Selling to Malaysia and Indonesia with Shopify Markets

Information checked as of 5 October 2026

Malaysia and Indonesia are the obvious first export markets for a Singapore store: close by, with plenty of online shoppers, and reachable by the couriers you already use. Shopify Markets lets you sell to both from the store you already have. What Markets doesn't do for a Singapore merchant is handle the foreign taxes for you, and the local payment methods shoppers expect in Kuala Lumpur or Jakarta mostly aren't built in. This guide covers setting up each market, pricing in ringgit and rupiah, duties and import taxes, GST on exports, payments and shipping. Shopify's Help Center, IRAS, Singapore Customs and the Malaysian and Indonesian customs authorities are the sources throughout.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Import rules in both countries change often. Check the official pages linked here, or ask a customs broker or tax adviser, before you launch.

The short version

• Use standard Shopify Markets. Managed Markets, the merchant-of-record service that used to be called Markets Pro, is only for businesses in the continental US and some in Canada and the UK.
• Create one market per country, so Malaysia gets MYR and Indonesia gets IDR, each with its own pricing, language and content.
• Local-currency checkout needs Shopify Payments (or Adyen) as your payment provider. With another provider, customers pay in SGD.
• Decide who pays import charges. Collect duties at checkout and ship DDP, or let customers pay on delivery (DAP). Malaysia exempts most air parcels up to RM500, but Indonesia's de minimis is just US$3.
• If you're GST-registered, exports can be zero-rated, as long as you keep the export documents IRAS asks for within 60 days.
• Shopify Payments in Singapore doesn't offer FPX, GoPay or OVO. Cards and wallets such as Apple Pay work. For local methods, you'll need a third-party provider.

Markets or Managed Markets?

Shopify has two ways to sell across borders. Shopify Markets is the standard toolkit: you set the currency, prices, languages, domains, duties and taxes for each market yourself. Managed Markets goes further. Global-e acts as the merchant of record, handling foreign tax registration, duties and local payment methods for you.

Shopify's Managed Markets pages say it's only for businesses based in the continental United States and certain stores in Canada and the United Kingdom. Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore all appear on its list of countries it can ship to, but that only helps merchants based in those three countries. Shopify Singapore's international page says merchants outside the eligible regions can use Markets on any plan, setting up currencies, translations and duties themselves. So that's what this guide covers.

Step 1: Create a market for each country

In your admin, go to Markets and create a country market. Shopify recommends single-country markets when you have a specific plan for a country, and offers multi-country markets for countries you treat the same way. Malaysia and Indonesia differ in currency, language and import rules, so give each its own market.

• Currency is set automatically. A single-country market uses that country's currency, so MYR for Malaysia and IDR for Indonesia. You can change it.
• Country markets are on every plan, with no limit on how many you create.
• Shoppers from countries outside any active market can browse but can't buy. If you're testing slowly, that's a useful safety net.
• Shipping follows markets. A country must be in an active market before you can add it to a shipping zone. Our Singapore shipping guide covers zones and rates.

Step 2: Price in ringgit and rupiah

Selling in local currency only works if Shopify Payments or Adyen processes the payment. With any other provider, customers in every market pay in your store currency. Shopify Payments accepts both MYR and IDR for multi-currency selling.

For each market's currency, you choose how prices are converted:

• Dynamic (automatic) rates update with the market throughout the day, and Shopify's currency conversion fee is built into the price the customer sees.
• Manual rates stay fixed until you change them. The conversion fee comes out of your payout instead, and you're responsible for keeping the rate realistic.
• Rounding tidies converted prices into normal-looking price points. Turn it on for both, especially IDR, where converted prices otherwise end in odd hundreds.
• Catalog price adjustments let you raise or lower prices by a percentage for a market. That's one way to cover higher shipping costs or duties if you choose to absorb them.

Two things to know before you start. Shopify charges the conversion fee whenever the customer pays in a currency different from your payout currency, at a rate that depends on your store's location. And refunds are converted at the exchange rate on the day you refund, not the rate when the customer paid, so you can gain or lose a little on each one. Shopify's currencies page has the current fee rates.

Step 3: Language and localisation

English works for many Malaysian shoppers, but adding Malay for Malaysia and Indonesian for Indonesia makes your store feel local. Shopify's free Translate & Adapt app lets you add a language, auto-translate a limited number of languages and edit translations by hand. You can then publish a language in a specific market.

• Automatic redirection (Online Store > Preferences) sends first-time visitors to their market based on IP address. Language redirection is off by default.
• Add country and language selectors to your theme anyway. Shopify notes that IP detection isn't always accurate, for example for people on a VPN.
• The shipping address wins. If someone browsing in SGD enters a Malaysian address at checkout, Shopify switches them to the Malaysia market.
• Translate your policies too, especially shipping and returns, since that's where duty and delivery terms live.

Step 4: Duties and import taxes

Every cross-border parcel raises the same question: who pays the import charges? There are two common arrangements:

• DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): you collect duties and taxes at checkout and ship with a label that prepays them, so the customer pays nothing on delivery.
• DAP (Delivered at Place): the customer pays duties and taxes, and often a carrier handling fee, before or at delivery. Older forms may still say DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid).

Collecting duties at checkout in Shopify

Go to Settings > Taxes and duties and set up Duties and import taxes, then switch collection on for each market under Markets. Shopify's conditions:

• Add an HS code and a country of origin to every product. You can use the bulk editor or a CSV file. Without them, Shopify estimates from the product description and category, which is less accurate.
• Ship DDP. If you collect duties at checkout, use a DDP label, or the customer could be charged again on delivery. Shopify Shipping labels aren't available to Singapore stores, so you need a carrier that offers DDP to Malaysia and Indonesia on your account.
• One arrangement per country. You can't offer both DDP and DAP to the same country, and you can't collect duties in the Rest of world zone.
• Amounts are estimates. Wrong HS codes can lead to extra charges, and brokerage or handling fees aren't included. Shopify also charges a transaction fee on orders where it calculates duties. The rate is on its duties page.

If you ship DAP instead, say so clearly on your shipping policy and product pages. A surprise bill at the door is a common reason for refused parcels.

Malaysia: RM500 de minimis and sales tax on low-value goods

The Royal Malaysian Customs Department's guide and FAQ set out two separate rules:

• De minimis: consignments sent by air courier with a CIF value (cost, insurance and freight) of RM500 or less are exempt from import duty and sales tax on imports. Customs' own example says goods brought in by road don't get this relief, which matters if your courier trucks parcels across the Causeway.
• Sales tax on low-value goods (LVG): since 1 January 2024, goods sold online at RM500 or less and brought into Malaysia carry a 10% sales tax, charged by a registered seller at the point of sale. "Online platform" includes a website, and "seller" includes sellers outside Malaysia. Registration becomes compulsory once your LVG sales into Malaysia pass RM500,000 in 12 months.

Most small Singapore stores will sit below the LVG threshold for a while. If you grow past it, register through the customs department's MyLVG portal and put your LVG registration number on your parcels' customs declarations, or your customers may be charged import sales tax as well.

Indonesia: a US$3 de minimis

Indonesia taxes imported parcels under Ministry of Finance regulation PMK 96/2023, as amended (most recently by PMK 4/2025). Pos Indonesia and the customs directorate's guidance agree on the basics:

• Parcels with an FOB value up to US$3 are exempt from import duty but still pay VAT.
• Parcels above US$3 and up to US$1,500 generally pay 7.5% import duty plus VAT.
• Some goods, including bags, textiles and garments, shoes, and cosmetics, have higher rates and may also attract income tax.

In practice, nearly every order you send to Indonesia will have charges. Customs issues a bill that must be paid before the parcel is released, which makes DDP worth looking at seriously if your carrier offers it. Indonesia also has trade-ministry rules on cross-border e-commerce that change from time to time, so confirm your product category with your carrier or a broker before you launch.

Step 5: GST on orders to Malaysia and Indonesia

If you're not GST-registered, you don't charge GST on any sale, local or overseas. If you are, IRAS lets you zero-rate exported goods (charge 0%) if, at the time of supply, you're certain the goods will be exported and you'll have the required documents:

• The 60-day rule: you have up to 60 days from the time of supply (the earlier of invoice or payment) to export the goods and collect the export documents. Miss it and you must charge GST at the standard rate.
• The documents include the customer's order, your invoice, proof of payment and transport evidence. When you ship through a Singapore postal or courier company, IRAS's updated GST: Guide on Exports accepts an endorsed parcel despatch note, courier consignment note or air waybill showing you as the sender, as EY's summary of the July 2024 update explains.
• Zero-rated sales still count toward the S$1 million GST registration threshold.

Our GST guide for Singapore Shopify stores covers registration, tax-inclusive pricing and Shopify's tax settings in more detail.

Step 6: Export paperwork from Singapore

Singapore Customs exempts some exports from needing a permit, as long as the goods aren't dutiable or controlled. Most small e-commerce parcels fall into these two exemptions:

• Goods sent by parcel post.
• Goods exported by air with a total value of S$1,000 or less.

Higher-value air shipments, and goods going by road or sea, may need a permit through TradeNet. So do controlled goods, whatever their value. Either way, every carrier will ask you to declare the contents and value. Keeping HS codes and countries of origin on your Shopify products pays off twice: once for duty estimates at checkout, and again on customs forms.

Step 7: How customers will pay

With Shopify Payments in Singapore, Malaysian and Indonesian customers can pay with Visa, Mastercard, American Express or UnionPay cards, plus Apple Pay, Google Pay and Shop Pay. Shopify shows local payment methods by the customer's location, but the Singapore list is short: Bancontact, iDEAL | Wero, MB WAY, Przelewy24, Satispay, and GrabPay for Singapore customers paying in SGD (in early access). None of them are Malaysian or Indonesian methods.

That leaves a gap. Stripe describes FPX online banking as one of the most popular ways to pay online in Malaysia, and HitPay lists QRIS as popular in Indonesia. Methods like these are often tied to a local business: Stripe's documentation, for example, says only Stripe accounts in Malaysia can accept FPX. Some providers offer cross-border methods. HitPay's documentation, for instance, lists DuitNow and Touch 'n Go for Malaysia and QRIS for Indonesia. Ask any provider whether those methods work on Shopify for a Singapore business before you advertise them.

One trade-off to weigh: Shopify's local-currency checkout needs Shopify Payments as your main provider. You can add a third-party provider alongside it. Our guide to PayNow and GrabPay on Shopify shows how adding a provider works and how to test it.

Step 8: Shipping to Malaysia and Indonesia

Since Singapore stores can't buy Shopify Shipping labels, you'll use a carrier's own app or portal. For these two markets:

• SingPost offers tracked Speedpost International for parcels, plus airmail and surface mail for small items, each with its own weight and size limits. It says customs declarations are mandatory and badly declared parcels can be delayed or returned.
• Ninja Van says its cross-border network covers Malaysia and Indonesia, with tracking, customs clearance support and cash on delivery. Rates come on request.
• DHL Express has an official Shopify app that can create customs documents. Ask DHL whether DDP is available on your account for each country.

Before you promise delivery, check each carrier's prohibited-items list. Perfume, aerosols and lithium batteries are common exclusions. Our Singapore shipping guide covers each carrier's Shopify app and how to compare them.

Once you have rate cards, turn them into checkout rates for each market, such as a flat rate to West Malaysia, a higher one to East Malaysia or Indonesia, and a free-shipping minimum where your margin allows. If your rules start depending on destination, product type and cart contents all at once, Giraffe Shipping lets you set them up for Shopify checkout without code or theme edits.

A launch checklist

1. Confirm Shopify Payments is your main provider, so customers can pay in MYR and IDR.
2. Create Malaysia and Indonesia markets. Set currency, rounding and any price adjustments.
3. Add Malay and Indonesian if you'll support them, translate product pages and policies, and turn on the theme's country and language selectors.
4. Add HS codes and countries of origin to every product.
5. Choose DDP or DAP for each country. If DDP, confirm your carrier supports it, then turn on duty collection.
6. Set shipping zones and rates for each market. Check prohibited items with your carrier.
7. If you're GST-registered, decide how you'll store export documents for each order so you meet the 60-day rule.
8. Place a test order with a Malaysian and an Indonesian address and check the currency, taxes, duties and shipping rates at checkout.

FAQ

Can a Singapore store use Shopify Managed Markets?

Not at the moment. Shopify says Managed Markets, the Global-e merchant-of-record service that used to be called Markets Pro, is only available to businesses based in the continental United States and to certain stores in Canada and the United Kingdom. Malaysia and Indonesia are on its list of destinations, but that only helps merchants in those three countries. A Singapore store uses standard Shopify Markets and sets up currencies, translations, duties and taxes itself.

Do Malaysian customers pay import duty on my Shopify orders?

It depends on value and route. The Royal Malaysian Customs Department exempts air courier consignments with a CIF value of RM500 or less from import duty and sales tax on imports, but that de minimis relief doesn't apply to goods brought in by road. Separately, Malaysia charges a 10% sales tax on low-value goods of RM500 or less sold online, and overseas sellers must register once those sales into Malaysia pass RM500,000 in 12 months.

What do Indonesian customers pay on parcels from Singapore?

Indonesia's de minimis is very low. Pos Indonesia and Indonesian Customs both say parcels with an FOB value up to US$3 are free of import duty but still pay VAT, and parcels above US$3 up to US$1,500 generally pay 7.5% import duty plus VAT. Bags, textiles, shoes and some other goods have higher rates. Unless you ship DDP, your customer pays these before delivery.

Do I charge Singapore GST on orders shipped to Malaysia or Indonesia?

Only if you're GST-registered, and even then exports can usually be zero-rated. IRAS lets you charge 0% if you're certain the goods will be exported and you keep the required export documents within 60 days of the time of supply. If you miss the documents or the deadline, you must charge GST at the standard rate. If you aren't GST-registered, you don't charge GST at all.

Can Malaysian and Indonesian customers pay with FPX, GoPay or OVO?

Not through Shopify Payments in Singapore. Its customer payment methods are cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay and a short list of mostly European local methods. Many Southeast Asian methods are tied to a local business: Stripe, for example, only lets Malaysian accounts accept FPX. Some payment providers list cross-border methods such as DuitNow, Touch 'n Go and QRIS, so ask whether they work with Shopify for a Singapore business before you promise them.

A reminder: this guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Duty rates, de minimis thresholds and Shopify features change, so check IRAS, Singapore Customs, the Malaysian and Indonesian customs authorities and Shopify's Help Center before you act. If you're looking at government support for an overseas expansion, our guide to grants for Singapore Shopify stores covers EDGE, the scheme that replaced EDG and PSG.

If you're still setting up, a Shopify trial gives you time to create markets, test MYR and IDR pricing, and run test checkouts before you launch.

Start a Shopify trial →

References

Rules, rates and features change, so check the live page before you act on anything here.

1. Understanding market types, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
2. Setting up currencies for markets, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
3. Accepted currencies (Shopify Payments multi-currency), Shopify Help Center. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
4. Setting up localization for markets, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
5. Localization and translation, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
6. Shopify Translate & Adapt, Shopify App Store. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
7. Overview of Managed Markets, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
8. Requirements and considerations for using Managed Markets, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
9. Sell to international customers, Shopify Singapore. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
10. Duties and import taxes, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
11. Considerations for charging duties and import taxes at checkout, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
12. Collecting international duties and import taxes at checkout, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
13. Adding HS codes to your products, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
14. Setting up Shopify Shipping, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
15. Customer payment methods with Shopify Payments in Singapore, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
16. FPX payments, Stripe Docs. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
17. Cross-border payments overview, HitPay Docs. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
18. Exporting of goods, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
19. Module 3: Charging GST on supplies (zero-rate), IRAS. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
20. Indirect Tax Alert: Exports of goods via post/courier, EY Singapore. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
21. Permit exemptions, Singapore Customs. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
22. FAQ: Implementation of sales tax on low value goods, Royal Malaysian Customs Department. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
23. Guide on sales tax on low value goods (as of 1 August 2024), Royal Malaysian Customs Department. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
24. Aturan Impor (import rules), Pos Indonesia. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
25. Barang Kiriman (consignment goods), Directorate General of Customs and Excise, KPPBC Ngurah Rai. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
26. PMK 4 Tahun 2025 (amendment to PMK 96/2023 on consignment goods), Ministry of Finance of Indonesia, JDIH. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
27. Sending overseas, SingPost. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.
28. International deliveries, Ninja Van Singapore. Accessed 5 Oct 2026.