvals process to manage your team better with customised access for different team members, roles and permissions
• 📑 Create custom professional invoices and schedule invoice payments for future dates
• 📈 Earn returns on GBP, USD and EUR with Wise Interest (Capital at risk, growth not guaranteed. Your money is at risk if governments default or interest rates go negative. Visit https://wise.com/gb/interest/ to find out more)
• 🔗 Create payment links and QR codes to get paid easily
• ⚙️ Automate payouts with the Wise API (comes with 24/7 customer support, a sandbox account to test integrations, API tokens, and clear documents on how to implement and make the most of our API)

Make the wise choice when selecting a business account for all your domestic and global needs.

Be Smart, Get Wise.

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*Disclaimer: The UK Wise Business pricing structure is changing with effect from 26/11/2025 date. Receiving money, direct debits and getting paid features are not available with the Essential Plan which you can open for free. Pay a one-time set up fee of £50 to unlock Advanced features including account details to receive payments in 22+ currencies or 8+ currencies for non-swift payments. You’ll also get access to our invoice generating tool, payment links, QuickPay QR codes and the ability to set up direct debits all within one account. Please check our website for the latest pricing information.

Sources:

1. UK tax setup for Shopify
2. Shopify Payments supported methods in the UK
3. Shopify inventory management
4. Abandoned checkouts on Shopify
5. Shopify products overview
6. Shopify pricing in the UK
7. Cost of building an ecommerce website
8. Adding a domain to Shopify
9. Shopify Payments overview UK
10. Shopify dropshipping guide
11. Multi-currency payout fees
12. Domain pricing explained
13. Shopify themes marketplace
14. Shopify app store
15. Shopify Payments documentation
16. Shopify payouts in the UK
17. Royal Mail with Shopify
18. Marketplace connect on Shopify
19. DPD shipping with Shopify
20. DHL Express Shopify app
21. Shopify fulfilment network
22. VAT thresholds in the UK
23. Making Tax Digital guidance

Sources last checked on 24 April 2026