Shopify already has strong cross-border commerce features ready for brands that want to sell to the United States, Japan, Southeast Asia, and other international markets. But many Taiwanese brands only realize one key issue when they actually start selling overseas: “The website is ready, but I have no idea how to collect payments.” This article explains how international payment processing works for Taiwanese Shopify merchants, the practical solutions currently available, and the pros and cons of each option.
⚠️Shopify Payments is not supported in Taiwan
Shopify merchants in Europe, the United States, and Japan can directly enable Shopify Payments to handle credit card payments, multi-currency settlements, Apple Pay / Google Pay, and other features in one place. However, Taiwan is currently not included in the list of supported regions for Shopify Payments, so Taiwanese merchants cannot use this feature directly.
What does this mean? If a Taiwanese brand wants to use Shopify to collect USD or other foreign currencies, it needs to work with a third-party payment provider. The biggest difference between providers is the currency they use to settle funds into your account.
🔄How international payment processing works
Before deciding which solution is right for you, it is important to understand the basic payment flow:
🌏 Overseas customer places an order Pays in USD / JPY / EUR
↓
💳 Payment provider processes the payment Card authorization, fraud prevention, and currency conversion
↓
💰 Funds are settled into your account TWD or foreign currency, depending on the solution
↓
🏦 Your Taiwanese bank / foreign currency account Currency conversion or direct deposit
There are three key questions you need to understand in this process:
1
Can customers pay in a local currency they are familiar with?
2
Can you receive foreign currency such as USD or JPY, or can you only receive TWD?
3
How are transaction fees calculated, and how much currency exchange loss will there be?
📋International payment options for Taiwanese merchants
👥 Suitable for: brands mainly selling in Taiwan with occasional international orders
ECPay, HiTRUST, and TapPay can currently allow overseas customers to pay by credit card, but there is one important limitation:
💡 Customers must check out in TWD. Even if your website displays product prices in USD, the system will convert the amount into TWD at checkout, and the customer must successfully pay by card in TWD to complete the order. For overseas customers, suddenly seeing TWD on the checkout page may cause confusion and even lead to cart abandonment.
✅ Pros
- Taiwanese companies can apply directly without an overseas entity
- Also supports local Taiwanese payment methods
- Familiar local service providers, easier communication
❌ Cons
- Customers must check out in TWD, which creates a poor experience
- Funds are received in TWD, so currency exchange loss still exists
- Cross-border payment rejection rates may be relatively higher
👥 Suitable for: brands that want to provide a better checkout experience for English-speaking markets
HiTRUST and TapPay work with banks to allow customers to check out in USD, while merchants receive settlement in TWD. For brands targeting English-speaking markets, this creates a much more familiar payment experience for customers.
Customer checkout currency USD
Merchant settlement currency TWD
Overseas card processing fee Depends on the bank rate and should be confirmed separately
⚠️ Overseas customers pay in USD, but you ultimately still receive TWD. The transaction fees and currency exchange losses in between are costs that need to be evaluated. Overseas customers may also need to pay foreign transaction fees.
👥 Suitable for: brands just starting to test cross-border markets with lower average order values
PayPal is one of the most familiar payment tools for overseas customers. It is relatively easy to apply for, supports direct applications from Taiwanese companies, and does not require an overseas entity.
Payment processing fee Around 3.9% + fixed fee, depending on the plan and country
Withdrawal fee Around 2.5%, currently only supporting E.SUN Bank
Actual amount received for a USD 50 order Around USD 46–47, before additional withdrawal fees
✅ Pros
- High recognition among overseas customers
- Taiwanese companies can apply directly
- Can truly receive foreign currency
❌ Cons
- Total cost is relatively high due to payment fees and withdrawal fees
- Withdrawals currently only support E.SUN Bank
- Does not support domestic TWD transactions in Taiwan
📌 PayPal in Taiwan does not support domestic TWD transactions and can only be used for cross-border payments. If you also sell in the Taiwanese market, you will need to pair it with a local Taiwanese payment provider.
👥 Suitable for: merchants who understand the limitations and want to evaluate independently
These two cross-border payment providers can be applied for directly by Taiwanese companies and connected through authorization in the Shopify admin. They look convenient at first glance, but there are several critical issues to understand in practice.
✅ Pros
- Available to Taiwanese companies without setting up an overseas company
- Accounting remains in Taiwan, making tax handling relatively simple
- Can truly receive foreign currency
❌ Cons, critical issues
-
Shop Pay cannot be used: Without Shopify Payments, Shop Pay one-click checkout cannot be enabled. This is the biggest drawback.
-
High overseas card failure rate: The acquiring node is not located in the customer’s country, so local card-issuing banks may easily block transactions through fraud prevention systems.
-
Strict application review: Merchants without their own brand or dropshipping merchants may have a higher chance of being rejected.
👥 Suitable for: brands with a long-term cross-border plan that want to receive foreign currency directly
Shopify Payments works with Stripe and is currently one of the most complete credit card payment solutions for cross-border e-commerce. It supports 135+ currencies, has a processing fee of around 2.9% + USD 0.30, offers lower overall fees than PayPal, provides a smooth checkout experience, and fully supports Shop Pay one-click checkout.
Taiwanese merchants need to first set up a company in a region supported by Shopify Payments. Common approaches include:
🇺🇸 U.S. LLC Paired with a U.S. bank account such as Mercury or Relay
🇭🇰 Hong Kong company Paired with a Hong Kong bank account
Payment processing fee Around 2.9% + USD 0.30, depending on the plan
✅ Pros
- Customers can check out in local currencies such as USD, JPY, and EUR
- Can truly receive foreign currency
- Supports Shop Pay one-click checkout and improves conversion rates
- Fees are more cost-effective than PayPal
- Full support for Apple Pay and Google Pay
❌ Cons
- Requires setting up an overseas company, creating upfront costs
- Requires opening an overseas bank account
- There will be one currency conversion cost when funds are remitted back to Taiwan
- Tax structure needs to be planned separately
💡 This is the most complete structure and offers the best customer experience. Although the upfront preparation is more complex, for brands serious about cross-border selling, the long-term benefits in fees and conversion rates can far outweigh the cost of setting up an overseas company.
📊Comparison of each solution
| Solution |
Taiwanese company
can apply directly |
Customer
can check out in foreign currency |
Merchant
can receive foreign currency |
Suitable stage |
ECPay / HiTRUST / TapPay
Standard solution
|
✅ |
❌
Requires TWD checkout
|
❌ |
Mainly selling in Taiwan, with occasional overseas orders |
HiTRUST / TapPay
Cross-border USD acquiring
|
✅ |
✅
USD checkout
|
❌
Settled in TWD
|
Initial testing in English-speaking markets |
| PayPal |
✅ |
✅ |
⚠️ High withdrawal fee |
Cross-border testing stage |
| Airwallex / Payoneer |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
Not recommended, high rejection rate |
Shopify Payments
Requires an overseas company
|
❌
Requires an overseas company
|
✅ |
✅ |
Most recommended for long-term cross-border selling |
❓Practical issues that are often overlooked
Q After setting up multi-currency in Shopify Markets, can I automatically receive foreign currency?
No. Shopify Markets can display product prices in different currencies on your storefront, allowing customers to see prices in USD or JPY. However, whether customers can actually check out and pay in that currency depends on whether your connected payment provider supports it. These are two completely separate things. Setting up Markets does not mean your payment solution is ready.
Q How is currency exchange loss calculated, and how much could I lose?
Every time foreign currency payments are eventually converted back into TWD, there will be some currency exchange loss, usually around 1–3%, depending on each payment provider’s settlement exchange rate. Larger merchants can consider maintaining a foreign currency account and converting funds when exchange rates are more favorable to reduce unnecessary FX losses.
Q If I only want to test the U.S. market first, do I need to set up a U.S. company to receive USD?
Not necessarily. During the testing stage, you can first use PayPal or HiTRUST / TapPay cross-border solutions to launch quickly and evaluate order volume and market response. After validating the market, you can then consider whether to set up an overseas company and apply for Shopify Payments. The cross-border payment structure can be upgraded as your brand grows, so you do not need to start with the heaviest setup from day one.
💡Summary: choose a solution based on your brand stage
Early testing stage
PayPal, TapPay, or HiTRUST cross-border solutions
Launch quickly without an overseas company, validate market demand first, then upgrade your structure later
Long-term cross-border plan
Set up an overseas company and apply for Shopify Payments
The most complete structure, supporting Shop Pay and multi-currency settlement, with the most cost-effective fees
Taiwan only, with occasional overseas orders
Taiwan local payment providers accepting foreign credit cards
Existing ECPay, HiTRUST, or TapPay solutions are sufficient, with no additional setup required
There is no single standard answer for international payment setup. The best solution depends on your brand stage, target market, and budget flexibility.
Not sure which solution is right for you?
Book a free 30-minute consultation. We will help you plan the most suitable cross-border payment structure based on your brand status, target market, and budget.
