Shopify agency for brands in Austria

Is Austria just a smaller Germany for ecommerce?

No. Austrian shoppers read German, but they notice when a store is written for Germany: different vocabulary (Jänner, Paradeiser, Sackerl), different legal notices and a strong preference for paying by bank transfer through EPS or on invoice. Treat Austria as its own market, even if it shares a store with Germany.

Many Austrians also buy from Amazon.de and Zalando, and use willhaben for classifieds. That means your store is compared with large German retailers on delivery speed and returns, while being judged on how local it feels.

Austria launch checklist for Shopify

How do Austrians pay online, and what does Shopify support?

Shopify Payments is available to merchants in Austria, and it includes EPS, the Austrian bank-transfer method, which is switched on by default when you set up Shopify Payments.

• EPS details that affect operations: refunds are possible only within 180 days of the charge, Shopify does not return the processing fee on refunds, and there are no chargebacks because customers authenticate with their bank. If EPS has not confirmed a payment when the shopper returns, the order shows as "Payment pending", so do not fulfill until it clears.
• Who can receive EPS: merchants in Austria, Germany or France selling in EUR. A German brand with an Austrian market can offer it.
• Invoice habit: Klarna's pay in 30 days is the simplest way to give Austrians the "Kauf auf Rechnung" experience without running your own credit checks.

Our take: cards, PayPal, EPS and Klarna cover the Austrian checkout. More logos rarely help.

What legal notices does an Austrian online shop need?

An Austrian Impressum combines several laws, and the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO) summarizes which apply to whom.

• E-Commerce Act (ECG § 5): applies to every commercial website, including every Shopify store.
• Commercial Code (UGB § 14): applies to businesses in the commercial register (Firmenbuch), such as a GmbH. Sole traders not in the register follow the Trade Act (GewO § 63) instead.
• Media Act (MedienG § 25, Offenlegung): depends on the content of the site, which matters if you publish a blog or magazine alongside the shop.
• Warranty (VGG): for goods delivered from January 1, 2022, the warranty period is two years, defects in the first year are presumed to have existed at handover, and claims can be taken to court for about three months after the period ends.
• Accessibility: the European Accessibility Act has applied since June 28, 2025; see our EAA guide.

We build the pages and flows; your Austrian lawyer or the WKO templates should settle the wording.

VAT for Austrian and German brands

Austria's standard VAT rate is 20%. A German or other EU brand selling to Austrian consumers charges Austrian VAT once its total cross-border B2C sales in the EU pass €10,000 a year, declared through the One Stop Shop. In Shopify, a separate Austria market lets you show the right tax-inclusive price, a localized domain or subfolder, and Austria-specific shipping rates, while sharing the catalog with Germany.

Shipping and returns in Austria

Österreichische Post is the default for domestic parcels and pickup stations, with DPD, GLS and DHL common alternatives. Alpine regions can add a day, so give a range rather than a fixed date. If you ship from Germany, say so on the product page; Austrians generally accept it if delivery times and return costs are clear.

1. Create an Austria market with EUR and 20% VAT.
2. Set Austrian shipping rates and delivery estimates.
3. Localize vocabulary in navigation, size guides and emails.
4. Test EPS, Klarna and the withdrawal flow with real orders.

How we work with Austrian brands

We work remotely with brands in Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck. We work asynchronously in English by email and Basecamp and schedule calls within your working hours; German copy comes from your team or translator.

The process: discovery call, written proposal, design questionnaire, first design in under a week, up to three revision rounds, development and launch. Shopify, domain and apps are always set up in your own accounts.

Shopify services for Austrian brands

• Shopify store design with Austrian German in mind.
• Shopify development: EPS, Klarna, DACH markets and legal pages.
• Shopify migration from Shopware, WooCommerce or Magento.
• Shopify B2B and wholesale for Austrian manufacturers and wholesalers.
• Shopify Plus for DACH-wide, multi-store setups.
• Shopify SEO and CRO for google.at.
• web design for non-shop company sites.

Questions about Austria or DACH? Contact us.