Requirements and considerations for using the Shopify Collective sales channel

Before you start using the Shopify Collective sales channel, review the following requirements and considerations. You should also refer to Understanding the Collective Community Guidelines.

Requirements for using the Shopify Collective sales channel

To use the Shopify Collective sales channel in your Shopify admin, your store must meet the following requirements:

• Active Shopify plan: Your store must be on an active plan.
• Store location and store currency: Your business must be based in a supported country and must use a supported currency. Your store's currency doesn't need to be the domestic currency of your store's country. For example, you can have a store based in the United Kingdom, but with the store's currency set to USD. To connect with a retailer that you invite, your store needs to be in the same country as the retailer's store, and using the same currency as the retailer's store.
• Activation of Shopify Payments: You need to complete the Shopify Payments account setup process for your store, and your Shopify Payments account must have active payouts. Learn more about Shopify Payments payout timing and eligibility for Shopify Payments.
• Shopify Payments payout currency: The currency of your payout account for Shopify Payments must match your store's currency.
• Collecting taxes and verified tax registration: Businesses that are based in Canada, the United Kingdom, or in a European Union (EU) country need to use either Shopify Tax, Basic Tax, or a third-party tax app to collect taxes from retailers. You're not eligible for Shopify Collective with the Manual Tax setup. Businesses in Canada, the United Kingdom, or the EU also need to confirm their tax registration status:
  • If your business is based in Canada, then you must verify or add your GST/HST number and your billing address.
  • If your business is based in the United Kingdom or the EU, then you must verify or add your VAT number and your billing address. This applies only to businesses that are required to register for VAT in the UK and EU.
• Compliance with Shopify policies and store requirements: Your store needs to comply with Collective's Terms of Service, and Shopify's Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy. Your store also needs to meet Collective's requirements for trust, safety, and fraud. You might need to complete ID verification to meet these criteria.
• Network Intelligence: Your store must have Shopify Network Intelligence activated.

You need to meet all the requirements to be able to use all the features of Shopify Collective. If your store doesn't meet all the requirements, then a banner displays in your sales channel saying Verify requirements to connect with retailers and start selling. Click Check requirements to view a list of the requirements to sell from Collective, and which ones you need to fulfill to become eligible. Banners also display in other parts of the sales channel saying that certain features are unavailable, and that you can take certain actions only after meeting the eligibility requirements.

Supported countries and currencies for using the Shopify Collective sales channel

To use the Shopify Collective sales channel, your store must be located in one of the following supported countries and regions.

To use the Shopify Collective sales channel, you must have one of the following supported currencies set as your store's default currency.

Submit your identity verification

To be eligible to use Shopify Collective, you might need to submit an ID verification document and complete a selfie check. If you've already submitted your ID document and completed a selfie check elsewhere in your Shopify admin, such as when setting up Shopify Payments or upgrading to a Plus plan, then you don't need to complete ID verification in the Collective sales channel.

Steps:

Eligibility states in the Shopify Collective sales channel

If you install the Shopify Collective sales channel for the first time, and a message displays saying that you're ineligible to use Shopify Collective, then you can't connect with other merchants until your store meets the eligibility requirements.

If you're an existing supplier with Shopify Collective, and your store becomes ineligible through a recurring eligibility check, then you can't connect with new retailers or set any of your price lists to active status. You can review any existing orders or payments with your retailers.

If your store is ineligible, you can complete only the following tasks in the Shopify Collective sales channel:

• Overview page - Complete tasks in the sales channel onboarding checklist
• Discovery page - Browse and view retailers
• Retailers page - View any existing connections
• Price lists page - Create a price list and edit a price list
• Existing retailer connection page - Add a price list, edit a price list, and view a retailer's contact details

Ineligible retailers

You might find that a retailer you're working with becomes ineligible to use Shopify Collective. The retailer is informed about the steps that they need to take to become eligible again. Review the following list of what happens during this time:

• You receive an email notifying you that one of your retailers is currently ineligible to use Shopify Collective.
• You don't receive any new orders from the retailer's customers during the time that they're ineligible.
• You should review any unfulfilled orders or pending payments with the relevant retailer.
• If and when the retailer becomes eligible to use Shopify Collective again, then you receive another email, and you can continue to fulfill new orders from the retailer's customers and process payments.

Considerations for using the Shopify Collective sales channel

Before you start using the Shopify Collective sales channel, review the following considerations:

• You can't use the Pause and Build plan with the Shopify Collective sales channel.
• The Shopify Collective sales channel doesn't support digital products or gift card products.
• For shipping labels with international orders, any relevant duties, taxes, and tariffs aren't passed from retailers to suppliers with Shopify Collective.

Incompatible apps and features with the Shopify Collective sales channel

The Shopify Collective sales channel can't be used with the following features and apps:

• Managed Markets
• Pickup in store
• Metafields. Metafields aren't synced from your store to a retailer's store, but retailers can use metafields on their store.
• Product bundles. Bundles aren't synced from your store to a retailer's store, but retailers can use bundles on their store.
• Subscriptions
• Combined listings

Compatible apps and features with the Shopify Collective sales channel

The Shopify Collective sales channel is compatible with most apps and features, including Shopify Flow.