Shopify Store Setup in NZ: GST, Shipping and Payments

This guide walks through each step in the order we do it on client builds, with the NZ settings Shopify's own help pages don't cover. If you'd rather hand it over, our Shopify builds cover all of it.

Which Shopify plan should an NZ store start on?

Start on Basic. It's about NZ$65 a month, or $59 a month if you pay yearly, and it's billed by Shopify directly, not by your developer. Basic gives you unlimited products, a full checkout, discount codes and gift cards. That's enough for almost every new NZ store.

Move up a plan when your monthly sales are high enough that the lower card rates on the bigger plans outweigh the higher fee, or when you need more staff logins. Shopify changes its prices from time to time, so check its pricing page before you budget. We break down the full first-year cost in how much Shopify costs in NZ.

How do I set my Shopify store to NZ dollars?

Set your store currency to NZD in the store details before you add a single product. Changing currency later is awkward, and it can upset reports and payouts. While you're there, set the business address, time zone (Pacific/Auckland) and units to metric and kilograms, because your shipping rates will be based on weight.

How does GST work on a Shopify store in New Zealand?

NZ shoppers expect prices to include GST, so set Shopify to show prices including tax. That way the price on the product page is the price at checkout, with GST shown inside it rather than added on top.

Do I need to register for GST?

Inland Revenue says you must register if your turnover was $60,000 or more in the last 12 months, or is likely to reach $60,000 in the next 12 months. Once that applies, you have 21 days to register. You can also register voluntarily below the threshold. Read the rules on IRD's registering for GST page and talk to your accountant if you're close to the line.

What GST settings matter in Shopify?

• Collect tax in New Zealand: turn it on in the tax settings once you're registered, at 15%.
• Prices include tax: tick it, so prices you enter already contain GST.
• GST on shipping: charge GST on delivery fees too.
• Your GST number: add it to order confirmations and invoices so business customers can claim the GST back.

If you're not registered yet, leave tax collection off. Charging GST when you aren't registered isn't allowed, and IRD treats adding GST to your prices as a reason you must register.

How should I set up NZ shipping zones and rural delivery?

Most NZ stores need two domestic zones to start: urban New Zealand and rural delivery. Couriers charge extra for rural addresses, and if you don't pass that cost on, it comes out of your margin on every rural order.

• Flat rates: simple and easy to understand, such as one price for standard delivery and a higher one for rural. This suits light products.
• Free shipping over a threshold: set it high enough that your average margin covers the courier cost.
• Calculated rates: a courier app pulls live prices at checkout. Worth it if your products vary a lot in weight or size.
• Local pickup or delivery: turn on pickup if you have a shop or studio.

For labels and tracking, connect a courier app. NZ Post, NZ Couriers and Aramex are the common carriers. Apps such as Starshipit, an NZ-built app that NZ Post lists as a shipping partner, connect your Shopify orders to those carriers so you can print labels and send tracking emails without retyping addresses. Compare plans and carriers before you commit, because pricing and supported services change.

Which payment options work on Shopify in NZ?

Shopify Payments works in New Zealand and is the simplest place to start. It takes Visa, Mastercard, American Express and EFTPOS cards co-branded with Visa or Mastercard. Apple Pay, Google Pay and Shop Pay switch on automatically with it, according to Shopify's NZ payment methods page. If you use a different payment gateway instead, Shopify adds its own transaction fee on top, so most small NZ stores stay with Shopify Payments.

Can I offer Afterpay or Laybuy?

Afterpay is added separately from Shopify Payments, through Afterpay's own Shopify app, and it charges you a fee on each order. It tends to suit stores with higher-value orders, where splitting the payment helps people buy.

Laybuy's NZ business went into receivership in June 2024. Klarna bought its assets later that year and relaunched it as Laybuy by Klarna in 2025. If your customers ask for it, check its current merchant onboarding and whether it connects to Shopify before you promise it at checkout. Don't add more than one or two buy-now-pay-later options. Each one adds a logo, a fee and another dashboard to reconcile.

What legal pages does an NZ online store need?

At minimum: a returns and refunds page, a privacy statement, shipping information, terms of sale and contact details. Shopify has templates for these, but the defaults are written for overseas stores, so rewrite them for NZ.

Returns and the Consumer Guarantees Act

Your returns policy can't take away rights customers have under the Consumer Guarantees Act. If a product has a fault, the customer is entitled to a repair, replacement or refund. For a serious fault, they choose which. Store credit isn't an acceptable remedy for a faulty product. You can say no to change-of-mind returns, but say so clearly. Consumer Protection's guidance for businesses sets out what you owe.

Privacy statement under the Privacy Act 2020

Your store collects names, addresses, emails and order history, so the Privacy Act 2020 applies. Tell customers what you collect, why, who you share it with (your courier, payment provider and email platform) and how they can see or correct it. The Privacy Commissioner has a free statement generator, Priv-o-matic, and guidance on what a privacy statement should cover.

Should my Shopify store use a .co.nz domain?

For a store that sells to New Zealanders, yes. A .co.nz tells shoppers and Google you're local. You can buy one through Shopify or any NZ registrar. If you buy elsewhere, connect it to Shopify by updating two DNS records, and set it as the primary domain so the myshopify.com address redirects. Set up email on the domain too (orders@ or hello@ looks more trustworthy than a Gmail address).

How should I prepare product data and images?

This is the job that takes longest, and the one that most affects sales. For each product you need:

• a clear title that says what it is, using the words people search for
• a description that answers the questions customers would ask in a shop
• price including GST, cost price, SKU and barcode if you have one
• weight, so shipping rates calculate correctly
• variants set up properly (size, colour or scent) rather than as separate products
• images on a consistent background, all the same shape, at least 2,048 pixels on the long edge

If you have more than 30 or so products, build them in a spreadsheet and import the CSV. It's faster and easier to check. For the Florence Society Keune store, which has 120 products and is launching soon, we built the full catalogue this way before any of it touched the theme.

What SEO basics should I set up on Shopify?

Shopify handles the technical side well: a sitemap, SSL and mobile-friendly themes. You still need to do the content work.

• Write a unique SEO title and meta description for the home page, every collection and your top products.
• Add alt text to product images that describes the product.
• Keep URLs short and readable, such as /products/curl-cream rather than a long string.
• Write collection descriptions. Collections often rank better than single products.
• Connect Google Search Console and submit your sitemap on launch day.
• If you're moving from another site, set up redirects from every old URL so you keep your rankings.

What's on a Shopify launch checklist?

Check	What to confirm
Currency and region	Store set to NZD, NZ address, metric weights
GST	Prices include tax, GST on shipping, GST number on invoices (if registered)
Shipping	Urban and rural zones, rates tested on a rural address, courier app connected
Payments	Shopify Payments live, Apple Pay and Google Pay showing, payout bank account verified
Test orders	One real order placed and refunded on phone and desktop
Legal pages	Returns, privacy, shipping and terms rewritten for NZ, linked in the footer
Domain and email	.co.nz set as primary, email notifications sent from your domain
Products	Every product has price, weight, images, description and stock levels
SEO	Titles and descriptions written, Search Console connected, redirects in place
Mobile	Full checkout tested on a phone, menus and filters work at small screen sizes

DIY or hire a Shopify developer in NZ?

Do it yourself if you have under 25 products, a free or paid theme you like as it is, and time to learn. Shopify is built for owners to run. Plenty of good NZ stores started that way.

Hire a Shopify developer when:

• you have a large catalogue, or you're moving from WooCommerce or another platform and need redirects
• you want a design that looks like your brand rather than a template
• you need something custom, such as bookings, packages or wholesale pricing
• your time is worth more running the business than learning tax and shipping settings

We built the Shopify store for UKIYO, a salon and haircare brand in Wānaka, so every setting above has been used on a live store. You can read how we built the UKIYO store. We've also used Shopify for things beyond products, such as wedding packages for Wantwood Station.

Our prices are published. A Shopify store build is $3,950 for Starter or $6,950 for the Full store. If you only need a simple shop, our à la carte website starts at $990, with an online shop add-on (up to 25 products) for $490 and clean product images (up to 25) for $149. Builds are payable over 3, 6, 9 or 12 months with no extra fees. You can price your project or build your website online. Salon owners can see our salon websites. Whoever you choose, our guide to choosing a Shopify developer in NZ covers the questions to ask.