Shopify agency for brands across Guatemala
Shopify stores for Guatemalan brands, with card instalments, cash on delivery and local couriers at home, and a path to customers in the United States.
Shopify experts for Guatemala brands
Guatemala is Central America’s largest economy, and online shopping is growing quickly from a base of social selling. Many customers find products on Facebook and Instagram, ask questions on WhatsApp and pay by card in instalments or in cash on delivery. Guatemala also has products the world knows: coffee from Antigua and Huehuetenango, cardamom, cacao, jade and handwoven Mayan textiles, plus a very large Guatemalan community in the United States.
BOOST STAR Experts builds Shopify stores for Guatemalan brands selling at home and abroad. We set up local card processing and cash on delivery, connect domestic couriers, make sure orders work with FEL electronic invoicing and write natural Spanish content for Guatemalan shoppers. For export-minded brands, we add US-dollar storefronts and shipping that bring Guatemalan products to customers in the US and beyond.
Selling online in Guatemala: what your store needs
Cards in instalments and cash on delivery
Credit cards are widely used for online purchases, and paying in instalments, often called Visacuotas, is a strong selling point. Cash on delivery remains common for first orders. Shopify Payments is not available in Guatemala, so we connect a local processor or payment platform, such as Recurrente, after confirming how it integrates with Shopify.
IVA and FEL electronic invoicing
Guatemala’s IVA rate is 12%, and businesses must issue electronic invoices through the SAT’s FEL system (Factura Electrónica en Línea). Customers often ask for an invoice with their NIT tax number. Consumer rights are protected by law, with DIACO handling complaints. We set up checkout to capture the details your invoicing needs.
Couriers and city zones
Cargo Expreso, Guatex and Forza Delivery serve most of the country, alongside DHL and FedEx for international shipments. Guatemala City addresses use numbered zonas, which makes zone-based delivery rates easy for customers to understand. Delivery to rural areas takes longer, so we show estimates by department.
Social selling and the US diaspora
WhatsApp and Facebook are central to how Guatemalans shop, and many brands still take orders by chat. Guatemalans in the United States are a large audience for coffee, food products and textiles from home, and also buy gifts for family in Guatemala. Serving both audiences well can double a brand’s market.
Payments, delivery and compliance in Guatemala
- Visa & Mastercard
- Card instalments (Visacuotas)
- Cash on delivery
- Bank transfer & deposit
- Recurrente
- PayPal for US buyers
- Cargo Expreso
- Guatex
- Forza Delivery
- DHL Express
- FedEx
- IVA (12%)
- FEL electronic invoicing (SAT)
- Consumer protection law & DIACO
- US import rules for food exports
Shopify agency services across Guatemala
Working together
Guatemala is 11.5 hours behind India, so our days barely overlap. We hold calls early in your morning, which is our evening, and work through your night so changes are ready for review when your day starts.
Time zone: Central Standard Time (UTC−6, no daylight saving). Currency: GTQ (Q, quetzal). Languages: Spanish, Mayan languages (K’iche’, Q’eqchi’ and others).
How we work
Discovery call
We learn your goals, catalogue, tech stack and market, then agree what success looks like.
Audit & roadmap
A store, SEO and competitor audit turns into a prioritised roadmap with a timeline and fixed quote.
Design & build
UX, design and development in sprints, with a private preview store you review at every step.
Launch
QA across devices, redirects, tracking and a planned go-live with no downtime.
Grow
SEO, CRO and paid campaigns compound results month after month, with clear reporting.
Ongoing support
A dedicated team for fixes, new features and seasonal campaigns when you need them.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Guatemalan Shopify store accept cards in instalments?
Yes, if your card processor supports instalments. Shopify Payments is not available in Guatemala, so we connect a local processor or payment platform and show instalment options clearly on product pages. Instalments make higher-priced items far easier to sell, so they deserve a visible place in the store.
Can Shopify work with FEL electronic invoicing?
Shopify does not issue FEL invoices on its own, so we connect your store to an FEL certifier or accounting tool through an app or integration, or set up a clear process for your team. We capture each customer’s NIT at checkout so invoices are issued correctly.
Can we sell Guatemalan coffee to customers in the United States?
Yes. We set up a US-dollar storefront, shipping with tracking and product pages that explain origin, altitude and roast. Food imports into the US must follow FDA rules, including facility registration and prior notice, so we work with your exporter to confirm requirements before launch.
Should we offer cash on delivery?
For many Guatemalan customers, especially on a first order, cash on delivery builds trust. We enable it with limits by zone or order value and add confirmation by WhatsApp, which reduces refused deliveries. As customers return, many switch to card payments on their own.
How do you manage the time difference with Guatemala?
We schedule calls in your early morning, which is our evening, and do most of our work while you sleep. You wake up to written updates and changes ready on a staging store. For launches and sales events we agree in advance who is available and when.