Shopify stores for brands in Papua New Guinea
Practical Shopify stores for PNG coffee, cocoa, vanilla and bilum brands, selling in Port Moresby and Lae and to buyers in Australia and beyond.
Shopify experts for PNG brands
Papua New Guinea is a large, rugged country where many communities are reached only by air or sea, and online shopping is still developing. Card use and internet access are growing in Port Moresby and Lae, but delivery beyond the main towns is difficult. At the same time, PNG produces goods with real international appeal: highland coffee, cocoa, vanilla, handwoven bilums and carvings, much of it bought by customers in nearby Australia.
BOOST STAR Experts builds Shopify stores for PNG businesses selling in the main towns and to buyers overseas. We set up payment options your bank supports, local delivery and pickup in Port Moresby, export shipping or fulfilment through partners in Australia, and product pages that tell the story of each producer, then support growth with SEO and targeted campaigns in PNG and Australia.
Selling online in Papua New Guinea: what your store needs
Bank gateways and local payments
Card payments in PNG run mainly through internet payment gateways offered by local banks. Many customers also pay by bank transfer, mobile banking or cash on pickup. International gateways may not accept PNG-registered companies, so we confirm what your bank provides and add clear instructions for manual payment methods alongside cards.
GST and export inspections
Goods and services tax in PNG is 10%, administered by the Internal Revenue Commission. Agricultural exports such as coffee, cocoa and vanilla may need inspection and certificates from NAQIA. Australia’s strict biosecurity rules apply to food, wood carvings and plant materials, so product choices and paperwork need checking before you sell there.
Air, sea and limited roads
Port Moresby is not connected by road to Lae or the Highlands, so goods move by air freight or coastal shipping. Post PNG and express couriers such as DHL handle parcels, but costs are high. For overseas buyers, sending stock in bulk to a fulfilment partner in Australia often gives better delivery times.
Australian buyers and craft heritage
Australia is the closest large market, and many buyers there value single-origin PNG coffee, cocoa and handmade bilums. English is widely used in business, while Tok Pisin is understood across much of the country and builds rapport on social media. Facebook is the main platform for discovering local brands.
Payments, delivery and compliance in Papua New Guinea
- Visa & Mastercard via local bank gateways
- Bank transfer
- Mobile banking payments
- Cash on pickup
- International cards for overseas buyers
- Post PNG
- DHL Express
- Air freight to provincial centres
- Coastal shipping
- Fulfilment partners in Australia
- GST (10%) via the IRC
- NAQIA export inspections & certificates
- Australian biosecurity rules
- Destination food labelling rules
Shopify agency services across Papua New Guinea
Industries we help in Papua New Guinea
Working together
Port Moresby is 4.5 hours ahead of India. Your afternoon matches our morning, so we schedule calls after lunch in PNG and can often finish requests before your next working day begins.
Time zone: AEST (UTC+10, no daylight saving); Bougainville UTC+11. Currency: PGK (K, kina). Languages: English, Tok Pisin, Hiri Motu.
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 PNG business accept card payments on Shopify?
Usually through an internet payment gateway offered by a local bank, provided it can connect to Shopify. We check what your bank offers and how it integrates, then set it up and test it. Bank transfer and pickup payment remain available for customers who prefer them.
Can we sell coffee and bilums to customers in Australia?
Yes, with care. Australia has strict biosecurity rules, especially for food, seeds, wood and natural fibres, so some products need treatment or permits. We build export storefronts with Australian dollar pricing and flag products that need checking before you list them for Australian buyers.
How do customers in other provinces receive orders?
Delivery outside Port Moresby usually relies on air freight or coastal shipping, which adds cost and time. We set up shipping rates by province, realistic delivery times and pickup options at partner locations, so customers know exactly what to expect before they order.
Should our store use English or Tok Pisin?
English works best for the store itself, since it is the language of business and of overseas buyers. Tok Pisin can work well in social media posts, videos and customer messages, where it helps local customers feel at home with your brand.
How does working with a team in India suit PNG hours?
PNG is 4.5 hours ahead, so our morning overlaps with your afternoon. We hold calls then and work through our day, which means many requests made in your afternoon are finished before you start the next morning, with a short written note on what changed.