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Running an online store often means navigating a global market. However, there may be various reasons why you might want to restrict certain countries from ordering from your Shopify store. Whether it's due to shipping restrictions, perishable goods, legal reasons, high fraud rates, or other business considerations, Shopify provides tools that allow you to control where you ship your products, in its Shipping and Delivery settings.
This article will guide you through the steps to restrict Delivery Areas and effectively block countries from placing orders in your Shopify store.
How to Restrict Delivery Areas and Block Countries from ordering
- Navigate to Settings > Shipping and delivery in your Shopify admin panel
- Click on Shipping > New Profile to create a new profile, or on your existing shipping profile if you already have one created.
- Scroll down to Shipping Zones. Click Create zone to create a new zone, or in More Options (...) > Edit Zone to edit a existing one (see Editing Shipping Zones below).
- You can find your active zones under the Shipping Zones section. To restrict a country, you'll need to either remove it from an existing shipping zone create a new zone that excludes the countries you want to block.
- Creating a New Zone:
- Click on “Create Shipping Zone.”
- Name your shipping zone (e.g., "Restricted Delivery Area").
- Choose the countries or regions where you offer delivery.
- Simply deselect any areas you don't want to deliver to.
- For countries with regions, provinces, or states, you can choose those specifically.
- Select only the countries you wish to ship to, excluding those you want to block.
- Removing a country from an existing zone:
- Click on the shipping zone you want to edit.
- In the zone details page, you will see a list of countries included in this zone.
- Deselect or remove the countries you want to block from this list.
- Save your changes.
- Click Save zone.
Local Delivery settings
Shopify Plus offers a local delivery feature that allows you to restrict delivery areas based on a radius around your store location(s) or using postal codes.
- Go to Settings > Shipping and delivery.
- In the Local delivery section, click Manage next to the location where you want to offer local delivery.
- Select This location offers local delivery.
- In the Delivery area section, choose either:
- Set a delivery radius: Enter the maximum distance you're willing to deliver from your location. You can also choose to include neighboring states or regions.
- Use postal codes: You can enter different postal codes separated by a comma to choose specific areas that you deliver to
Using an app
While Shopify allows you to restrict delivery zones and block countries from ordering, it has limitations. Defining highly specific delivery areas or checking customer eligibility at checkout isn't possible. This can frustrate customers who discover their location isn't included during the final purchase stages.
There are third-party apps available in the Shopify app store that offer further customization for restricting delivery areas and provide more advanced geo-targeting and restriction options.
Shopify apps can offer a more robust solution by helping you define precise delivery areas, including postal codes. They also provide real-time delivery eligibility checks during checkout, improving the customer experience. Most importantly, many delivery zone restriction apps are available on all Shopify plans, making them a cost-effective option for businesses of all sizes. An app can help you gain greater control over your delivery zones and ensure a better checkout experience for your customers.
Conclusion
Restricting delivery areas in your Shopify store is a straightforward process that can save you time, money, and potential issues. By carefully managing your delivery areas and shipping zones, you can make sure that you're only serving the markets and countries that are most beneficial for your business. Always remember to keep your shipping policies and available locations up to date as your business offerings change.
With these steps, you’ll be able to block countries from ordering in your Shopify store efficiently, ensuring that your business runs securely.
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