Shopify agency for Haitian brands and artisans
Shopify stores that help Haitian artisans, food producers and diaspora-run brands reach customers in the United States, Canada and France, with practical local ordering too.
Shopify experts for Haiti brands
Selling online from Haiti is difficult. Card payments are rare, international gateways do not serve most Haitian businesses, power and internet can be unreliable and insecurity has disrupted roads, ports and flights around the capital. Yet Haitian products have loyal buyers abroad: metal art, papier-mâché and paintings, coffee and cacao, vetiver oil and rum. Much of that demand comes from a large diaspora in Miami, New York, Boston, Montreal and Paris.
BOOST STAR Experts builds Shopify stores for Haitian artisans, cooperatives and diaspora-run brands. Most of these stores sell to customers abroad, with payments and fulfilment handled through a partner or company in the United States, Canada or France. For local orders, we set up MonCash and cash options with clear instructions. We are honest about the limits and focus on setups that keep working when conditions change.
Selling online in Haiti: what your store needs
MonCash, NatCash and diaspora payments
Inside Haiti, Digicel’s MonCash and Natcom’s NatCash mobile wallets, cash and bank transfers are the common ways to pay. Shopify Payments, PayPal and most international gateways do not support Haitian businesses, so brands selling abroad usually take card payments through a partner or company registered in the US, Canada or France.
Registration, tax and export rules
Haitian businesses register with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the tax authority (DGI). Exports need customs paperwork, and products such as coffee, rum, cacao and essential oils must meet import rules in the destination country, for example US food and cosmetics regulations. We restrict products by market where rules differ.
Shipping through partners abroad
Shipping single parcels out of Haiti is costly and, at times, interrupted. Many brands send stock in bulk to a partner or fulfilment provider in Florida, New York or Montreal, which ships orders locally. Diaspora families also use freight forwarders to send boxes and barrels home, a service some stores build into gift ordering.
Creole, French and diaspora audiences
Haitian Creole is spoken by everyone, and French is used in business and formal writing. Diaspora customers often shop in English as well. Stories about the makers, the materials and the communities behind each product matter to buyers abroad, and Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and TikTok connect brands with the diaspora.
Payments, delivery and compliance in Haiti
- MonCash (Digicel)
- NatCash (Natcom)
- Cash in gourdes or US dollars
- Bank transfer
- Card payments via a partner abroad
- Fulfilment partners in the US, Canada or France
- Freight forwarders for boxes and barrels
- Express carriers for samples and small parcels
- Local delivery where conditions allow
- Business registration (Ministry of Commerce and Industry)
- Tax registration (DGI)
- Export customs paperwork
- Destination import rules for food and cosmetics
Shopify agency services across Haiti
Working together
Haiti is 9.5 to 10.5 hours behind India, so overlap is limited. We hold calls at the start of your day, which is our evening, and do the build work overnight for you, so updates are ready when you begin.
Time zone: EST / EDT (UTC−5, UTC−4 when daylight saving applies). Currency: HTG (G, gourde); USD also used. Languages: Haitian Creole, French.
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 Haitian business accept card payments on Shopify?
Usually not directly. Shopify Payments, PayPal and most international gateways do not support Haitian businesses. Many brands work with a partner or company registered in the US, Canada or France that holds the payment account. That arrangement needs proper legal and tax advice, and we build the store around whatever structure you choose.
Can customers in Haiti pay with MonCash?
Yes, as a manual payment method. Customers see your MonCash or NatCash details at checkout, send payment from their phone and enter the transaction reference. Your team confirms the payment before preparing the order. This works well for local orders and pickup.
How do we ship orders to customers in the United States?
The most reliable approach is usually to send stock in bulk to a fulfilment partner in the US, which ships orders within a few days. We connect that partner to Shopify so orders flow automatically. Shipping single parcels from Haiti is possible but slower and more expensive.
Should our store be in Creole, French or English?
It depends on your buyers. Diaspora customers in the US often prefer English, those in Montreal and Paris French, and Creole connects with everyone emotionally. Shopify lets you run several languages on one store, and we start with the language of your largest market.
How do you work with Haitian clients given the time difference?
We meet at the start of your day, which is our evening in India, and work while you sleep, so progress is ready each morning. We work remotely, do not have an office in Haiti and plan around power or connectivity problems on your side.