Shopify Markets is the built-in tool that lets one Shopify store sell to multiple countries with localized currency, language, pricing, and domains, included on every plan. Duties and import tax calculation require Advanced or Plus. A separate option called Managed Markets, powered by Global-e, takes over tax remittance and customs as your merchant of record for an added per-order fee. The two solve different problems, and most stores only need one of them.
Shopify Markets vs Managed Markets
A defining sentence before the comparison: these are two different products inside the same admin, and confusing them leads to the wrong setup choice.
| Shopify Markets | Managed Markets | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Lets you configure currency, language, pricing, and domain per region | Acts as merchant of record, handling tax remittance, customs, and local payment methods |
| Who handles compliance | You | Global-e, on your behalf |
| Plan requirement | Included on every plan, deeper controls on Advanced and Plus | Basic plan or higher with an online store |
| Core fee | Standard Shopify Payments processing rate | 1.5% currency conversion fee plus Shopify Payments processing |
| Best for | Stores comfortable handling their own international tax obligations | Stores that want cross-border compliance handled for them |
What Counts as a Market
A market is a group of one or more regions that your store actively sells into. Per Charle’s 2026 breakdown of the redesigned Markets admin, one Shopify store can run up to 50 markets total, each with its own currency, language, product catalog, theme customization, and domain.
Two terms matter here:
- Parent market: A template you create, for example a Europe market set to EUR with a specific catalog and theme
- Submarket: A region inside that parent market that inherits its settings but can override any of them individually
This structure is what lets one backend serve genuinely different shopping experiences to different countries without running separate stores for each.
Which Plan You Need for Which Feature
| Feature | Basic | Grow | Advanced | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region markets | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Currency conversion | Yes | Yes | Yes, lower FX fee | Yes, lowest FX fee |
| Language localization | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Duties and import tax at checkout | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| B2B markets | No | No | No | Yes |
Region-level markets work on every plan, which means a small store can start selling internationally without upgrading. The gap shows up specifically around duties: if you want tax and import charges calculated and shown at checkout rather than surprising the customer on delivery, that requires Advanced or Plus.
Currency and Pricing
Shopify Markets converts your prices automatically using either live exchange rates or manual rates you set yourself. You can also enable currency rounding, so a converted price lands on a number like .99 or .95 instead of an awkward decimal.
Localized pricing goes a step further: you can set a market-specific price that differs from a straight currency conversion, useful when local purchasing power or competitive pricing in that market doesn’t match a simple exchange-rate translation.
Languages and Localization
You can translate your storefront manually or through a translation app. Shopify’s own admin supports adding multiple languages under Settings, with proper localized URL structure for each, which matters for international SEO since a translated page needs its own indexable URL rather than a client-side language switch.
Duties and Import Taxes
On Advanced and Plus, you can turn on duties and import tax calculation at checkout for eligible markets. The customer sees the full landed cost, including import charges, before paying, rather than getting hit with a customs bill on delivery. This single feature is one of the more reliable ways to reduce refused or abandoned international packages, since the most common cause of both is an unexpected charge after the order already shipped.
Managed Markets: The Merchant-of-Record Option
Per Shopify’s own Managed Markets documentation, this feature is powered by a partner called Global-e. When a Managed Markets order comes in, Shopify Payments processes the transaction and holds the funds, then Global-e acts as the merchant of record for that cross-border sale, registering for and remitting local taxes on your behalf.
The core fee is a 1.5% currency conversion charge plus your standard Shopify Payments processing rate. By default, these fees get built into the price the international buyer sees, so your net payout stays close to what a domestic sale would return rather than reducing your payout after the fact.
What you get in exchange for the fee:
- Shop Pay and local payment methods available in the buyer’s own country and currency
- Delivered duty paid shipping, so customers never get a surprise charge at delivery
- Automatic fraud chargeback protection on US Managed Markets orders
- Exchange rates that stabilize weekly rather than floating with the market in real time
Real Costs of Selling Internationally on Shopify
| Cost | Standard Markets | Managed Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Currency conversion | Included in standard processing | 1.5% FX fee |
| Duties and tax handling | Calculated at checkout (Advanced/Plus only), you remain responsible for remittance | Calculated and remitted by Global-e |
| Compliance responsibility | Yours | Global-e’s, as merchant of record |
Independent cost estimates vary on the all-in cross-border total once every fee layer is combined. If you’re still working out your overall Shopify budget before adding international fees on top, our cost to start an online store breakdown and Shopify transaction fees guide cover the domestic baseline first.
Setting Up Your First Market
- Decide whether you need standard Markets or Managed Markets, based on whether you want to handle international tax compliance yourself
- Create your first market and assign the countries or regions you actually plan to sell into, not every country Shopify supports by default
- Set your currency conversion method, automatic exchange rate or manual, and enable rounding if you want clean price endings
- Add a language for that market if you’re localizing content, and confirm the translated pages get their own URLs
- If you’re on Advanced or Plus and selling into a market with import duties, turn on duties and import tax calculation before launch, not after your first customer complaint
Common Shopify Markets Setup Mistakes
A few mistakes show up repeatedly when stores configure Markets for the first time, and most are easy to avoid once you know to check for them.
- Adding every country Shopify supports instead of the ones you actually ship to. This creates markets you have no real plan to serve, cluttering your admin and sometimes triggering tax or compliance obligations in regions you never intended to sell into.
- Translating the storefront without checking URL structure. A translated page needs its own indexable URL for international SEO to work. A language switcher that only changes visible text without changing the URL gets little search benefit.
- Turning on duties calculation after launch instead of before. The entire point of showing duties at checkout is preventing a surprise charge on delivery. Enabling it only after customers start complaining defeats the purpose.
- Assuming Managed Markets removes all tax responsibility. Global-e handles remittance for Managed Markets orders specifically, but any sales outside that scope, or product categories with special regulatory requirements, can still fall back to you as the merchant.
- Setting currency conversion without rounding enabled. A converted price landing on an odd decimal looks unpolished and slightly undermines trust compared to a clean, rounded local price.
Get Set Up the Right Way
Once you’ve decided which Markets approach fits your store, the next step is making sure your broader Shopify setup can support it.
Sell in Multiple Countries
Reach customers worldwide from a single Shopify store while managing products, orders, and inventory from one dashboard.
Offer Local Currencies
Display prices in customers’ local currencies to improve trust and increase international conversion rates.
Create Localized Shopping Experiences
Customize languages, domains, and regional settings so shoppers see content tailored to their country.
Simplify International Shipping
Show accurate shipping rates, duties, and import taxes at checkout to reduce surprises and improve customer satisfaction.
Test New Global Markets
Expand into new countries with minimal risk by launching localized experiences before investing in dedicated regional stores.
Scale a Global Ecommerce Brand
Manage international sales, pricing, and customer experiences across multiple markets without the complexity of running separate Shopify stores.
FAQ’s
Is Shopify Markets free?
Region-level Markets functionality is included with every Shopify plan at no extra subscription cost. You still pay your standard Shopify Payments processing rate on every transaction, and Managed Markets adds a separate 1.5% currency conversion fee if you choose to use it.
What is the difference between Shopify Markets and Markets Pro?
Markets Pro has been renamed Managed Markets in Shopify’s current documentation. It is the merchant-of-record service powered by Global-e, distinct from the standard Markets feature that just handles currency, language, and pricing localization.
Do I need Shopify Plus to sell internationally?
No. Region markets, currency conversion, and language localization work on every plan. Plus is only required for B2B markets specifically, and Advanced or Plus is required for duties and import tax calculation at checkout.
How many markets can one Shopify store have?
Up to 50 markets total, including your primary market, each with its own currency, language, catalog, and domain configuration.
Does Managed Markets handle my international taxes for me?
Yes. Global-e acts as your merchant of record for Managed Markets orders, registering for and remitting local taxes on your behalf, rather than leaving that compliance work to you.
Why would I choose standard Markets instead of Managed Markets?
Standard Markets has a lower direct fee structure since you’re not paying the 1.5% currency conversion charge, but you take on the responsibility of managing international tax registration and remittance yourself. It suits stores that already have that compliance handled or operate in fewer markets.
Can I show customers the exact import duty before they pay?
Yes, on Advanced and Plus, by enabling duties and import tax calculation at checkout for eligible markets. This shows the full landed cost upfront rather than charging duties on delivery.