How to set up Shopify if you're based in the Philippines

Step-by-step setup, the payment gateways that work for Philippine stores, the extra fees you'll pay without Shopify Payments, and what changes when you sell overseas.

By Borderless PinoyUpdated 7 min read

Quick answer

Yes, you can open a Shopify store from the Philippines. Plans are priced in US dollars, from US$19 (≈ ₱1,200)[1] a month billed yearly.[2] But Shopify Payments isn't available to Philippine stores, so you connect a third-party gateway such as PayMongo, Xendit or HitPay, and Shopify adds its own fee of 0.6% to 2% on every order on top of the gateway's fee.[3][2]

Without Shopify Payments, your checkout also runs in your store's default currency, which matters if you sell to buyers overseas.[4]

Clients or buyers overseas? Read the free Chapter 0 of the Borderless Pinoy course to check whether registering a company abroad fits your business.

Get free Chapter 0

How to set up Shopify from the Philippines

  1. Register your businessPayment gateways ask for a DTI or SEC registration and your BIR Form 2303 before they'll pay you out. See the registration guide.
  2. Start a Shopify planChoose Basic, Grow or Advanced. Shopify usually offers a short free trial and then a discounted first few months.[2]
  3. Set your store currencyPick pesos if most buyers are Filipino, or US dollars if most are overseas. Without Shopify Payments, every order is charged in this currency.[4]
  4. Install a payment gateway appPayMongo, Xendit and HitPay each have Shopify integrations that take cards and Philippine e-wallets.[5][6][7] Apply with your business documents.
  5. Add PayPal if you sell abroadMany overseas buyers prefer it. Compare its fees first.
  6. Set up shipping, taxes and policiesThen place a test order before you launch.

What it costs to sell on Shopify from the Philippines

PlanMonthly (billed yearly)Shopify's fee on third-party gateways
BasicUS$19 (≈ ₱1,200)2% per order
GrowUS$49 (≈ ₱3,100)1% per order
AdvancedUS$299 (≈ ₱18,700)0.6% per order

Source: Shopify Philippines pricing.[2] The fee is charged on top of what your gateway charges. For example, an international card payment through PayMongo costs 4.02% + ₱13.39, plus 2% to Shopify on the Basic plan, so about 6% of the order before currency conversion.[8]

Payment gateways for Philippine Shopify stores

GatewayWhat it takesNotes
PayMongoCards, GCash, Maya, GrabPay, buy-now-pay-later and online banking[5]Three Shopify plugins. International cards at 4.02% + ₱13.39.[8]
XenditVisa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex, GCash, ShopeePay, GrabPay, banks and over-the-counter outlets[6]Peso and US dollar pricing available.[9]
HitPayCards, GCash and QR Ph[7]Its Shopify payments app adds 0.5%.[7]

Selling to buyers overseas

This is where a Philippine Shopify store runs into limits. Showing prices and charging customers in their own currency needs Shopify Payments. Without it, every order is processed in your store's default currency, even if you set different prices for different markets.[4] Shopify Balance, Shopify's business account, is only available in the US.[10]

Your overseas buyers will still be able to pay, but they'll see a foreign currency at checkout and pay their bank's conversion fees, which can cost you sales.

Using Shopify Payments through a company abroad

Shopify Payments is available in 41 countries, including the US, the UAE and several Asian business hubs.[3] Filipino sellers who mainly sell overseas often register a company in one of these countries, online, and connect it to their Shopify store. That unlocks Shopify Payments, local-currency checkouts, no third-party transaction fee, and Stripe for other tools.

The company has yearly costs of its own, about ₱150,000 all-in in the setups the Borderless Pinoy course compares, so it makes sense once your overseas sales can carry it.[11] As a Philippine resident you still have obligations here, so plan your setup with a CPA.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use Shopify in the Philippines?

Yes. You can open and run a Shopify store from the Philippines, with plans priced in US dollars from US$19 (≈ ₱1,200) a month billed yearly. You'll need a third-party payment gateway because Shopify Payments isn't available to Philippine stores.

Is Shopify Payments available in the Philippines?

No. Shopify Payments is offered in 41 countries, and the Philippines isn't one of them. Philippine stores use third-party gateways such as PayMongo, Xendit or HitPay.

What payment gateway should I use for Shopify in the Philippines?

PayMongo, Xendit and HitPay all integrate with Shopify and accept cards and Philippine e-wallets such as GCash. Compare their fees and add Shopify's 0.6% to 2% third-party transaction fee.

How much does Shopify charge Philippine sellers?

Plans start at US$19 (≈ ₱1,200) a month billed yearly. Because Philippine stores can't use Shopify Payments, Shopify also charges 2% per order on Basic, 1% on Grow and 0.6% on Advanced, on top of your gateway's fee.

Can a Philippine Shopify store charge in US dollars?

You can set your store's default currency to US dollars, and all orders will be charged in it. Charging each buyer in their own local currency needs Shopify Payments, which isn't available to Philippine stores.

Selling mostly to buyers overseas?

See the setup the course teaches for registering a company abroad online, with Shopify Payments and local-currency checkouts, run from the Philippines. The course is ₱699, separate from what the company itself costs to set up and keep.

Read free Chapter 0Enroll for ₱699

Sources

  1. Exchange rates used for peso equivalents: US$1 = ₱62.70 and AED 1 = ₱17.07 (mid-market, 23 September 2026, the same rates as the course's Chapter 2 cost comparison). Amounts are rounded.
  2. Shopify Philippines, pricing and third-party transaction fees
  3. Shopify Help Center, Shopify Payments supported countries
  4. Shopify Help Center, limitations when selling in multiple currencies
  5. PayMongo Docs, Shopify plugins
  6. Xendit Help Center, payment channels available in Shopify
  7. HitPay, Shopify integration for the Philippines
  8. PayMongo, pricing
  9. Xendit Philippines, pricing
  10. Shopify Help Center, Shopify Balance eligibility
  11. Borderless Pinoy course, Chapter 2 cost comparison (published provider and government prices, September 2026)

This guide is general information. Shopify and payment providers change their plans, fees and supported countries often, so check their sites before you sign up. Sources checked 14 October 2026.