I’ve been getting complaints from customers about import taxes or customs duties. Is there a way to inform international customers before or while they are placing an order that import taxes or customs duties may apply?
@Johnny724 , I suppose this can’t be achieved with the default Shopify functionality. Our app called Calcurates has an “international duties & taxes” feature that retrieves estimated duties & taxes and then you have options:
- Include duties & taxes into the shipping rates configured within the app and charge DDP (Delivery Duties Paid upfront)
- Do not include duties & taxes into the shipping rates (DDU - Delivery Duties Unpaid) but display the amount in the shipping method’s description at checkout for information purposes. This shipping method also must be configured within the app. Description example: Estimated duties & taxes (not included) - 25 USD. This text is fully customizable.
- Provide your customers with a choice at checkout - DDP or DDU
I suppose #2 is what you are looking for. Note, that for estimated duties & taxes accuracy you will have to add HS codes and Country of Manufacture to all your products. Those are default fields in Shopify Product’s settings.
Thanks, but I don’t want to pay an additional $69 a month for another service that should be included with Shopify.
Understandable. However being in the industry I am not aware of any free solutions that can solve this. Retrieving estimated duties & taxes is a pricey activity.
Hello @Johnny724
There is no built-in Shopify option to display a custom message to International customers. However, if you’re looking for a solution without additional costs, here are some alternatives:
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Shipping Method Name/Description: If you have configured flat rates in Shopify, you can rename the shipping method to include a message
(or) add a note in the description of the shipping option as shown below. -
Cart/Checkout Customization: You can customize your Store theme for the cart or checkout pages to display a custom message on your store. You can take a help from a developer (or) contact Shopify tech support to get more details on editing the Theme template.
Hope this helps!
Hi Johnny,
I would also suggest to make a note of any “customs policy” as well as some terms in the footer of your site (and even in the FAQ section).
This would ensure that any users visiting your store would be alerted of the same in a timely manner.
Hi Johnny - we needed something similar to let buyers from USA know they would need to pay duties etc. I used the helpful instructions from this shopify community post to add a line of text above Shipping Method on the check out page so it now looks like this.
I’m sure there will still be some people who don’t see the notice but it’s better than paying for shopify pro. Or yet another app!
This is one of the most common international shipping complaints. There are two approaches depending on your Shopify plan:
Option A — Collect duties at checkout (DDP). Settings → Taxes & Duties → enable duty collection for specific markets. Customers see the full landed cost before paying — no surprises. This requires HS codes and Country of Origin on your products so Shopify can calculate the correct duty. This is the better long-term solution.
Option B — Keep DAP but set expectations. Add a notice in these places:
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Shipping policy page — add a section explaining that international orders may be subject to import duties collected by the carrier on delivery
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Cart page — add a line via your theme’s cart template or an announcement bar for international visitors
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Order confirmation email — customize to include a note about potential duties
For Option A, the key step is getting HS codes on your products. For a small catalog you can look them up manually at hts.usitc.gov (US) or trade-tariff.service.gov.uk (UK). For larger catalogs, search the Shopify App Store for “hs code” — there are apps that automate classification so you don’t have to look up each product individually.
Option A is almost always better. Customers who see the full price upfront rarely complain. Customers who get a surprise courier charge at their door leave bad reviews and request chargebacks.
Honestly the simplest fix is to just collect duties at checkout instead of trying to warn people about them. If you’re on Advanced plan, go to Settings → Taxes & Duties and enable duty collection for your international markets. Customer sees the full price including duties before they pay, no surprises, no complaints.
The catch is you need HS codes and country of origin on your products for it to calculate correctly. Without those it either guesses or shows zero, which is worse than showing nothing. For a small catalog you can look them up at hts.usitc.gov, for a bigger one there are apps that automate it.
If you’re not on Advanced and can’t collect duties at checkout, then yeah, adding a note to your shipping policy page and cart is the next best thing. But it’s always going to be a worse experience than just showing the real number upfront.