How To Use Shopify In Sri Lanka [The Complete Guide]

Shopify in Sri Lanka has become increasingly popular as an eCommerce platform for both beginners and experienced entrepreneurs.

Shopify is a popular e-commerce platform that allows businesses to create online stores and sell their products to customers around the world.

With over 3,000 live Shopify stores in Sri Lanka, it’s clear that the platform is a popular choice for businesses looking to expand their online presence.

But what payment options are available for Shopify in Sri Lanka, and how do you pay for your subscription?

In this article, we’ll explore these questions and more to help you decide if Shopify is the right choice for your business.

What is Shopify?

Shopify is an all-in-one eCommerce platform that makes it easy to launch your dream business and start selling to your customers.

It’s a complete solution for entrepreneurs who want to easily build their own online store with no technical skills needed.

Shopify is one of the best-known eCommerce platforms and has become the most popular choice for online stores.

It’s a large e-commerce hosting platform headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, and has exploded over the past decade.

It has become a staple for online retailers around the world, being present in Sri Lanka also.

Several Shopify websites in Sri Lanka are reaping the benefits of gaining a self-hosted, easy-to-navigate platform for their online brands, and this number is expected to grow. 

Is Shopify Available in Sri Lanka?

Yes, Shopify is available in Sri Lanka. In fact, it is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms in the country.

Shopify is a global e-commerce platform that allows you to create an online store and sell your products online.

It has a strong presence in Sri Lanka, with many local businesses using the platform to sell their products online. You can use Shopify to sell physical, digital, and services.

The platform offers a wide range of features and tools to help you manage your online store, including payment processing, shipping and fulfillment, and marketing and analytics.

One of the benefits of using Shopify in Sri Lanka is that the platform fully complies with local regulations and laws.

This means that you can use Shopify to sell your products online without worrying about legal issues or compliance requirements.

How Does Shopify Work in Sri Lanka?

As I’ve mentioned earlier, Shopify is basically good for newbie entrepreneurs who are just getting started with the eCommerce business.

You really don’t have to know the specifics to get started with Shopify in Sri Lanka.

To use Shopify in Sri Lanka, you must sign up for a free Shopify account, and the Shopify wizard will take you through the whole process.

To start using Shopify in Sri Lanka, you’ll have to have a product you want to sell. Once you have that, upload your product pictures, the shipping order, and the product quantity.

The Shopify platform supports two popular ways of selling online. The first is having your product inventory yourself, and the other is through dropshipping

Who Can Use Shopify in Sri Lanka? 

Basically, any eCommerce entrepreneur in Sri Lanka can use the Shopify store to sell their products online. 

So technically, depending on what brand or niche you focus on around physical or digital products, Shopify can be your safe haven.

below are samples of what you can use your Shopify store to sell online (Both physical and digital products) 

• Fashion
• Art
• Jewellery and Accessories
• Electronics
• Foods
• Memberships
• Home and Garden
• Furniture
• Sport and Recreation
• Toys and Games
• Service appointments
• Craft
• Books
• Consultations
• Quotes, estimates, and assessments
• Rentals
• Donations
• Event tickets
• Digital gift cards
• And much more… 

How To Sell on Shopify in Sri Lanka

Selling is the process of marketing products online, including everything from marketing, advertising, order management, shipping, and more.

Using social media and SEO (search engine optimization) is extremely important if you want to attract new customers to your Shopify website. They work together, so use both to your advantage.

You can maximize your SEO potential by including accurate product descriptions and other content that has relevant keywords.

It takes a bit of time to build up some momentum, but eventually, you’ll start to see a few new visitors to your site.

Shopify offers multiple features to help you get the word out there about your online store.

You can use different Shopify marketing apps such as Facebook channel and SEO Suite to post on social media and track your analytics and SEO.

Many apps are actually free and can be used effectively to create great marketing and advertising campaigns.

Step 1: Create Your Shopify Account

To get started, you need to create a Shopify account. Go to the Shopify website and click on the “Get Started” button.

Normally, on the Shopify website, you’ll get access to a 14-day trial that you can use to explore Shopify.

But if you go through this Shopify promo page, you’ll gain access to a 3-month free trial for $1.

So to get started, head over to the Shopify promo page to create your Shopify account.

Enter your email address. Once you’ve done that, click “Start Free Trial” to proceed. After doing that, you’ll be taken to the next page.

So here, Shopify will work you through a short question process and answer with what best describes you.

It doesn’t matter if you’re right or wrong. Choose the best one that describes you. Once you’ve done that, Click next, and it will take you to the next page.

Just choose an online store since you want to use Shopify to create an online store. And not, choose what best what you want to use your Shopify store for.

Again, it doesn’t matter if you choose the right or wrong answer; it’s just a questionnaire for Shopify research purposes.

Once you’ve chosen where you’ll to sell to sell, click the next button.

Choose what best describes your Shopify business, whether for dropshipping in Sri Lanka, selling digital products, or even print-on-demand products you buy and want to resell online.

The next page will ask where you’ll open your Shopify store. Choose your country from the dropdown menu.

So chose your country and click the next button to create your Shopify store and login to your Shopify account.

Click on continue with email address, the next page will ask you to enter the password you’ll like to use.

Enter your password and your Shopify account will be created. Once it’s created you see your dashboard like this…

Once in your Shopify dashboard, you’ll see the step of things you have to do. Like picking a pricing plan, adding a product and customising your Shopify store.

Step 2: Adding Products to Your Store

Once you’ve created your store, you can start adding products.

From you dashboard from the left hand-side click on the “Products” tab and then click “Add product” to add a new product.

Once you’ve click on add products you’ll be prompted at the next page to enter the product’s name, description, price, and other details.

You can also upload images of your products to make them more appealing and add pricing.

If the product have any variant, you can also add them here.

Step 3: Designing Your Shopify Store

You can start designing your store after creating your account and adding products.

Shopify offers a wide range of themes and templates that you can use to customize your store’s design.

From the left side of your dashboard, click “Online Store.” it will bring a preview of your store based on the existing design.

Next, you can click on customize to start designing the store.

If you don’t like the existing theme, click on add theme below the customize button or scroll down to choose from the free available Shopify themes.

Choose a theme that suits your business and customize it to your liking. You can also add your logo, change the colors, and add images to make your store look more professional.

Step 4: Setting up Payment Methods

To start accepting payments, you need to set up payment methods. Shopify supports a wide range of payment gateways.

Go to the “Settings” tab and click on “Payment providers” to set up your payment methods.

Step 5: Choosing a Shopify Plan

After adding your products, customizing your store, you’ll need to choose a Shopify plan in other for your store to be visible and start your 3 month trial.

Shopify offers different pricing plans, depending on your business needs. Choose a plan that suits your business and budget.

You can start with the basic plan and upgrade later as your business grows. Once you add your payment details, you won’t be charge until the trials ends.

Step 6: Shipping and Delivery Options

Finally, you need to set up shipping and delivery options. Go to the “Settings” tab and click on “Shipping and delivery” to set up your shipping options.

You can choose to offer free shipping, flat rate shipping, or calculated shipping based on weight and destination.

Based on your store business, like dropshipping, your store needs to have a shipping option that caters to all countries you’ll be selling to.

How Do I Pay For Shopify in Sri Lanka?

When it comes to paying for Shopify in Sri Lanka, there are several options available to you. Here are some of the most common ways to pay for your Shopify subscription:

Credit or Debit Card

One of the easiest ways to pay for your Shopify subscription is by using a credit or debit card. Shopify accepts a variety of different cards, including Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.

Simply enter your card details into the payment section of your Shopify account, and your subscription will be automatically renewed each month.

Shopify Pricing In Sri Lanka

You should know that the monthly cost of selling with Shopify varies based on how many products you sell and other tools needed to run it successfully.

However, before choosing any plan, you have a 14-day free trial to test the platform. You can do this just to get familiarised with the platform and see what works and what doesn’t.

Shopify cost in Sri Lanka comes in different plans.

• Shopify Basic costs $32 monthly (and 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction)
• The Shopify plan cost $92 monthly (and 2.6% + 30¢ per transaction)
• Advanced Shopify cost $399 monthly (and 2.4% + 30¢ per transaction)

Another thing you should know about the plan is that – you get a 10% discount on any plan you choose if you pay straight for a year. And a 20% discount if you pay straight up for two years.

You can purchase additional pricing packages or another pricing package for your Shopify store. They include:

• Shopify Lite lets you sell on an existing website and costs $9/month
• Shopify Plus is designed for enterprises, costing $2000/month

Please also note that there is no charge for manual payment methods on your Shopify store, such as cash on delivery or bank transfer

What Are The Best Payment Gateway Options for Shopify in Sri Lanka?

Shopify is a great platform to use. It’s user-friendly, customizable, and has a wide range of features.

However, choosing the right payment gateway is crucial to ensure that your transactions are secure and smooth.

Here are some of the best payment gateway options for Shopify in Sri Lanka:

1. PayHere

PayHere is a popular payment gateway in Sri Lanka that integrates well with Shopify. It accepts payments from credit/debit cards, mobile wallets, and bank transfers.

PayHere is also PCI DSS compliant, ensuring that your customers’ data is secure. The transaction fees are reasonable, and there are no setup or monthly fees.

2. PayHere Lite

PayHere Lite is a simplified version of PayHere, designed for small businesses. It’s easy to set up and has lower transaction fees than PayHere.

However, it only accepts payments from credit/debit cards.

3. Sampath Bank Payment Gateway

Sampath Bank Payment Gateway is another popular option for Sri Lankan businesses. It accepts payments from credit/debit cards, mobile wallets, and internet banking.

Sampath Bank Payment Gateway is also PCI DSS compliant and has reasonable transaction fees.

4. DirectPay

DirectPay is a payment gateway that accepts payments from credit/debit cards, mobile wallets, and bank transfers.

It’s easy to set up and has no monthly fees. However, the transaction fees are relatively high compared to other options.

5. 2Checkout

2Checkout is an international payment gateway that supports Sri Lankan businesses. It accepts payments from credit/debit cards, PayPal, and bank transfers.

2Checkout is also PCI DSS compliant and has reasonable transaction fees. However, it may take longer to set up compared to local options.

Other Shopify Payment Gateway For Sri Lanka

Includes the following:

• 2 Advanced Credit/Debit Card – UseePay
• 2Checkout
• 2Checkout Convert Plus (by Verifone)
• Atome PayLater – 3 easy payments, 0% interest
• BitPay
• Cartão de Crédito – Oceanpayment
• Checkout.com – Offsite Payments
• Coinbase Commerce
• Credit / Debit Card – Mint
• Credit/Debit Card Payments via Paynamics
• Credit/Debit Cards and e-Wallets
• Crypto.com Pay
• FasterPay
• HitPay
• iPay88 Malaysia
• LianLian Pay
• NihaoPay
• Oceanpayment
• OnePAY – Credit/ATM card/QR
• OnePAY – Installment (Credit Card)
• ONERWAY
• Paymentwall
• Payoneer Checkout
• PayTabs KSA
• PayTabs UAE
• PayTR – Kredi / Banka Kartı
• Payzone Maroc
• PingPong Checkout
• Rapyd Payments
• Skrill
• Skrill Official
• Splitit
• TapPay
• wallee Payments
• Xendit Payment Gateway (New)

Can Cryptocurrency Be Used as a Payment Gateway For Shopify in Sri Lanka?

Shopify provides various payment gateway options for its users. However, if you want cryptocurrency as a payment gateway for your Shopify store in Sri Lanka, there are a few things to consider.

Firstly, it is important to note that the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has not yet recognized cryptocurrencies as legal tender here in the country.

This means that merchants here cannot legally accept cryptocurrencies as payment for goods and services in Sri Lanka.

However, there are still ways to accept cryptocurrency payments through third-party payment gateways that support cryptocurrencies.

One such payment gateway is Solana Pay, which supports USDC and settles transactions in less than a second for a fraction of a penny.

How can I integrate PayHere with my Shopify store in Sri Lanka?

To integrate PayHere with your Shopify store, you’ll need to follow these steps:

1. Sign up for a PayHere account: The first step is to sign up for a PayHere account if you haven’t already. You’ll need to provide basic information about your business.
2. Install the PayHere app: Once you’ve signed up for a PayHere account, you’ll need to install the PayHere app from the Shopify app store. This app will allow you to connect your PayHere account with your Shopify store.
3. Configure your PayHere settings: After installing the PayHere app, you must configure your PayHere settings. This includes setting up your payment options, such as the payment methods you want to accept and the currencies you want to support.
4. Test your integration: Once you’ve configured your PayHere settings, testing your integration is important to ensure everything works as expected. You can do this by placing a test order on your Shopify store and checking that the payment is processed correctly.

Pros and Cons of the Shopify eCommerce Platform

Let’s explore both their strength and limitations when it comes to selling with the popular Shopify platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s look at some of the frequently asked questions about Shopify in Sri Lanka. This will provide more info to queries we haven’t torched in the content.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Shopify is the best e-commerce platform for businesses in Sri Lanka. It provides businesses with everything they need to succeed online.

One of the biggest advantages of Shopify is its local market integration.

Sri Lanka businesses can easily set up their store, customize their site to their brand, and manage their inventory and orders all in one place.

This makes it easy for businesses to focus on growing their brand and increasing sales.

Additionally, Shopify offers a wide range of apps and integrations that can help businesses streamline their operations and improve their customer experience.