Platform choice, payment options, shipping, and the local details that catch New Zealand online stores out.
Selling online from New Zealand has specific constraints that generic advice misses. Shipping is expensive, the domestic market is small, and payment expectations differ from the US and UK. Here is what actually matters when building a store here.
Platform choice
| Platform | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Most New Zealand retailers. Fast to launch, good local payment support. | Monthly fees plus transaction fees, and app costs add up quickly. |
| WooCommerce | Businesses that want full control and already run WordPress. | You are responsible for hosting, security and updates. |
| Custom build | Unusual requirements, deep integrations, high volume. | Higher upfront cost. Only worth it when the standard platforms genuinely cannot do the job. |
For the large majority of New Zealand stores, Shopify is the sensible default. Choosing a custom build should be a decision you can justify with a specific requirement, not a preference.
Payments New Zealand shoppers expect
- Credit and debit card, obviously
- Afterpay or Laybuy. Buy now pay later has unusually high adoption here
- Apple Pay and Google Pay, which measurably lift mobile conversion
- Bank transfer for higher value or trade customers
Shipping is where margins die
New Zealand shipping is expensive and customers know it, but unexpected shipping costs at checkout remain the single biggest cause of abandoned carts. Decide your approach early because it affects pricing.
- Build shipping into product prices and offer free shipping. Simplest for the customer.
- Flat rate by region. North Island, South Island, rural.
- Live rates from your courier. Accurate but can produce surprising numbers.
- Free over a threshold. Lifts average order value if the threshold is set slightly above your current average.
Before you launch
- Test the full checkout on a real phone, on mobile data, not just wifi
- Confirm GST is displaying correctly and is included in the displayed price
- Write your returns policy before you need it, and link it from the checkout
- Set up abandoned cart emails. This is the highest return thing most stores never do