Etsy expands Purchase Protection: What sellers need to fix before 7 May
Reading Time: 3 minutes Etsy is updating its Purchase Protection programme from 7 May, and…
Key Updates
- Shopify is deprecating the “Sell from all locations to all shipping zones” setting and will strictly enforce configured shipping zones, disallowing orders from zones not explicitly set.
- For DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid) international orders, Shopify will now automatically capture destination sales tax when merchants have off-duty collection enabled.
Platforms / Regions Affected
- All Shopify storefronts globally
- All merchants enabling international shipping / markets
Impact Analysis for Sellers
| Area | Change | Seller Impact / Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Shipping configuration | Merchants can no longer use blanket shipping to all zones. | Orders from unconfigured zones will be blocked or rejected; potential revenue loss if not adjusted. |
| Tax on DDU orders | Sales tax will be automatically captured in the destination country for qualifying orders. | Margins may tighten; perceived landed costs for customers may change, requiring pricing adjustments. |
Merchants relying on the “sell from all locations to all zones” setting must reconfigure explicit shipping zones or risk order rejections.
The change to DDU tax capture gives more clarity to tax liabilities but may affect pricing logic if not accounted for ahead of time.
Sellers may need to revisit international pricing strategies, cost absorption, and how shipping, duty, and tax are presented at checkout.
Recommended Next Steps for Merchants
- Audit shipping zones: Ensure all active markets are included in your shipping zone configurations.
- Test DDU checkout flows: Place test orders from abroad to verify tax capture, duty display, and checkout accuracy.
- Adjust pricing or margins: Recalculate landed costs including taxes and duties; revise product pricing as needed.
- Communicate changes to customers: Use banners or checkout notes to clarify supported regions and new shipping logic.
- Monitor order failures / rejections: After October 15, track rejected orders to identify and fix zone misconfigurations quickly.
Bottom Line: From October 15 onward, Shopify will shift from a default “sell everywhere” model to a stricter zone-based shipping regime, while enforcing destination tax capture on DDU orders. Stores that don’t reconfigure zones or recalibrate pricing risk losing orders or margin. Merchants should review shipping settings, test international checkouts, and safeguard global operations ahead of enforcement.
Source: Shopify Changelog
