Shopify in India: pricing in rupees, GST and payment gateways

The short answer

Yes, Shopify works in India and is billed in rupees. Basic is ₹1,994 a month, or ₹1,499 a month billed yearly, before GST. Shopify adds GST to its fees unless you submit your GSTIN.

Shopify Payments and Shop Pay aren't available in India. You connect Razorpay, PayU or Cashfree for UPI, cards, netbanking and wallets, and you can offer cash on delivery alongside them. PayPal only handles international payments for Indian merchants.

Shopify pricing in India

Shopify India shows plan prices in rupees. Prices exclude GST.

The current trial is 3 days free, then ₹20 a month for 3 months. POS Pro adds ₹7,000 a month.

You can pay Shopify bills in rupees by UPI or a supported Visa, Mastercard or RuPay card, under RBI recurring-payment rules. Your billing address must be in India with a valid 6-digit PIN code. PayPal isn't accepted for Shopify bills in India.

GST on your Shopify bill

Stores in India are charged GST on Shopify fees. The standard rate on digital services is 18%. Submitting your GSTIN exempts you, but only on invoices issued after you submit it; GST already charged isn't refunded.

Add your GSTIN before your first invoice if you're registered. On the ₹1,499 yearly Basic price, 18% GST adds about ₹270 a month.

Razorpay, PayU and Cashfree on Shopify

UPI isn't a separate gateway you connect. It comes through one of these three, and all of them work with Shopify, WooCommerce and Wix.

Every online payment through these gateways carries the gateway's fee plus Shopify's third-party transaction fee. Shopify's US page lists 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow and 0.6% on Advanced, and Razorpay's own guide states the same rates for India. COD orders don't attract the Shopify fee.

PayPal shut its domestic INR payments in India from 1 April 2021, so it's only useful for overseas buyers. Squarespace can't use any of these gateways; it connects only to Stripe, PayPal and Square.

How you get paid

Your gateway settles rupees to your Indian bank account on its own cycle. Razorpay says settlement timing is subject to bank approval and can vary, and its documentation uses T+2 examples.

COD cash is collected by the courier or shipping aggregator and remitted to you. Delhivery's Shopify listing promises COD remittance in 2 days.

COD, RTO and shipping

COD is set up in Shopify as a manual payment method, and orders stay unpaid until you mark them paid. India has a whole category of COD and RTO (return to origin) apps for blocking COD on risky orders, partial COD and OTP verification.

• Razorpay COD & Magic Checkout: COD on/off controls.
• Fastrr COD by Shiprocket: blocks COD on orders likely to be returned.
• Cashfree CODFIRM: OTP verification and COD blocking.
• Shiprocket: shipping aggregator with 25+ couriers.
• Delhivery: official app from Delhivery Pvt. Ltd., launched April 2023.
• NimbusPost: aggregator covering Delhivery, Blue Dart and Xpressbees.

Dukaan, marketplaces and other platforms

Dukaan is an Indian store builder that is still active, with web, iOS and Android apps. Its pricing page offers monthly and yearly plans, with yearly plans advertised at up to 60% off, but the rupee prices aren't published in a form we could verify. Check mydukaan.io/pricing directly.

Amazon.in, Flipkart and Meesho are the main marketplaces. Meesho advertises 0% commission for suppliers, though shipping and other fees still apply.

India is also the market where Wix is a real alternative. Wix supports Razorpay, PayU and Cashfree, and its Indian provider list adds Paytm, Easebuzz, airpay, Nimbbl and PayPal. WooCommerce supports all three main gateways too.

Verdict: the best ecommerce platform in India

Shopify (9.0) is the best choice for most Indian stores that plan to grow: rupee billing, UPI through Razorpay, PayU or Cashfree, and the deepest set of COD, RTO and shipping apps. Register your GSTIN before the first bill.

Wix (8.6) is a workable alternative for a smaller store, since it takes the same Indian gateways. WooCommerce (7.6) suits sellers who want to self-host. If you want marketplace reach before building a brand, start on Amazon.in, Flipkart or Meesho.