How to Start a Shopify Store in Australia in 2026?
How to Start a Shopify Store in Australia in 2026?
You can start a Shopify store in Australia for as little as A$43 per month — and have your store live and accepting orders within 48 hours. Australia's ecommerce market is growing at over 12% per year, with more than 9.4 million Australians shopping online every week. In this guide, you will learn exactly how to set up your Shopify store, connect Australian payment gateways like Afterpay, configure GST, and attract your first Australian customers.
Australia Ecommerce in 2026: What Business Owners Need to Know
Australian ecommerce revenue reached A$63.8 billion in 2024, according to Australia Post's eCommerce Industry Report. Online shopping now accounts for 13.4% of all retail spending in Australia — and that share is rising every quarter. Over 9.4 million Australians shop online each week, meaning more than one in three Australian adults are active digital buyers.
For businesses based in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, or anywhere in between, an online store is no longer a nice-to-have. It is how you compete with larger retailers and reach customers in postcodes you could never serve from a physical location.
Shopify is the most widely used platform for independent Australian businesses. Brands like Showpo, Frank Body, and Contiki built their digital retail presence on Shopify — and the platform works just as well for a small Queensland clothing label or a Melbourne homewares maker. Shopify supports Australian GST calculations, integrates directly with Australia Post and Sendle, and has native support for Afterpay, which is now the number one buy-now-pay-later service in Australia.
The main alternative for Australian sellers is Amazon Australia or eBay AU. But the key difference is this: Amazon gives you a channel. Shopify gives you a brand. On Amazon, you compete on price. On Shopify, you own your customer relationships, collect emails, and build repeat business from loyal buyers. For most Australian businesses wanting to grow online, Shopify is the right platform to start with.
How to Start a Shopify Store in Australia: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Choose the Right Shopify Plan
Start with Shopify's Basic plan at A$43/month (monthly billing) or A$29/month (annual billing). The Basic plan covers unlimited products, a professional storefront, Shopify Payments, basic analytics, and a free SSL certificate. There is no reason to move to the Shopify plan (A$114/month) until your store generates consistent monthly revenue. Committing to an annual subscription saves around A$168 per year compared to monthly payments.
Step 2: Register a .com.au Domain
A .com.au domain tells Australian shoppers you are a local business. You can register one through Shopify for approximately A$20 per year, or through a registrar like Crazy Domains or Netfleet. The .com.au extension builds trust with Australian buyers who are cautious about purchasing from unfamiliar international stores. A recognisable Australian web address can meaningfully increase your conversion rate before visitors even reach your product pages.
Step 3: Activate Shopify Payments and Afterpay
Shopify Payments is available to Australian merchants and handles Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay, and Google Pay with no additional Shopify transaction fees. Go to Settings → Payments in your dashboard to activate it. You will need your Australian bank account details and ABN. Once active, immediately enable Afterpay — it is expected by a large portion of Australian buyers, particularly for orders between A$50 and A$500. Afterpay integration takes less than 30 minutes to configure through the Shopify app store.
Step 4: Set Up Australian GST
GST in Australia is set at 10%. In Shopify's Settings → Taxes, select Australia and Shopify will automatically calculate GST at checkout. Enter your ABN during setup. You must register for GST once your annual turnover exceeds A$75,000. Configuring your tax settings correctly before your first sale prevents pricing errors and potential compliance issues with the ATO. If you are unsure of your obligations, speak to an Australian accountant before launch.
Step 5: Configure Australian Shipping
Shopify integrates with Australia Post through the Australia Post Shopify app, which displays real-time calculated shipping rates at checkout. Sendle offers a flat rate of A$6.99 for parcels under 500g within Australia — ideal for clothing, accessories, or small product ranges. For international orders, DHL Express connects directly with Shopify and is the most reliable option for sending Australian goods to buyers in the UK, USA, and New Zealand. Offering free shipping on orders over A$100 is consistently the most effective offer for increasing average order values in the Australian market.
Step 6: Test Before You Go Live
Use Shopify's Bogus Gateway to place a test order and confirm your checkout flow, shipping calculations, and GST display are all working correctly. Review your store on a mobile device — over 60% of Australian ecommerce shopping happens on smartphones. Your store should load in under three seconds on a standard mobile connection. Only go live once you have completed a full test order and reviewed every step of the customer journey, from the homepage through to the confirmation email.
Why the Numbers Make Shopify Worth It in Australia
According to Shopify's 2025 Commerce Report, Australian merchants on Shopify generated over A$6.2 billion in sales in 2024 — a 31% increase from the previous year. Australian businesses that launched on Shopify in the first quarter of 2024 reported average monthly revenue of A$4,800 by month six.
To put that in context: running a physical retail space in Sydney averages A$8,000 to A$20,000 per month in rent alone. Your Shopify store costs A$43/month and can reach every postcode in Australia — plus international buyers in 175 countries. Even a conservative first-year Shopify store generating A$2,000 to A$4,000 per month represents a strong return on a modest monthly platform investment.
The Australia Post data confirms the trend is accelerating. Remote and regional areas are now among the fastest-growing ecommerce segments in Australia, which means your potential customer base is not limited to major cities.
How Apne Website Helps Australian Businesses Launch on Shopify
Apne Website specialises in Shopify store setup and ecommerce growth for businesses in Australia, Pakistan, the UK, and beyond. For Australian clients, we handle everything: store design, product uploads, Shopify Payments and Afterpay integration, Australia Post shipping setup, GST configuration, and 30 days of post-launch support included as standard. Unlike freelancers who hand over a store and disappear, we stay active for 60 days after launch to make sure your first orders come in and every part of the store runs correctly. We have built over 30 Shopify stores across five countries, with Australian clients averaging A$3,800 in revenue during their first month of trading. View our Shopify store setup service to see exactly what we include, or explore our web development services if you need a complete digital presence built from the ground up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does Shopify support Australian payment gateways?
Yes. Shopify supports Shopify Payments, Afterpay, Zip, Stripe, and PayPal in Australia. Shopify Payments is the most seamless option — it is built directly into your Shopify dashboard, charges no additional transaction fees, and settles funds in AUD within two to three business days. Afterpay is the essential add-on for Australian stores, particularly for fashion, homewares, and beauty products where orders typically fall between A$50 and A$300.
Q: Do I need an ABN to open a Shopify store in Australia?
You do not need an ABN to create a Shopify account. However, you will need one to activate Shopify Payments, to legally operate as a business in Australia, and to register for GST once your annual turnover exceeds A$75,000. Most Australian Shopify sellers register as a sole trader or company before accepting their first order. Sole trader registration costs nothing if you operate under your own name, or around A$38 to register a business name with ASIC.
Q: How much does it cost to run a Shopify store in Australia per year?
On the Basic annual plan, Shopify costs approximately A$348 per year. Add a .com.au domain at A$20/year and a premium theme if needed at around A$400 as a one-off cost. A realistic total budget for your first year — platform, domain, and one or two apps — is A$700 to A$1,500, not including product inventory or marketing spend.
Q: Can I sell internationally from my Australian Shopify store?
Yes. Shopify Markets lets you display prices in multiple currencies — USD, GBP, NZD, and more — automatically for international visitors. Australia Post Express International and DHL Express are the most reliable options for shipping Australian goods to overseas buyers. Many Australian brands in fashion, skincare, and food generate significant revenue from UK and US buyers who specifically seek Australian products.
Q: What is the best shipping carrier for a Shopify store in Australia?
For domestic orders, Australia Post and Sendle are the top two options. Sendle's flat rate of A$6.99 for parcels under 500g is outstanding value for small products. Australia Post is better for larger or heavier items and for tracked international shipping. For time-sensitive domestic orders, StarTrack — owned by Australia Post — offers express delivery that integrates with Shopify's calculated shipping rates.
Ready to Launch Your Australian Shopify Store?
Starting a Shopify store in Australia in 2026 is one of the most practical ways to build a profitable online business. The platform supports Australian payments, local shipping carriers, and GST from day one. The Australian ecommerce market is large, growing, and actively looking for independent brands to buy from. The key is to set everything up correctly before you go live — payment gateways, GST, shipping, and Afterpay all configured and tested before your first real customer arrives.
If you would rather have it done right the first time, we can help. Get a free Shopify consultation at apnewebsite.com/contact and we will walk you through every step of building your Australian online store.