How to sell in several countries and currencies

To sell in several countries and currencies, set each country up as its own market: local prices in the local currency (set by you, not just converted), delivery options and times for that country, the right tax and duties built in, and a web address shoppers there can find. Start with one or two countries that are easy to reach from where your stock is, get them working well, then add more.

Why simple currency conversion isn’t enough

Many shops start with a currency switcher that converts UK prices at today’s exchange rate. It’s better than nothing, but it causes problems:

• Odd-looking prices. £24.99 becomes something like €28.73 or $33.41, which looks careless.
• Prices that move. The same product costs a different amount each day as exchange rates shift.
• Tax isn’t right. UK prices include UK VAT. An Irish shopper needs Irish VAT; a US shopper pays US sales tax on top and possibly import duty.
• Costs aren’t covered. Delivery, duties and payment fees are usually higher abroad.

Setting your own price for each country fixes all of this. €29.95 or $34.95 looks deliberate, stays stable and covers your real costs.

Step 1: choose your first markets

Don’t switch on the whole world. Pick countries where you can deliver reliably and where you already see interest.

• Look at your analytics and ad data for visits or orders from outside the UK.
• Favour countries with the same language, so your product pages and support work as they are.
• Check delivery cost and time to each country from your warehouse.
• Check the tax and customs position. Ireland and the US each have their own rules for parcels from the UK.
• Check your products are allowed and don’t need extra certification there.

Step 2: work out a landed cost per country

Before you set a price, add up what it really costs to get one order to a shopper in that country:

1. 1Product cost and packaging.
2. 2Delivery to that country, including any customs data or delivered-duty-paid fees.
3. 3Import VAT and duties if you collect them at checkout.
4. 4Payment fees, which are often higher for international cards and currency conversion.
5. 5An allowance for returns, which cost more from abroad.

Then set a price that gives you the margin you want, rounded to a number that looks natural in that currency.

Step 3: set local prices

• Use local price points. €29.95, $34.99, £27.99. Keep the pattern shoppers there are used to.
• Follow local tax display rules. UK and Irish consumers expect prices including VAT. US shoppers expect sales tax to be added at checkout.
• Set sale prices per country too. If you show a “was” price, make sure it’s a genuine previous price in that country.
• Review prices regularly. If exchange rates or delivery costs move a lot, revisit your prices, but don’t change them daily.

Step 4: getting paid in different currencies

Your payment provider needs to accept the currencies you price in. Then decide what happens to the money:

Convert to pounds

Simplest. Foreign payments are turned into pounds before they reach your account. Check the conversion fee, as it can be significant.

Hold balances in each currency

Some providers let you keep euros or dollars. Useful if you also pay suppliers or warehouses in those currencies.

Whichever you choose, keep your records in pounds for your UK accounts, using a consistent exchange rate method. Your accountant can advise.

Step 5: delivery options per country

• Set delivery prices and free-delivery thresholds in the local currency.
• Show realistic delivery times for each country on product pages, including customs time.
• Offer a faster option if it’s affordable, but be careful with “next-day” promises across borders.
• Make returns instructions clear for each country.

Step 6: help shoppers land in the right place

Shoppers and search engines both need to know which version of your shop is for which country.

• Give each country its own address, such as yourshop.com/ie or ie.yourshop.com, rather than switching prices invisibly on one page.
• Tell search engines about each version using hreflang tags, so Google shows Irish shoppers your Irish pages.
• Suggest the right country when someone arrives from abroad, but let them choose. Don’t force a redirect they can’t undo.
• Remember their choice, so they don’t have to pick again on every visit.

This is where your platform matters. Merchella, for example, lets you run the UK, US and Ireland as separate countries, each with its own prices, currency, delivery options and web address, and it remembers a shopper’s country.

Step 7: tax and legal basics

Every country has its own rules on tax, consumer rights and product safety. You don’t need to be an expert, but you do need to know the basics before you switch a country on:

• Who pays import VAT and duties, and whether you’ll collect them at checkout.
• Whether you need to register for tax in that country.
• What returns and cancellation rights shoppers there have.
• Whether your product labels and instructions meet local rules.

Step 8: test and measure

• Place a test order in each country to check prices, delivery options and emails.
• Track sales, refunds and delivery problems per country.
• Keep marketing separate per country, so you know what each market actually costs to grow.
• Ask early customers in each country for feedback on delivery and pricing.

In short

Selling in several currencies works best when each country feels local: proper local prices, clear tax and delivery, its own web address, and payment in the shopper’s currency. Start with one or two markets, get the numbers right, and grow from there.