How to set up Shopify Payments to sell in the US for international sellers (2025 must read)

Imagine this: You’ve spent weeks designing your online store, picking the perfect products, and setting up your brand. You’re ready to launch! But then, you hit a wall—how do you accept customer payments? Without a smooth payment system, your business can’t run.

That’s where Shopify Payments comes in. Shopify’s built-in payment system makes it easy for you to accept money from customers worldwide. Besides third-party providers like PayPal—you can get paid directly through various methods

But as an international seller, setting up Shopify Payments for the US market is tricky. In this guide, we will take you step by step through everything you need to know about how to set up Shopify Payments, from start to finish.

1. What are Shopify Payments?

Shopify Payments is Shopify’s official payment system. It lets your customers pay using credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and even installment plans without the need for third-party payment providers.

As soon as you create your Shopify store, Shopify Payments is ready to go. 

2. Why choose Shopify Payments? (6 reasons you can’t ignore)

If you’re serious about growing your online store, in addition to using here’s why Shopify Payments is a game-changer:

Currently, Shopify Payments is available in 23 countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and Singapore. If you want to sell in the US, you’ll need to follow some important steps to set up Shopify Payments correctly.

3. Requirements before setting up Shopify Payments

Before you can set up Shopify Payments, you need to meet certain conditions. We profile a checklist below to ensure you can set up the right way.

3.1. Create your Shopify store in a Shopify Payments-support country

Shopify Payments is only available in 23 countries. To use it, you business must be registered in a supported country.

The list of supported countries is:

• Asia: Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan
• North America: USA (including Puerto Rico), Canada
• Oceania: Australia, New Zealand
• Europe: UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Romania, Portugal.

3.2. Get your business address and currency option right in Shopify Payments

To use Shopify Payments, make sure:

• Your Shopify store location matches the country where your business is registered (For example, you need to have a company in the US with a US company address to verify with Shopify that you have physical operations)

• Your bank account is in the same country as your business and your store location (Your store currency can be different from your bank account currency)

3.3. Don’t sell prohibited products on your Shopify store

Before registering for Shopify Payments, ensure your business does NOT sell the following:

1. Regulated or illegal products: Cannabis, prescription drugs, medical devices, tobacco, firearms, ammunition, or weapons;
2. Financial services: Money transfers, cryptocurrency, check cashing, credit repair services;
3. Fake health products: Unverified health supplements or medicines;
4. Gambling services: Betting, lottery, sweepstakes;
5. Counterfeit goods: Fake brands or intellectual property violations.

When you fulfill all the requirements, now you can set up your Shopify Payments for your store online.

4. How to set up Shopify Payments for international sellers? (Step-by-step guide)

Ready to start accepting payments? Here’s how you can set up payments on Shopify the right way.

And now, you officially set you your Shopify store to sell to US customers. 

Once Shopify Payments is active, customers can:

• Choose their shipping method;
• Select payment options (Credit/Debit Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.);
• Receive order confirmation after successful payment.

5. What If you don't need to set up your Shopify Payments?

If Shopify Payments isn’t supported in your country, don’t worry! You can still accept payments by using:

1. PayPal Business – One of the most popular options
2.  Stripe Business – Works in many countries and integrates with Shopify.
3. 2Checkout – A great alternative for international sellers.
4. Other third-party gateways – Shopify supports over 100 payment providers worldwide.

When you use PayPal Business or Stripe Business, Shopify still charges a transaction fee unless you use Shopify Payments.

Global Link Asia Consulting will help you set up your PayPal Stripe business account and payment gateways when you need them. them

6. How can Global Link Asia Consulting help international sellers set up Shopify Payments?

Now you know how to set up Shopify Payments and start selling in the US, even as an international seller. It might seem like a lot, but once you set it up, your payments will run smoothly—helping you focus on growing your store!

But if you need help with registration, we can help you.

With over 10 years of experience helping hundreds of business owners open their overseas companies successfully, our experts at Global Link Asia Consulting can help your company quickly and efficiently set up Shopify Payments.

We can:

• Help you incorporate your company in Shopify Payments-supported countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and the US;
• Open a corporate bank account with verified physical/digital bank accounts in Singapore, Hong Kong, and the US;
• Help you prepare legal business documents for Shopify Payments application process;
• Open PayPal, Stripe business accounts and payment gateways;
• Comply with tax obligations and annual compliance with ease and professionalism.

7. FAQs about setting up Shopify Payments

With over a decade of experience serving as a trusted partner to more than 750 business owners seeking professional development and breakthroughs in the international market, we are an  expert strategic corporate service provider helping you incorporate and operate successfully in 10 different countries

Our areas of expertise include:

• Strategic Consulting and Company formation in over 10 different countries worldwide such as Singapore, Hong Kong, the U.S., Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, and offshore destinations like BVI, Belize, Seychelles, and more.
• Account opening for personal and corporate bank accounts, as well as setting up PayPal and Stripe gateqays in countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, and the U.S..
• Tax Consulting and Preparation for SFRS IFRS financial reports, corporate income tax returns, VAT/GST (Value Added Tax/Goods and Services Tax), and more.
• Opreation support:
• Registered adress;
• Foreign consular legalization;
• Trademark and patent protection registration in Singapore and the US;
• Employment Pass application in Singapore and Hong Kong;
• Website design, international SIM number provision;
• DUNS registration.

With over 10 years of experience and a team of experts with 5 to 25 years of experience (international standard certifications) as well as direct partnerships with institutions such as OCBC, UOB, DBS, PayPal, and Stripe, we are proud to offer professional, legal, transparent, sustainable services with no hidden costs.

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