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?
Topic summary
Goal: Warn international customers about possible import taxes/duties during checkout.
Paid option (estimates provided):
- Calcurates app can calculate estimated duties & taxes with three modes:
- DDP (Delivery Duties Paid): include duties/taxes in shipping rate and charge upfront.
- DDU (Delivery Duties Unpaid): show an estimated amount in the shipping method description but don’t charge it.
- Let customers choose DDP vs DDU.
- Accuracy requires adding HS codes (Harmonized System) and Country of Manufacture to products.
- Concern: merchant rejects $69/month cost; vendor notes no free accurate estimator.
Free/built‑in workarounds (no exact estimates):
- Rename shipping methods or add a description note to flat-rate shipping (e.g., “Import duties/taxes may apply”).
- Add a custom notice on cart/checkout via theme edits or with developer/Shopify support.
- Add a customs policy/FAQ and footer notice to set expectations.
Most recent update:
- A user followed a community guide to insert a text line above the Shipping Method on checkout; screenshot shows the placement. Helpful but some buyers may still miss it.
Status: No native Shopify feature to automatically inform international buyers with calculated duties. Outcome undecided; thread remains open.
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@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.
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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.
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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:
-
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!
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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!