Shopify in India (2026): Plans in Rupees, Payments, COD, GST and Shipping for D2C Brands

Shopify India lists plans in rupees, on yearly billing: Basic ₹1,499 a month, Grow ₹5,599, Advanced ₹22,680, and Plus from ₹1,75,000. Shopify Payments is not available in India, so Indian stores use a third-party gateway. That is the biggest difference from a store in the US or UAE. Prices were read on Shopify's page in November 2026 and can change.

How much does Shopify cost in India?

From Shopify India's pricing page:

The page also says:

• There are no setup fees on any plan.
• The trial is 3 days, and the FAQ says most plans then start at ₹20 a month for 3 months before standard pricing.
• Marketplace syncing is free up to 50 synced orders a month; above that it is 1%, capped at $99 a month.
• The page does not say whether GST is added to these prices. Check at checkout, because an input tax credit on the plan fee depends on that.

Apps, themes, domain, courier fees and ads are extra, and I have no sourced figure for them.

Why isn't Shopify Payments available in India?

Shopify does not give a reason. Its supported-countries page lists 40 countries, including Australia, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, and India is not among them. Shopify tells merchants in unlisted countries to use a third-party payment provider.

This means Shopify's built-in payment features, fraud tools and payout reports tied to Shopify Payments are not available to an Indian store. When Shopify announces payment updates, read them with that in mind. See Shopify Editions 2026.

How do I accept UPI, cards and wallets?

You activate a provider from the Payments page of your Shopify admin. Shopify describes two kinds: direct providers, where customers pay on your store, and external providers, where they pay on a hosted checkout. Its page says there are over 100 credit card providers but does not list Indian ones.

So I cannot name, from Shopify's pages, which gateways support UPI in India. The steps are:

1. Shortlist two or three Indian gateways that offer a Shopify integration.
2. Ask each for its MDR on UPI, cards and wallets, settlement days, and chargeback handling.
3. Check that the gateway is listed in your Shopify admin's payment providers.
4. Place test orders for each method before launch.

Shopify says third-party transaction fees apply to all transactions through third-party and alternate gateways. On Basic that is 2% on top of the gateway's own charge. For example, on a ₹1,000 order, Shopify's 2% is ₹20, and if your gateway charges, say, 2% as well, the total would be about ₹40, before GST on fees. The 2% gateway rate here is an assumption for the example, not a quoted rate.

For small-merchant UPI rules and what they mean for you, see UPI for small merchants and the P2PM clarification.

How do I set up Cash on Delivery?

COD is a manual payment method. In Shopify admin go to Settings > Payments, pick the COD manual method from the list, add instructions, and activate it. "Cash on Delivery (COD)" is a reserved name, so you cannot create a custom method with that name.

Orders paid this way show as unpaid or pending. After you collect the money you must mark the order as paid before fulfilling it. In practice, most Indian sellers use a courier or an app that handles COD remittance and reconciles it for them.

COD is where RTO losses come from. Read COD to prepaid conversion and how to reduce RTO before you switch it on for every pin code.

What do I need to do about GST?

Shopify's help page on tax settings does not mention India GST, HSN codes or tax-inclusive pricing. So there is no Shopify-stated India GST workflow I can describe. What I can say is general:

• Selling from your own store means you, not a marketplace, issue invoices and file returns.
• Registration, HSN codes and rates depend on your product and turnover.
• Set your tax inclusive or exclusive pricing deliberately, because Indian shoppers expect to see the final price.

This is general information, not tax advice. Confirm with a chartered accountant or GST practitioner before launch. The GST rate finder for e-commerce and GST calculator for sellers help with rates.

How do I ship from a Shopify store in India?

Shopify's shipping page says you can connect your own carrier account and print up to 250 labels at once, but it names no Indian carriers or rates. In practice you add a courier aggregator or a direct courier through an app. Compare them on COD remittance days, weight-discrepancy handling, NDR tools and RTO charges. The shortlist is in best courier for D2C in India.

What is a sensible launch checklist for an Indian D2C store?

1. Choose a plan and confirm on the pricing page whether GST is added.
2. Connect one payment gateway and test UPI, a card and a wallet.
3. Turn on COD only for pin codes and order values you can afford to lose on RTO.
4. Add a courier or aggregator and test a COD and a prepaid shipment.
5. Set tax, invoice and product category details with your accountant.
6. Write your returns and refund policy in plain words, since Indian buyers check it before paying.
7. Place real test orders end to end, including a cancelled and a returned one.

Only then start paid traffic, from Instagram or search. The sell on Instagram guide covers the social side.

Should I start on Shopify or on marketplaces?

A Shopify store gives you your customer data and brand control, but no built-in demand. You pay for every visitor through ads, and you carry payment and RTO costs. Marketplaces give search traffic and trust but take fees. Both Amazon and Flipkart have recently cut fees on lower-priced products, which changes the maths. See own store vs marketplaces and D2C zero commission strategy.

Most Indian D2C brands run both. The store handles repeat customers and brand search; marketplaces handle new-customer volume.

FAQ

How much does Shopify cost per month in India? On Shopify India's pricing page, Basic is ₹1,499 a month on yearly billing and ₹1,994 on monthly billing; Grow is ₹5,599 and ₹7,447; Advanced is ₹22,680 and ₹30,164. Plus starts at ₹1,75,000. Apps and gateway fees are extra.

Is Shopify Payments available in India? No. Shopify's supported-countries page lists 40 countries, and India is not one of them. Indian merchants use third-party payment providers, which carry an additional Shopify transaction fee on every order, based on the plan.

Can I take UPI on Shopify in India? Through a third-party gateway, yes in practice, but Shopify's own pages that I could open do not list Indian providers or UPI. Ask your chosen gateway to confirm UPI support and its integration with Shopify before you sign.

Does Shopify support Cash on Delivery? Yes, as a manual payment method under Settings > Payments. Orders show as unpaid until you collect the cash and mark them paid, so you need a process or an app to reconcile courier remittances.

Do I need GST registration for a Shopify store in India? It depends on your product, turnover and the states you sell into, and not on Shopify. Shopify's tax help page does not cover India GST. Ask a GST practitioner, and set up invoicing correctly before your first order.

Is Shopify free to try in India? Shopify India's page lists a 3-day free trial, and its FAQ says most plans then start at ₹20 a month for the first 3 months before standard pricing. Check the current offer on the page, since promotions change.

Next step for your brand

Pick a plan, connect one gateway, set up COD with limits, and ship ten test orders before you spend on ads. Blooprint is a Bengaluru e-commerce agency and Amazon SPN verified partner, managing seller accounts, catalogues and ads on Amazon, Flipkart and quick commerce, if you want marketplace sales next to your store. See Amazon account management.