How to Start a Shopify Store in France? (Beginner’s Guide)

Starting an e-commerce business is an exciting journey, and Shopify offers the perfect platform to bring your vision to life. However, launching an online store in France requires more than just beautiful products and a compelling brand. It demands strict adherence to French and European regulations. 

This beginner-friendly article will walk you through the essential steps, from choosing your legal status to setting up required French legal pages, managing local taxes, and integrating the most popular payment methods. 

Our goal is to ensure you not only build a successful store but also launch it in full legal compliance with the French market, setting a solid foundation for long-term growth.

Legal Requirements: The Must-Do Steps in France

French law is meticulous regarding consumer protection and commercial activity.

Skipping these steps can lead to significant fines and a loss of customer trust. This is the single most important section for any entrepreneur launching in France.

Business Registration (Choosing Your Legal Status)

Before you sell anything, you must register your business. The right choice depends on your estimated revenue and business goals.

• Auto-Entrepreneur (Micro-Entreprise): This is the simplest and most common legal structure for beginners.It offers simplified accounting and a low-cost setup. It is ideal for testing the market or running a side business, but it comes with annual revenue caps (e.g., around €188,700 for sales of goods in 2023).
• SARL/SASU (Limited Liability Company): If you plan for significant growth, need to raise capital, or have high revenue projections, a more complex structure like an SARL (for multiple partners) or SASU (for a single founder) may be necessary. This offers greater legal protection but involves stricter accounting rules.

Action: You register your business via the Guichet Unique (formerly via URSSAF, CCI, etc.), which is the mandatory single online portal for business formalities in France.

VAT Registration and TVA Collection

The French term for Value Added Tax is TVA (Taxe sur la Valeur Ajoutée).

• VAT Exemption (Franchise en Base de TVA): If you choose the Auto-Entrepreneur status and stay below a certain revenue threshold (e.g., around €91,900 for sales), you are exempt from charging VAT. This is a huge simplification for a beginner, but you cannot deduct VAT on your business purchases.
• Charging TVA: Once you exceed the threshold or register as an SARL/SASU, you must register for a TVA number and apply the standard French VAT rate of 20% to most products sold within France and the EU (under distance selling rules).

Required Legal Pages

In France, standard Terms & Conditions are not enough. You must publish several mandatory legal pages, easily accessible on your store:

GDPR Cookie Consent Banner

Due to the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), your store needs a robust cookie consent mechanism.

• Requirement: Users must give clear, affirmative consent before non-essential cookies (like tracking or analytics cookies) are dropped on their device.
• Shopify Solution: Use a third-party app from the Shopify App Store (search for “GDPR cookie consent France”) to install a compliant banner that complies with French legal requirements (CNIL)

Shopify Setup Steps: Getting Started

Once your legal groundwork is in place, setting up the core of your store is straightforward.

1. Sign Up and Explore the Admin Panel: Start your free trial on Shopify. Familiarize yourself with the Admin Panel, which is your control center for everything from orders and products to marketing and settings.
2. Add a Theme: Choose a theme that reflects your brand. You can start with a free theme (like Dawn), which is optimized for performance, or purchase a premium theme. Customize the colors, fonts, and layout.
3. Add Products and Collections: Upload high-quality product photos, write compelling product descriptions in French (be precise about dimensions and materials), and set your pricing. Organize your products into Collections (e.g., “Men’s Shirts,” “Summer Sale”) to improve navigation.
4. Set Up Menus and Homepage Content: Use the Navigation section to create logical main menus (Header and Footer). Design your Homepage to tell your brand story and clearly direct customers to your best-selling collections.

Legal Page Setup in Shopify

Shopify provides built-in tools to help generate basic legal text, but you must customize them to comply with French law.

1. Use Shopify’s Generator: In your Admin Panel, go to Settings > Policies. Shopify offers templates for your Refund Policy, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service (CGV). Use these as a starting point only.
2. Mentions Légales: This page must be created manually.

• Go to Online Store > Pages > Add Page. Title it “Mentions Légales.”
• Add your verified legal information (SIREN, host details, contact, etc.).

1. Politique de Confidentialité: Review and edit the generated policy, ensuring it specifically mentions GDPR and how French customer data is handled.
2. CGV (Terms & Conditions): This is where you must include all mandatory clauses under French consumer code. We highly recommend having this page reviewed by a French legal professional.
3. Retours (Returns Policy): Ensure your policy clearly states the customer’s 14-day right of withdrawal, even for non-defective products.
4. Link Them: Go to Navigation and link all four pages in your Footer menu, making them easily accessible from every page.

Payment Methods in France

French customers have strong preferences, with Cartes Bancaires (CB) being the dominant payment method. Integrating local options is critical for maximizing conversion.

Tax & Shipping Setup

Correct tax and shipping settings ensure you are legally compliant and your pricing is accurate.

Setting up French TVA (VAT)

1. Tax Settings: Go to Settings > Taxes and duties.
2. French Rate: Ensure the standard French TVA rate of 20% is set for the country.
3. EU Sales (OSS/Distance Selling): For sales to other EU countries, Shopify can help manage the correct VAT rate based on the buyer’s country, but you must register for the One-Stop Shop (OSS) scheme once your EU-wide sales exceed €10,000 annually. This allows you to report all EU VAT through one simple return in France.

Shipping Methods for France and EU

1. Set Shipping Zones: Go to Settings > Shipping and delivery.

• Create a zone for France with local courier rates (e.g., La Poste Colissimo, Mondial Relay pickup points).
• Create a zone for the European Union with competitive rates.
• Create a ‘Rest of World’ zone.

1. Show Delivery Times: French consumers are very focused on delivery speed. You must clearly display the estimated delivery time on the product page and at checkout. Be sure your stated times are accurate and realistic.

Launching the Store

The finish line is in sight! Follow these steps to move from development to live e-commerce.

1. Connect Your Domain: Buy a .fr domain (recommended for the French market) or use your existing one. Go to Settings > Domains to connect it to your Shopify store.
2. Test the Preview: Place several test orders (using Shopify’s test payment gateway) to check:

• Pricing and tax calculations.
• Shipping options and costs.
• The appearance of your order confirmation emails.

1. Review Legal Links: Double-check that your Mentions Légales, CGV, Privacy Policy, and Returns Policy are correctly linked and easily accessible from the footer.
2. Remove Password Protection: Go to Online Store > Preferences and uncheck the “Password protect your storefront” option. Click Save. Félicitations, your store is now live.

Post-Launch Marketing Ideas

A launched store is only the beginning. Focus your initial marketing efforts on tactics that work well in France.

• French SEO Setup: Use French keywords and write unique, optimized French product descriptions. Focus on local search terms if your product has a geographical component.
• Social Media: Engage with French communities on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, but also consider niche French forums and Facebook groups.
• Product Reviews (Avis Clients): French consumers rely heavily on authentic reviews. Integrate a review app (like Judge.me or Loox) and actively solicit feedback after a purchase.
• Abandoned Cart Emails: Set up automated email sequences (in clear, professional French) to recover lost sales. Remind customers of what they left behind and include a clear call to action.

Get Expert Shopify Assistance

Your Shopify store is the engine driving your sales. To ensure it performs flawlessly and scales successfully, don’t leave its foundation to chance.

Our Shopify Experts deliver a robust, high-performing store that is:

• Technically Flawless: We eliminate technical issues that cause costly site breakdowns and interruptions.
• Optimized for Speed: Fast page loading enhances user experience and reduces abandonment rates.
• Conversion-Ready: Strategically designed with proven tactics to maximize sales and revenue.

Ready to start your own Shopify store? Explore our Shopify store management services to see how we can help you implement these strategies and unlock your store’s full potential.