Ecommerce website in Malta
What a Malta online shop needs beyond a theme.
Websites · Ecommerce
Shopify in Malta:
payments, VAT and shipping, explained.
You can run a Shopify store from Malta. Here is what Shopify’s own help pages say about payments, and what you still have to get right for VAT, delivery and the rest of the site.
Short answer
Yes, you can run a Shopify store from Malta. Shopify Payments is listed for businesses located in Malta on Shopify’s own help pages (opened 9 November 2026). You still need to handle VAT, delivery to Malta and Gozo, and legal pages. A shop is part of web design in Malta; brochure sites start from €990 and an online shop is quoted after we see the catalogue.
Key takeaways
- Can I use Shopify if my business is in Malta? Yes. Shopify’s supported-countries list and its “Shopify Payments for Malta” page both include Malta (opened 9 November 2026). You still have to pass Shopify’s verification and use an eligible business category.
- Does Shopify Payments work in Malta? Shopify publishes a dedicated “Shopify Payments for Malta” help page. It says you can accept cards and faster checkout methods, and that processing rates depend on your Shopify plan. Some categories cannot use Shopify Payments and must use a third-party provider.
- What about VAT in a Malta Shopify store? Malta’s standard VAT rate is 18%. How it applies to your products and to EU customers is a question for your accountant and the Commissioner for Revenue. This page is not tax advice. Show prices clearly and use the settings your accountant confirms.
The short version
Can you run Shopify from Malta?
Yes. Shopify is used by Malta shops to sell from their own address, take card payments and manage orders. The part that used to stop people (payouts) has a Malta page in Shopify’s own help centre.
On 9 November 2026 we opened Shopify’s list of countries that support Shopify Payments, and the separate “Shopify Payments for Malta” page. Both list Malta. That means a business located in Malta can accept cards through Shopify Payments, subject to Shopify’s checks and to a matching bank account.
A shop is still a website with products, delivery, legal pages and a way to get found. That is the work we do as part of web design in Malta, alongside the ecommerce website guide and the payment gateway comparison.
Payments
Shopify Payments, and what you may still need.
Shopify Payments keeps card checkout and order management inside your Shopify admin. Shopify’s Malta page says you can accept credit and debit cards and faster checkout methods, and that processing rates depend on the Shopify plan you subscribe to. We do not resell Shopify, and we do not quote Shopify’s own subscription or card rates here, because those change on Shopify’s pricing page.
Shopify also says you may need to verify personal and business information, and that some business categories cannot use Shopify Payments. If Shopify Payments is not available for your category, Shopify tells you to use a third-party provider instead.
Many Malta shops also connect Stripe or PayPal as a fallback. Our payment guide walks through those options. Facebook and Instagram Shops are a different question: Meta’s supported-country list has not included Malta, which is why we wrote what to do instead of a Facebook Shop.
| Path | What the official page says, in short |
|---|---|
| Shopify Payments in Malta | Listed as a supported country on Shopify Help (opened 9 November 2026). Card checkout and payouts are managed from the Shopify admin, after verification. |
| Third-party providers | Shopify says to use these if your country or business category is not supported. |
| Facebook or Instagram Shop | Not a substitute in Malta. Use your own shop plus catalogue ads instead. |
Tax
VAT on what you sell through your shop.
If you sell goods or services from Malta you need to treat VAT as part of the shop, not as an afterthought. Malta’s standard VAT rate is 18%. How it applies to your products, to EU customers and to any One Stop Shop scheme is a question for your accountant and for the Commissioner for Revenue. This page is not tax advice.
What the website must do is practical: show prices clearly, apply the rate your accountant confirms, and print the right details on invoices and on your terms. Do not copy another shop’s tax settings and hope they match yours.
Our own website packages start from €990, €2,490 and €4,900. An online shop is quoted after we see the catalogue, which is why it does not use those brochure starting prices on its own.
Delivery
Getting orders to Malta, Gozo and beyond.
A Shopify store that cannot explain delivery will lose the sale at checkout. Customers here want to know whether you send to Gozo, how long MaltaPost or a courier takes, and what a return looks like.
Our guide to delivery for Malta online shops covers MaltaPost eSeller, lockers, couriers and returns. Put the same facts on the product page, not only in a policy no one opens.
If you ship to other EU countries, say so in plain words and confirm the VAT treatment with your accountant before you switch it on.
Choices
Shopify, WooCommerce or a simpler site.
Shopify is a hosted shop: you pay Shopify a subscription and you get hosting, checkout and apps in one place. WooCommerce is software you add to a WordPress site you host yourself. Neither is “free” once you count hosting, apps, a theme and the hours to keep it updated.
Choose Shopify if you want the shop tools in one login and you are happy to pay Shopify directly. Choose WooCommerce if you already live in WordPress and want the shop on the same site as your journal or booking pages. Choose a simpler brochure website, from €990, if you are not selling product-by-product yet and a form or WhatsApp conversation is enough.
We will write a full Shopify versus WooCommerce comparison as its own page so this one can stay on the Malta facts. Until then, the decision is about who hosts the checkout and who keeps it updated, not about a slogan.
| Question | Shopify | WooCommerce | Brochure website |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Hosted shop with built-in checkout | Shop software on a site you host | Pages and a form, no product checkout |
| Payments in Malta | Shopify Payments is listed for Malta | You add Stripe, PayPal or another provider | You take payment after the enquiry, or later add a shop |
| Who updates it | Shopify runs the platform; you run the catalogue | You (or we) update WordPress, the shop plugin and hosting | You update words and photos, or ask us to |
| When it fits | You sell a catalogue and want checkout ready | You want the shop inside an existing WordPress site | You are not ready to sell item by item |
Want help choosing the shop set-up before you pay for themes and apps? Apply now for a website
Want a Malta shop that can actually check out?
Tell us what you sell, where you deliver and whether you already have a Shopify login. We reply with the pages, payments and delivery notes we would build.
Free tool
A cost sketch you control.
This sketch adds our published starting prices to a Shopify subscription figure that you type yourself from shopify.com/pricing. We do not invent Shopify’s fee. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Shopify cost sketch
Enter the monthly Shopify plan you see on Shopify’s site. We add it to our published website starting prices so you can see the shape of the first year, not a quote.
Your sketch
Type the Shopify figure you see on their pricing page to see a first-year sketch.
Apps, themes, photography, packaging and ads are extra and belong in your own list. A shop that advertises well still needs a page that loads and a checkout that works; see Facebook ads for online shops when you are ready for traffic.
Proof
Tracked sales from store advertising.
A shop is only half of the system. The other half is people seeing the products. Here is a real advertising result from an online store we managed.
That figure is tracked sales from Meta ads, not a promise that Shopify itself produces a number. The lesson for a Malta shop is simple: checkout, delivery and tracking have to work before you spend on ads.
Want a shop that is ready for traffic? Apply now for a website
Pages
What the shop still needs besides Shopify.
Shopify gives you product pages and checkout. You still need a home page that says who you are, a delivery page that names Malta and Gozo, legal pages that match Malta rules, and a contact path that a person will answer.
You also need a Google Business Profile if people pick you up locally, and a plan for how orders reach WhatsApp or email after 6pm. None of that is a theme setting.
When you are ready, apply below and tell us what you sell. We will say whether Shopify, another shop set-up, or a simpler site from €990 is the honest starting point.
A few straight answers
What you might be wondering.
Can I use Shopify if my business is in Malta?
Yes. Shopify’s supported-countries list and its “Shopify Payments for Malta” page both include Malta (opened 9 November 2026). You still have to pass Shopify’s verification and use an eligible business category.
Does Shopify Payments work in Malta?
Shopify publishes a dedicated “Shopify Payments for Malta” help page. It says you can accept cards and faster checkout methods, and that processing rates depend on your Shopify plan. Some categories cannot use Shopify Payments and must use a third-party provider.
What about VAT in a Malta Shopify store?
Malta’s standard VAT rate is 18%. How it applies to your products and to EU customers is a question for your accountant and the Commissioner for Revenue. This page is not tax advice. Show prices clearly and use the settings your accountant confirms.
Can I use a Facebook or Instagram Shop instead?
Not as a full substitute in Malta. Meta’s supported-country list has not included Malta for those shops. Use your own website shop and catalogue ads instead. We explain that in our Facebook Shop guide.
How much does a Shopify website cost with Malta Digital?
A brochure website starts from €990, a Business Website from €2,490 and a Growth Website from €4,900. An online shop is quoted after we see the catalogue, payments and delivery. Shopify’s own subscription is paid to Shopify; type that figure into the sketch on this page.
Is Shopify better than WooCommerce for a Malta shop?
It depends who should host the checkout. Shopify is hosted and billed by Shopify. WooCommerce sits on a WordPress site you host. We compare the practical differences in this article and will publish a fuller comparison as its own page.
Do you set up delivery to Gozo?
Yes, as part of the shop plan. The site should say whether you send to Gozo, how long it takes and what a return looks like. See our delivery guide for MaltaPost eSeller, lockers and couriers.
Sources
Where these facts come from.
- Shopify Help: supported countries for Shopify Payments (opened 9 November 2026; Malta is listed)
- Shopify Help: Shopify Payments for Malta (opened 9 November 2026)
- Our payment gateway guide for Malta
- Delivery for Malta online shops
- Facebook and Instagram Shops in Malta
Keep reading
Related guides.
Payment gateways for Malta websites
Stripe, PayPal and the other ways Malta shops get paid.
Delivery for Malta online shops
MaltaPost eSeller, couriers, lockers, Gozo and returns.
A useful first step
Ready to plan a Malta shop that can check out?
Brochure websites from €990, Business Website from €2,490 and Growth Website from €4,900. Online shops are quoted after we see your catalogue. Tell us what you sell and we reply with a clear starting point.
Step 1 of 2
Apply now for a website
A few quick questions, about a minute. We usually reply within 2–3 hours.