In February 2025, Shopify is once again bringing exciting updates that optimize the sales process and make everyday business easier for merchants. In this article, we have summarized the most important new features for you - including the introduction of the Shopify Duty Calculator for all plans, new checkout rules for more price transparency and improved functions for automatic product assignment. These updates will help you to make your Shopify store more efficient and further improve the shopping experience for your customers.
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Introduction of the Shopify customs calculator
Shopify has now made the “Duty Calculator” available for all tariff plans. This tool enables merchants to calculate and display customs duties and import taxes directly in the checkout process. This provides customers with a transparent overview of all costs incurred, preventing unexpected charges on delivery and increasing confidence in the purchasing process. The Duty Calculator can be activated in the Shopify admin area under the shipping and delivery options.
Checkout compliance updates
To meet legal requirements and customer expectations, Shopify has implemented changes to the checkout process.
Transparent fee display: From April 2025, all mandatory fees must be clearly displayed at the beginning of the checkout process. This serves to avoid hidden costs and increases price transparency for customers. Shopify will therefore prohibit the automatic addition of optional fees in the checkout from February 2025, unless the customer explicitly agrees to them. Merchants should adjust their checkout settings accordingly to comply with the new guidelines.
Sandboxing for checkout changes
To make it easier for merchants to adapt to the new regulations, Shopify now offers a sandbox environment for the checkout. This allows developers and store operators to safely test changes to the checkout process before they go live. Merchants can ensure that their customizations meet the new compliance requirements without disrupting ongoing operations, especially for businesses with complex checkout processes.
These features are a valuable tool to ensure smooth operations:
Optimized performance: Individual code is executed in an isolated environment (Web Workers) so that the speed and responsiveness of the checkout are not affected.
Increased security: Customizations do not run directly in the main checkout, but via a protected interface that minimizes potential security risks.
Future-proof development: Instead of direct interventions in the DOM, customizations are based on stable Shopify APIs, which means that merchants do not have to worry about compatibility issues with future updates.
Compliant checkout experience: Shopify ensures that the design, positioning of elements and accessibility remain consistent and that no unwanted changes affect the user experience.
The use of the sandbox is a key requirement for Shopify Checkout. While it eliminates the ability to execute custom code directly on the main checkout page, this system also ensures a powerful, low-maintenance and future-proof platform for merchants.
By the way: Latori is one of only three Premier Partners in the entire DACH region and we are happy to support you in all matters relating to Shopify. Simply get in touch with us and we'll talk about your project.
Changes to the geolocation app
Shopify's geolocation app will no longer be available from February 1, 2025 and will be automatically removed from stores that currently use it. As an alternative, Shopify has introduced features such as automatic domain forwarding and automatic language switching based on the browser language. These innovations reduce the need for the previous geolocation app. Merchants serving customers in the European Union who require consent-based localization should use third-party geolocation apps from the Shopify App Store.
Reading tip: You can find the best Shopify apps here.
Extended conditions for automated collections
Shopify has extended the functionality of automated collections by adding conditions based on meta object reference meta fields. This allows merchants to dynamically insert products into collections based on specific meta fields associated with meta objects. This extension provides a more precise and flexible product organization that can be adapted to individual business requirements. Merchants can configure these conditions in the Shopify admin area under the Automated Collections settings.
Reading tip: How to customize your store with Shopify Meta Objects.
Conclusion
Shopify's latest updates in February 2025 aim to optimize both compliance and user experience. With the introduction of the Duty Calculator, the adjustments to the checkout process, the changes to the geolocation app and the extended conditions for automated collections, Shopify offers merchants improved tools to make their online store more efficient and customer-friendly.
Latori: Your Shopify Premier Partner
As a Shopify partner and the first Shopify Premier agency in Germany, Latori has first-hand knowledge and is always up to date with changes to the store system. We have had the pleasure of helping numerous national and international brands switch to Shopify Plus.
You would also like to switch to Shopify Plus? We will discuss the possibilities for your project in a non-binding initial meeting. We look forward to getting to know you! Contact us now.
