Choosing your store management settings

Before you open your store to customers, you need to complete the following tasks:

• Add a package type.
• Choose which payment methods you will accept and where you will receive payments.
• Customize your tax settings.
• Add your store policies to the checkout page.

Add package type

You can save the dimensions and weights of your preferred package types on the Shipping and handling page in your Shopify admin.

Some mail types have limits on the size of packages that can be used to ship your products. A message about applicable size limits is displayed in the conversation when you create a new package type.

If you enter dimensions and weights for your packages, your calculated shipping rates will be more accurate.

Steps:

1. Access the “Shipping and Transportation” page in your admin interface.
2. Select the “Add Package Type” option.
3. Fill in the dimensions and weight of the package.
4. Save the changes.

Set locations (optional)

If you plan to manage your inventory and fulfill orders from multiple locations, you can use locations. Once you’ve set up multiple locations, if you don’t have inventory in one location but do have inventory in another, the order will be distributed to be fulfilled from multiple locations.

Your locations can be retail stores, warehouses, temporary stores, dropshipping suppliers, or anywhere else where you manage or store inventory. With multiple locations, you have better visibility into your inventory throughout your business.

On most Shopify plans, you can have up to six locations.

Create a location

Steps:

Once you create a location, it is added to the bottom of your fill priority list.

If you have more than one active location, you must specify the order of priority for fulfilling orders. For more information about fulfilling orders from multiple locations, see Setting up fulfillments across locations .

Set up a payment method

There are a variety of payment methods supported on Shopify, but the simplest way to accept payments online is through Shopify Payments.

Shopify Payments eliminates the need to set up a third-party payment service provider or merchant account to accept payments. Shopify Payments comes integrated with your store, allowing you to manage your business and finances in one place.

Steps:

1. Access the “Payment Settings” page in your admin interface.
2. Select the “Shopify Payments” option and enable it.
3. Fill in the required details, including your bank details.
4. Save the changes.

Set up your taxes

As a seller, you may need to collect taxes on your sales, and then report and remit those taxes to your government. Although tax laws are complex and can change frequently, you can set up Shopify to handle common sales tax calculations. You can also set up tax exceptions to handle special laws and situations.

Shopify uses many default sales tax rates, which are updated regularly. If you’re using the default rates, it’s a good idea to verify that they’re up-to-date and correct. You can override them at any time if necessary.

Make sure your tax settings are correct for your store, and don’t forget to file your store’s taxes. Learn more about taxes.

General process for setting taxes

There is no formal list of steps for setting up your taxes. Instead, use this process as a guide:

1. If you run an online store, then define the countries you will ship to.
2. If you use Shopify POS for in-person sales, set tax rates based on your retail locations. The default POS tax rates are based on the geographic location where your in-person sales occur.
3. Set tax rates in the countries and regions where you will sell and ship your products:
   • If you are in the United States, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, or Singapore, which use record-based taxes, enter your tax records to collect tax.
   • If you’re in a region that uses location-based taxes, use default values ​​or specify rates for your countries and regions. Also, specify whether you’ll be charged taxes on shipping.
4. If you sell digital products, set the taxes that apply to these items.
5. Override tax rates or exempt products from taxes when needed. Any exceptions you set apply to online sales and sales on Shopify POS.
6. Optional: Include taxes in all your product prices. When this option is enabled, there is no additional charge for taxes added to the customer’s machine. Instead, a calculation is performed to determine what percentage of the product price is tax.

Once you’ve set up your taxes, you can access and review your settings on the Taxes and Duties page in your Shopify admin.

Add your store policies

Before they buy a product, your customers should have access to your policies regarding returns, privacy, and terms of service.

You must add your store policies using a separate web page. Your policies are displayed as links at the bottom of your checkout page.

Steps:

1. Set your store policies.

2. In a new tab or window, go to the Pages page.

3. Create a new page.

4. From your payment settings interface, copy each policy to your clipboard.

5. On your new page, paste your content from the clipboard.

6. Click Save Page .

7. Add a link to your policy page so your customers can find it.

Next steps

Once you’re done choosing your store management settings, you can get ready to launch your store.

Final tests before launch

Before you launch your store, there are a few final checks to make sure everything is running smoothly:

• Check all links on the home page and product pages.
• Make sure all payment methods are working properly.
• Place a sample order to test the buying process.
• Make sure taxes are calculated correctly.
• Review your refund policy and make sure it is clear to customers.

Marketing your store

Once your store is ready to launch, it’s important to think about marketing strategies to attract customers:

• Consider using paid advertising on social media.
• Offer discounts to new customers.
• Consider email marketing to stay in touch with customers.
• Use marketing content to promote your products.

Store performance monitoring

After launch, it’s important to monitor your store’s performance:

• Check your sales data regularly.
• Track customer behavior on your website.
• Make improvements based on customer feedback.
• Use analytical tools to understand your store’s performance.

Good luck with your store! If you have any further questions, feel free to contact Shopify support.