Choosing your store management settings

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

• Add a package type.
• Choose what payment methods you'll accept and where you'll receive payouts.
• Customize your tax settings.
• Add your store's policies to your checkout page.

Add a package type

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

Some mail types have restrictions on the size of the packages that you can use to ship your products. A notice about applicable size restrictions displays on the dialog when you create a new package type.

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

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Shipping and delivery.

2. In the Saved packages section, click Add package.

3. In the Package name field, name your package.

4. In the Package type section, select your package type.

5. Add your package's dimensions and weight.

6. Optional: If you want to change the store default package to this package, select Use this package to calculate rates at checkout.

7. Click Add package.

iPhone

1. From the Shopify app, tap > Settings.

2. In the Store settings section, tap Shipping and delivery .

3. In the Saved Packages section, tap Add package.

4. Enter the required information about the package type:

   1. In the Package name field, name your package.
   2. In the Package type section, select your package type.
   3. Add your package's dimensions and weight.

5. Optional: If you want to change the store default package to this package, select Use this package to calculate rates at checkout.

6. Tap Add package.

Android

1. From the Shopify app, tap > Settings.

2. In the Store settings section, tap Shipping and delivery .

3. In the Saved Packages section, tap Add package.

4. Enter the required information about the package type:

   1. In the Package name field, name your package.
   2. In the Package type section, select your package type.
   3. Add your package's dimensions and weight.

5. Optional: If you want to change the store default package to this package, select Use this package to calculate rates at checkout.

6. Tap Add package.

Set up locations (optional)

If you plan to manage your inventory and fulfill orders from various spaces, then you can use locations. After you set up multiple locations, if you’re out of stock at one location but have inventory at another location, then the order is split so that it is fulfilled from multiple locations.

Your locations can be retail stores, warehouses, pop-up shops, dropshipping suppliers, or any other place where you manage or stock inventory. With multiple locations, you have better visibility into your inventory across your business.

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

Create a location

You can add a location. Your inventory is made available for online purchases by default in each new location.

If you have the Inventory at this location is available to fulfill online orders option activated after you create a location, then you can do the following actions from a location page:

• view available delivery methods for a location
• view which delivery methods are activated for a location
• configure delivery methods for a location

After you create a location, your location is added to the bottom of your fulfillment priority list. If you have more than one active location, then you need to specify the priority sequence for order fulfillments. For more information about fulfilling orders with multiple locations, refer to Setting up location fulfillments.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Locations.

2. In the All locations section, click Add location.

3. In the Location details section, add your location name and address:

   1. In the Name section, click Add.
   2. Enter a location name, and then click Done.
   3. In the Address section, click Add.
   4. Enter a location address, and then click Save.

4. Optional: If you don't want to make your inventory available for online purchases at this location, then deactivate the Inventory at this location is available to fulfill online orders option. This option is activated by default for each new location.

5. Click Save.

iPhone

1. From the Shopify app, tap > Settings.

2. In the Store settings section, tap Locations.

3. In the All locations section, tap Add location.

4. In the Location details section, add your location name and address:

   1. In the Name section, tap Add.
   2. Enter a location name, and then tap Save.
   3. In the Address section, tap Add.
   4. Enter a location address, and then tap Save.

5. Optional: If you don't want to make your inventory available for online purchases at this location, then deactivate the Inventory at this location is available to fulfill online orders option. This option is activated by default for each new location.

6. Tap Save.

Android

1. From the Shopify app, tap > Settings.

2. In the Store settings section, tap Locations.

3. In the All locations section, tap Add location.

4. In the Location details section, add your location name and address:

   1. In the Name section, tap Add.
   2. Enter a location name, and then tap Save.
   3. In the Address section, tap Add.
   4. Enter a location address, and then tap Save.

5. Optional: If you don't want to make your inventory available for online purchases at this location, then deactivate the Inventory at this location is available to fulfill online orders option. This option is activated by default for each new location.

6. Tap ✓.

Set up a payment method

A variety of payment methods are supported on Shopify, but the simplest way to accept payments online is by using Shopify Payments.

Note

Before you use Shopify Payments, review the following requirements:

• Shopify Payments is only available to stores that operate in certain countries and regions. Learn more about which countries and regions are supported.
• To use Shopify Payments, you must secure your account by setting up two-step authentication. Learn more about setting up two-step authentication and account security in general. If you decide to deactivate two-step authentication in the future, then you expose your account and financial information to potential criminal attacks.

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

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Payments.

2. Activate Shopify Payments in one of the following ways:

   • If you haven’t set up a payment provider on your account, then click Complete account setup in the Shopify Payments section.
   • If you have a different payment provider activated, then click Activate Shopify Payments in the Shopify Payments box, and then Activate Shopify Payments in the dialog. This removes any other payment provider from your account.

3. Enter the required details about your store and your banking information, then click Save.

4. Click Complete account setup.

iPhone

1. From the Shopify app, tap > Settings.

2. In the Store settings section, tap Payments.

3. Activate Shopify Payments in one of the following ways:

   • If you haven’t set up a payment provider on your account, then tap Complete account setup in the Shopify Payments section.
   • If you have a different payment provider activated, then tap Activate Shopify Payments in the Shopify Payments box, and then Activate Shopify Payments in the dialog. This removes any other payment provider from your account.

4. Enter the required details about your store and your banking information, then tap Save.

5. Tap Complete account setup.

Android

1. From the Shopify app, tap > Settings.

2. In the Store settings section, tap Payments.

3. Activate Shopify Payments in one of the following ways:

   • If you haven’t set up a payment provider on your account, then tap Complete account setup in the Shopify Payments section.
   • If you have a different payment provider activated, then tap Activate Shopify Payments in the Shopify Payments box, and then Activate Shopify Payments in the dialog. This removes any other payment provider from your account.

4. Enter the required details about your store and your banking information, then tap Save.

5. Tap Complete account setup.

After you've set up Shopify Payments, you can configure your settings or make a test transaction on your store.

Set up your taxes

As a merchant, you might need to charge taxes on your sales, and then report and remit those taxes to your government. Although tax laws are complex and can change often, you can set up Shopify to handle common sales tax calculations. You can also set up tax overrides to address unique tax laws and situations.

Shopify uses many default sales tax rates, which are updated regularly. If you use the default rates, then you should confirm that they're current and correct. You can override them whenever necessary.

Make sure your tax settings are correct for your store, and you need to remember to file your store's taxes. Learn more about taxes.

General process to set up taxes

There isn't a formal list of steps to set up your taxes. Instead, use this process as a guide:

1. Determine where you have an obligation to collect tax. This typically starts with your default location and where you operate your business from. This is usually your home country, province or state.
2. Register with the appropriate state or country.
3. Start to collect tax in each state or country.

After you've activated tax collection, consider:

• If your products have reduced rates or tax exemptions, then set the product category field or establish both a product tax override and a shipping tax override in each state or region.
• You will have to file a return with the state or region you're registered in, based on the filing cadence provided by state or region when you register. This is typically on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis.

As you set up taxes, you can access and review your settings on the Taxes and duties page in your Shopify admin. Shopify will help monitor when you have additional tax obligations in other states or countries, also known as nexus.

Add your store policies

Before they buy a product, your customers need to have access to your policies for refunds, privacy, and terms of service.

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

Steps:

1. Set your store policies.

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

3. Create a new page.

4. From your store checkout settings, copy each policy to your clipboard.

5. On your new page, paste your clipboard contents.

6. Click Save page.

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

Next steps

After you finish choosing your store management settings, you can prepare to launch your store.