Is Shopify Managed Markets Right for Your Canadian Cross-Border Sales?

As of July 15, Shopify Managed Markets is available to merchants based in Canada and the UK. It makes Global-e the merchant of record for international orders, so buyers see duties-inclusive prices in their own currency and pay no surprise fees on delivery. For Canadian brands selling into the US and beyond, it's worth a serious look. We cover what it does, what it costs, and what you give up.

A woman planning on a world map with passports on a wooden table

Published Jul 16, 2026. Author: Ecomm Guys. 4 min read.

Key Points

Managed Markets makes Global-e the merchant of record for your international orders.
Buyers see duties-inclusive prices in local currency, with duties paid at checkout.
Global-e registers, collects, and remits tax in destination countries for you.
Canada Post isn't available for Managed Markets orders; labels are DHL Express and FedEx.
The Managed Markets transaction fee is 3.5%, or 3.25% on Shopify Plus, on top of payment processing and currency conversion, with no monthly fee.

What Managed Markets Does

Shopify's changelog describes Managed Markets as a way to remove the complexity of selling internationally. Global-e becomes the merchant of record for international orders, and you fulfill them the way you handle domestic orders. International buyers see duties-inclusive prices, pay in their local currency, and face no surprise fees on delivery.

Global-e registers, collects, and remits tax in the destination country on your behalf. Managed Markets classifies your products and assigns Harmonized System codes, and Shopify says import tax and duty collection is guaranteed, so you won't receive an adjustment later. You get discounted DHL Express and FedEx labels in your admin, and payouts in CAD, processed daily by Shopify Payments.

Why It Matters for Canadian Merchants

The last year has been hard on Canadian cross-border sellers. The end of the US de minimis exemption meant duties on low-value parcels, and repeated Canada Post disruptions pushed many stores to add courier options. Managed Markets addresses both: duties are collected at checkout, and shipping runs through DHL Express and FedEx.

The biggest gain is the buyer experience. A US shopper who sees a final price with no duty bill at the door is more likely to complete the order, and less likely to refuse delivery.

Requirements and Limits

Shopify's Help Center lists several conditions for Canadian stores.

Your store must use Shopify Payments, and your store currency must be CAD.
Your business must be based in Canada, with a non-PO box location and a fulfilment location in Canada.
If you have several fulfilment locations, they must all be in the same province.
Your store must use Shopify Tax or Basic Tax.
Store and product information must be available in English.
Canada Post, DHL eCommerce, and UPS aren't available for Managed Markets orders, though Canada Post still works for domestic orders.
Subscriptions and B2B orders aren't supported, and you can't run Managed Markets and the Global-e app at the same time.

Costs and Tax Paperwork

Shopify's international pricing page lists the Managed Markets transaction fee at 3.5% per transaction, or 3.25% on Shopify Plus. That sits on top of the normal Shopify Payments processing fee and a currency conversion fee. There's no monthly fee and no contract period. By default, these fees are built into the prices international buyers see, so your payout on an international order is similar to a domestic one. For Canadian stores, GST, HST, QST, PST, or RST is added to the Managed Markets fee depending on your province. Fees can change, so check Shopify's pricing page before you activate.

There's also a tax structure to understand. In Canada, a Managed Markets order is treated as a B2B sale from your store to Global-e, which then sells to the customer. You sign a self-billing agreement, and Shopify validates your GST or HST registration against your legal business name. If they don't match, you could be liable for tax on those sales, so check your registration details with your accountant before you activate.

When Managed Markets Fits

Managed Markets suits Canadian brands with growing international demand and no appetite for registering, filing, and handling duties in other countries. It's less attractive for brands whose international prices are already at the limit of what buyers will pay, since by default the fees show up as higher prices. The same applies to brands with a strong, cheaper shipping setup they would lose.

Run the numbers on last quarter's international orders: the fees you'd pay against the cost of duties problems, refused parcels, and the admin time you spend today.

Check the Requirements First

Check that you meet the requirements, confirm your GST or HST registration matches your legal name, and compare Managed Markets fees with your current international costs. If it fits, start with your largest international market and review results after a month.

Want help deciding whether Managed Markets suits your business? Book a call with our team.

Sources

Shopify Managed Markets now available in Canada and the UK Shopify Changelog, July 2026
Managed Markets for Canada Shopify Help Center
Pricing for Shopify's international sales tools and Managed Markets Shopify
Requirements and considerations for using Managed Markets Shopify Help Center
Fact Sheet: Suspending the De Minimis Exemption for Commercial Shipments Globally The White House, July 2025
CUPW has launched a national strike that will cause postal delays for Canadians Canada Post, September 2025