Shopify Multi Currency Using Bold Commerce
Easily one of the largest issues store owners face with the Shopify platform is multi currency support. A recent poll shows 80% of people that reach a checkout that isn’t in their currency of choice start to look for other options. This isn’t a small issue, and if you're reading this, you already know that, so let's look at how you can make your Shopify store truly support multi currency, from product selection right through to checkout.
80% of people that reach a checkout that isn’t in their currency of choice start to look for other options.
Bold Apps
If you use Shopify for your online store, you've likely come across Bold Commerce, formerly Shappify. They are a dominant app developer out of Winnipeg, Canada and they solve a whole bunch of issues with clean interfaces and simple systems. Two of their apps combine to produce a truly multi-currency Shopify store. There are also a ton of bonuses when converting your store using this approach, including money savings!
Multi Currency and Cashier
To get started, you will need to install two apps to your store. Both are free to install and use, with no monthly fees. Use the Links below to get started quickly.
Note that Cashier is not listed in the App Store or officially sanctioned by Shopify. The reasoning behind this will become quite clear as we go further into the process, but mainly it is due to it replacing Shopify’s checkout.
Once the two apps are installed, it’s time to get them configured.
Configuring Multi Currency
Before you can do much more, you’ll want to have Bold complete the installation of multi-currency for you. They do this for free, so all you need to do is submit a request and give them access to your store. It usually takes 1-2 days, so make sure to do this right away. You’ll see this as a big notification as soon as you install and open the Multi Currency App.
Now I am not going to go through every single setting in multi-currency, as there are a lot. I will instead give you the shorter version and you can poke around further. You can also get in touch with us if you have any questions.
Step 1: Add Currencies
Step 2: Enable Geo-location
Step 3: Set Exchange Rates
Step 4: Add Rounding Rules
By default, the app will add the primary currency of your store. You can then add as many additional currencies as you like. I would recommend sticking to the main currencies that you want to offer; no need to go crazy and add 100 currencies.
Configuring Cashier
Now that multi-currency is all set up and is available on your storefront, you will need to turn it on in Cashier and configure Cashier. Cashier does not require any code installation and can be turned on or off quickly from your admin.
Cashier completely replaces Shopify’s checkout system. Your built-in checkout won’t be accessed by your users once you turn this system on, so be careful if you already process a lot of orders, have other apps installed, or otherwise have customizations made to your checkout.
Step 1: Configure Payment Gateway(s)
Step 2: Shipping Settings
Step 3: Taxes
Step 4: Configure Discount Codes
Step 5: Setup Tracking Codes
Step 6: Enable Multi Currency
Step 7: Set Gateways in Multi Currency
Step 8: Turn on Cashier and Test It
The first thing to do is setup your payment gateways. You can connect multiple gateways depending on the currencies you want to accept. For example, some of the gateways will only allow you to bill in a single currency whereas Stripe will let you bill in multiple currencies. Configure all of the gateways you plan on using, keeping in mind that we will need to go back to the multi currency app to select which gateways to use with which currency. A good default is Stripe, as you can bill in almost any currency, all through the same platform.
If you don’t see the gateway you are looking for, get in touch with Bold Support and let them know. They are adding gateways as they are able and knowing that you're looking for one is critical to having it added to the list. You also can look at something like Authorize.net, as many more traditional systems use it as an intermediary for online sales.
At this point, you should be all set with Cashier and when you go to checkout in a non-default currency, that should follow to the checkout process. This is your final reminder to test out your store in multiple currencies, from front to back. Clear your cache in between tests. Better yet, have friends or family complete entire orders in other currencies.
Bonus Features
With Cashier and Multi Currency, there are a number of bonus features.
- 0.25% transaction fees - If you've been using a payment gateway outside of Shopify Payments, you've been paying at least 0.5% in transaction fees to Shopify, and likely closer to 2.0%. This is a huge win.
- Carrier Based Shipping Rates - Shipping settings in Bold Cashier allow you to connect to FedEx, UPS, Canada Post and USPS directly. Adding FedEx and UPS is something that would normally only be available on the $299/month Shopify plan.
- Cashier Functionality - Bold has been steadily adding features to Cashier since they launched it. Features like branded checkout URLs (Shopify includes this now too, but didn’t for a long time), Tweet for an instant discount, the ability to switch to a one page checkout, loyalty integrations, and the ability to upsell products after checkout.
- Marketplace Integrations - Bold also offers apps that focus on recurring subscription type sales, use your store orders to recommend products, and sale motivator apps which seamlessly integrate with Cashier and Multi Currency. All of these can help sell more products and deliver more value to your users.
Potential Issues and Things to Note
When replacing such a huge part of a platform like this, there are bound to be some issues and things to take note of. We will update this guide as we see more or they are resolved.
- Integrations and Other Apps - There are a lot of apps that use the Shopify Checkout to handle discounts, points, and other customizations. These will likely not work out of the box with Cashier due to how new the product is, however, Bold has told us they are happy to help to see if they can be integrated. Depending on how popular the app is, they may already have a solution.
- Refunds - While this is still easy to do, the method changes a bit. Instead of clicking refund on the order page, you will need to go to the top three dots and select “Refund - Cashier”. This handles everything in the same way, it’s just not as seamless. If you do accidentally click the big blue refund button, you will still be able to refund through Bold, but the customer might get two notifications.
Uptime + Scale
Bold runs Cashier in a highly scalable and widely available cloud environment that allows them to respond pretty quickly to increasing demands for checkout processing. They have a proven track record of supporting big brands who run Super Bowl commercials, have been featured on Shark Tank, and other high-intensity scenarios. Uptime and scale won't be a concern if you are choosing Cashier for your checkout.
Conclusion
We hope that this guide has been helpful to show you what is possible with these two apps and how you can easily and freely make your Shopify Store truly support multiple currencies. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us, we are happy to help.
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