Selling Chinese Herbal Supplements

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

An acupuncture practice wants to sell a small selection of Chinese herbal supplements through Shopify as a secondary revenue stream and is concerned about potential account shutdown.

Consensus: Yes, it’s allowed with proper compliance

  • Shopify permits supplement sales if products follow the platform’s Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) and local regulations (e.g., FDA requirements in the US)
  • Key compliance requirements include: proper labeling, avoiding unsubstantiated medical claims, sourcing from GMP-certified suppliers, and using FDA disclaimers in marketing

Potential risks identified:

  • Complete store shutdown is unlikely unless there are repeated policy violations
  • More common risk: Shopify Payments may flag or restrict accounts selling supplements (considered high-risk)
  • Recommended mitigation: Consider using third-party payment gateways like Authorize.net as backup

Practical advice for this specific case:

Given the low sales volume expected, risk exposure is minimal. The practice should leverage its acupuncture credibility while maintaining transparent sourcing and marketing practices. Multiple respondents provided links to Shopify’s official policies and related community discussions for detailed guidance.

Summarized with AI on October 29. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hello, we are an acupuncture practice with a few Chinese herbal supplements to sell on our platform. I am not anticipating selling a lot, our main revenue is from treating patients.

Are we able to sell Chinese Herbal supplements on Shopify? Is there a risk that our website could get shut down?

thank you.

2

Yes, you can sell Chinese herbal supplements on Shopify — just avoid making medical claims and ensure your products comply with local laws. Your store won’t be shut down if you follow Shopify’s rules and keep everything transparent.

3

@acuwilliamsburg

If you follow Shopify’s rules and the law (for example, FDA in the United States), you will be able to trade Chinese herbal remedies via Shopify. Ensure that you have labeled them correctly, do not make dubious claims on their effectiveness and buy only from GMP certified vendors.
Risk of closing the site?
The probability of complete closure is low unless there are repeated violations of Shopify’s policies. It is more probable that Shopify Payments would limit your account for selling supplements at high risk. Consider using third-party payment gateway like Authorize.net for risk mitigation.
Steps to Minimize Risks:
— Confirm with FDA or local laws that your products are fine and do not call them medicines.
— In case your products get flagged by Shopify Payments, use a high-risk-friendly payment gateway.
— Read through and understand the policies for Shopify as well as any international trade restrictions they may have in place.
— Be transparent in your marketing using FDA disclaimers.
— Act on customer complaints without delay.
For Your Practice:
Considering the fact that supplements only provide marginal incomes, this is a low risk area for you. Be sure to capitalize on your acupuncture credibility while maintaining proper sourcing and marketing strategies of it.

4

Hi there!

Shopify allows you to sell supplements, and you can quickly set up your store with Shopify Payments. However, you need to make sure your products adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). Check out all the details within our AUP to see what’s acceptable and what’s not.

Some supplements will be straightforward, others have restrictions, especially if they make certain health claims or promises that do not comply with Shopify advertising policies. It is always a good idea to double-check the list of restricted items here, and confirm that your products comply with our Acceptable Use Policy.

You may find it helpful:

Hope this helps.