Shopify payment methods for stores in Spain

Shopify Payments: the built-in gateway

Shopify Payments is Shopify's own payment gateway and it is available to stores in Spain. You turn it on from the payments settings without signing up with a separate provider, and charges, refunds and chargebacks are managed from the same admin where you see your orders.

With Shopify Payments shoppers can pay by card and with digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, plus Shop Pay, Shopify's accelerated checkout that remembers the buyer's details. On mobile, digital wallets cut friction a lot: the shopper pays without typing a card number.

• Credit and debit cards from the main networks.
• Apple Pay and Google Pay.
• Shop Pay for shoppers who already use it on other stores.
• Charging in the shopper's local currency if you sell in several markets.

The extra fee when you do not use Shopify Payments

If you do not turn on Shopify Payments and you charge through a third-party gateway, Shopify applies an additional transaction fee on top of whatever that gateway charges you. The percentage depends on your plan and Shopify publishes it at shopify.com/pricing.

So before choosing a third-party gateway, compare the total cost per sale: the gateway fee plus Shopify's additional fee. In many cases Shopify Payments works out cheaper and also makes payment reconciliation simpler.

PayPal

PayPal is still a widely recognized method in Spain, especially among shoppers who do not want to enter their card on a store they do not know. You connect it from the payments settings with your PayPal Business account, and it can run alongside Shopify Payments.

Keep in mind that PayPal applies its own fees and its own dispute system, and that the money lands in your PayPal account, not in the same payout as your other charges. Factor that in when reconciling payments with your accounting.

Also check where the accelerated checkout buttons appear. Showing PayPal and digital wallets in the cart or on the product page shortens the path, but if the theme places them badly they can distract from the main add to cart button. Test the layout on mobile before signing off on it.

Third-party gateways and your bank's virtual POS

Many Spanish stores already have a virtual POS with their bank and want to keep using it. Shopify lets you connect third-party gateways through payment apps compatible with its checkout. There are options to connect bank virtual POS systems and other providers, but availability and features depend on each app and each bank.

Before deciding, check a few points.

• That the payment app is compatible with Shopify's current checkout.
• How it handles refunds: from Shopify or from the gateway's dashboard.
• Whether it supports recurring payments or subscriptions, if you need them.
• The total cost per sale, adding Shopify's additional fee.

Bizum

Bizum is a mobile payment method widely used in Spain for payments between individuals and increasingly common in ecommerce. It is not built into Shopify natively: it is offered through compatible gateways or apps that include it among their methods.

Availability varies by gateway, bank and each provider's terms, so check which options are available for your store when you set it up. If you add it through a third-party gateway, remember that Shopify's additional fee applies when you do not use Shopify Payments.

Manual methods: cash on delivery and bank transfer

Shopify lets you add manual payment methods, which do not process the charge at the time of purchase. The order is created with payment pending and you mark it as paid when you receive the money. The two most common in Spain are cash on delivery and bank transfer.

Cash on delivery still carries weight in some sectors and customer profiles, but it means more returns from orders that are never collected, and it depends on your carrier offering it. Bank transfer works well for high value orders or business customers, although it delays fulfillment until the payment is confirmed.

• Include in the method's instructions the steps the shopper must follow and the deadline.
• If you charge a cash on delivery surcharge, state it clearly before payment.
• With Shopify Functions in apps you can hide methods based on order value, country or product type.

How to choose the right mix

For most stores in Spain, a solid base is Shopify Payments with cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, plus PayPal. From there, add methods based on your customers: Bizum if your audience uses it daily, cash on delivery if your sector requires it and bank transfer if you sell to businesses.

Do not add methods just for the sake of it. Each one adds some management, and if too many options are shown, checkout becomes more confusing. At Weblineo we work only with Shopify; in our optimization service we review checkout and payment methods as part of your store's conversion analysis.