Enable sales to be placed via API for international addresses on Shopify that only accepts domestic

Retired Boards Appdev Custom Storefronts
,

Topic summary

Goal: Enable a retail partner to create orders via the Shopify API, including international shipping addresses, while the public storefront remains limited to US checkout. Orders would be free by applying 100%-off discount codes.

Key constraints: Store only sells domestically via its online checkout. The partner will not use POS and will place orders exclusively through the API.

Requirements: API-created orders should accept international delivery even if the storefront blocks non-US checkouts. Shopify should manage discount code validation, fulfillment, order notifications, and delivery status; inventory checks are unnecessary due to made-to-order items.

Assumptions/Out-of-scope: Shipping charges and any refunds will be handled by the partner outside of Shopify. No payment processing is needed for these orders in Shopify.

Open question: Can API-placed orders bypass the storefront’s geographic restriction and be created with international addresses? The poster seeks confirmation of feasibility and setup guidance.

Status: Unresolved; awaiting clarification or recommended approach.

Summarized with AI on December 23. AI used: gpt-5.
1

Hello. Thank you in advance for anyone that can clarify my options.
I’ll try to be clear with what our needs are…

Our online sneakers store sells only to domestic US addresses/customers.
We have a new retail partner that will sell our sneakers internationally and in the US, not using a POS, but instead using the Shopify API to place an order on our store using a list of 100%-off generated discount codes (so no charge).

Can this be done? Specifically, can they place an order via the API with an international delivery even if online visitors to our store can only checkout if they are within the United States?

Shipping charges and refunds will be handled by the retailer, so we don’t need to worry about processing that in Shopify; I just need Shopify to handle the fulfillment. These sneakers are made-to-order, so I don’t really need to check for available inventory, just discount code validation, fulfillment, order notifications, and delivery status.

Thanks again for any help and guidance. - Oliver