How to Open an Online Store in Ukraine: From Product Range to First Order

To open an online store in Ukraine, identify your customers and initial product range, calculate the costs for each order, and prepare a launch budget. Before accepting payments, register your business, choose a tax system, and set up payment processing and customer documents. The website must show accurate product details and stock levels, seller information, and payment, delivery, and return terms.

Start advertising after you have tested the full customer journey: from choosing a specific size or model to receiving the product and proof of purchase. Test failed payments, cancellations, and returns separately. Assign an owner to each stage, then reconcile orders, funds, and stock levels at the end.

1. Identify your customers and validate your initial product range

Define whom you will sell to and what need your products will meet. For example, a working description of the audience for a home textiles store might be: shoppers looking for bedding in a specific size, who want to know the fabric composition and need delivery by a particular date. This is a hypothesis to validate; it can help you choose products, product filter attributes, and advertising content.

Talk to potential customers, compare competitors’ offers, and collect common questions. Find out what criteria people use to choose a product, what stops them from ordering, and what total amount, including delivery, they are willing to pay. Record the answers in a table and use them to prepare your initial catalog.

Choose a product range you can describe, track, and ship on time. Before purchasing stock, obtain samples and check their contents and packaging. Agree with the supplier on replenishment times, how stock updates will be communicated, product documents, and how defects and returns will be handled. If the supplier will ship orders directly to customers, assign these responsibilities in writing and decide who will notify customers about delays.

2. Calculate product economics and your launch budget

For each stock keeping unit (SKU)—a code for a specific product item—calculate revenue and costs. Different sizes, colors, or configurations may have different purchase prices, packaging costs, and return rates, so consider analyzing them separately.

Illustrative example for an order containing one product. All amounts below are fictional and provided to explain the calculation.

Calculation: 1 000 − 600 − 20 − 30 − 100 − 50 = 200 UAH. This 200 UAH is the order’s contribution toward fixed costs. If fixed costs are an illustrative 20 000 UAH per month, you need 20 000 ÷ 200 = 100 orders with the same figures to cover them.

Taxes have not been calculated separately in this simplified example. In your own financial plan, an accountant should add taxes, fees, and mandatory contributions based on your status: include payments that depend on sales in the order costs, and regular fixed payments in fixed costs. Also add delivery paid for by the store, marketplace fees, discounts, and other actual expenses. Then recalculate the number of orders required.

Divide the launch budget among product purchases, website and catalog preparation, payment and accounting setup, packaging, advertising, and a cash reserve for operating payments and returns. For each expense, record the amount, payment date, and responsible person. Separately calculate how much money you will need before payments arrive for orders already shipped.

3. Choose a website or commerce platform based on your operational needs

Compare your own website, a hosted platform, or a marketplace—a platform with offers from different sellers—using your own catalog. Ask for a demonstration of the checkout process with the product options, payment, and delivery methods you need. Include a list of functions and acceptance criteria in any contractor agreement.

• Catalog. Check categories, search, filters, separate stock levels for sizes and colors, and bulk product uploads and editing.
• Payment and delivery. Find out which methods can be connected, who configures payment notifications, and how errors and refunds are handled.
• Accounting integration. Agree on data formats, fields, update frequency, and how orders will be received.
• Total cost. Calculate setup, recurring payments, fees, add-on modules, support, and custom development.
• Access and data export. Keep owner accounts under your control. Find out what can be exported when cooperation ends: products, photos, orders, and other data.
• Backups. Agree on who creates them, where they are stored, and how the system is restored. Test restoration before launch.

Register the domain, meaning the website address, to your own account or your company’s account. The store owner should control domain renewal and access to the platform, business email, and payment dashboard. Give contractors separate accounts for their assigned tasks.

4. Prepare a catalog with accurate product details and stock levels

Create a single product spreadsheet with the SKU, name, variant, supplier, purchase and retail prices, actual quantity, storage location, product details, and photos. Assign an employee to maintain this data. Before publication, they should reconcile the catalog with the products and supplier documents.

Show the exact variant the customer will receive on the product page. Include sizes, materials, package contents, compatibility, usage instructions, and other details needed to choose. Add manufacturer information, warranty, expiry or service life, and storage conditions where applicable. Article 15 of the Law of Ukraine “On Consumer Protection” No. 1023-XII sets out mandatory product information; special requirements apply to certain categories.

Photos must match the product’s color, contents, and condition. If an image includes items that are not part of the purchase, explain this next to it. Label separately whether items are in your own warehouse, at the supplier, or supplied to order so customers understand the shipping timeframe.

Set a rule for available stock: account for orders already allocated and goods that cannot temporarily be sold. If stock is updated periodically, specify how a manager confirms the last unit before promising shipment.

5. Register your business and choose a tax system

Before starting sales, identify the seller: an individual entrepreneur (FOP) or a legal entity. Complete state registration, select business activities, and open a business bank account. Choose a tax system with an accountant, considering the product range, expected income, and how the business will operate.

The first group of the single tax is not suitable for ordinary online retail of goods: for goods sales, it covers retail trade from market stalls. Under paragraph 291.4 of the Tax Code of Ukraine, FOPs that sell goods may choose the second group if they meet its conditions: income for the calendar year must not exceed 834 minimum wages set as of January 1 of that year, and the number of employees must not exceed 10 at any one time, subject to the rules in subparagraph 291.4.1.

The second group is not suitable for trading in jewelry and household items made of precious metals and stones: such FOPs may choose only the third group if they meet its requirements. For ordinary third-group taxpayers, the income limit is 1,167 of those minimum wages, and there is no limit on the number of employees.

Before choosing a group, an accountant should also compare your product range with the restrictions in paragraph 291.5 of the Code. If selling a particular product requires a license or permit, you may begin selling it only after obtaining the relevant document, as provided by Part 4 of Article 5 of the Law of Ukraine “On Electronic Commerce” No. 675-VIII.

6. Publish seller information and purchase terms

Prepare pages with the seller’s details, contract terms, payment and delivery, warranty, exchanges, and returns. Link to them before checkout. Seller information should let customers understand who they are contracting with and where to submit a complaint.

Under Article 7 of the Law “On Electronic Commerce”, provide permanent, convenient access to the following information:

• the legal entity’s full name or the FOP’s surname, first name, and patronymic;
• the legal entity’s location or the FOP’s place of registration and actual residence;
• email address and/or online store address;
• the legal entity’s identification code or the FOP’s taxpayer registration number; passport details apply only in the legally specified case where the FOP has declined to accept this number;
• license information, if the activity is licensed;
• information on whether taxes are included in the product price, and on the cost of delivery.

In the offer—the proposal to enter into a contract—explain what action constitutes the customer’s acceptance, how to correct order errors, when and how to pay, how to receive the goods, and how to submit a request. The button label and accompanying explanation must match this process. Before taking the final action, the customer must be able to edit the entered information.

Under Parts 2–3 of Article 13 of Law No. 1023-XII, before concluding a distance contract, provide the main product characteristics, price including delivery, payment and delivery terms, warranty, complaint and contract termination procedures, and the offer’s validity period. For recurring deliveries, state the contract’s minimum duration. Confirm this information in writing or by electronic message; the seller may not unilaterally change the confirmed terms.

Set up prompt confirmation that an order has been received and send the customer its contents and agreed terms. State in the offer or electronic contract how the customer can receive them in a form that prevents changes to the content, for example as a separate file attached to a message. Keep the version of the offer accepted by the customer and the messages relating to the order. Under Article 11 of the Law “On Electronic Commerce,” confirmation of the transaction must include information about returns, complaints, and warranty obligations.

For a store registered in Ukraine and selling in Ukraine, prepare a complete Ukrainian version of the website that loads by default for users in Ukraine. Product pages, checkout, and customer service must be in Ukrainian. Other language versions may also be available; at the customer’s request, personal service may be provided in another language acceptable to both parties. These rules are set out in Articles 27 and 30 of Law No. 2704-VIII.

7. Set up payments and issue the required documents

For each payment method, map out who receives the customer’s money, on what basis, when the store sees the payment, and which document the customer receives. A register of settlement transactions (RRO) or a software register of settlement transactions (PRRO) is required depending on the actual transaction and applicable statutory exceptions.

Article 3 of Law No. 265/95-VR sets the general requirement to conduct settlement transactions for the full amount and provide a settlement document. The first-group exemption under paragraph 296.10 of the Tax Code does not expand the types of trade permitted for that group. The exception in paragraph 14 of Article 9 of Law No. 265/95-VR for certain distance payments for services cannot be extended to sales of goods.

For each order, keep its number linked to the payment, sales document, and refund. Set the order status to «Оплачено» (“Paid”) based on confirmation from the bank or payment service. Check the bank receipt, order confirmation, and fiscal receipt separately because they confirm different actions.

8. Prepare delivery, exchanges, and returns

Before the order is placed, tell the customer which delivery methods are available, the cost, who pays, and the shipping timeframe. The warehouse employee should receive the exact list of products and variants, check the contents, and give the shipment number to the manager. Unless a distance contract specifies a different period, the seller must deliver the goods within a reasonable time, but no later than 30 days after receiving the customer’s consent to conclude the contract, under Part 6 of Article 13 of Law No. 1023-XII. If the contract cannot be fulfilled because the ordered goods are unavailable, the manager must notify the customer immediately, and no later than within the same 30 days.

Withdrawal from a distance contract

Under Article 13 of Law No. 1023-XII, a consumer may notify the seller of termination of a distance contract within 14 days of confirmation of the information or receipt of the goods or their first delivery. For physical goods, returning them also indicates termination of the contract. If confirmation of the information does not meet the requirements of Part 3 of Article 13, the period for terminating the contract is 90 days from receipt of that information, or, for physical goods, from receipt of the goods or their first delivery. If the seller corrects the confirmation within that period, the customer has 14 days from receipt of the corrected confirmation.

Parts 5–9 of Article 12 of this Law apply to this termination: the seller bears the return costs, and the consumer must keep the product in an unchanged condition. Opening the packaging, inspecting, or checking the product does not in itself remove the right to terminate the contract. This right also remains if the goods are destroyed, damaged, or spoiled, provided the consumer is not at fault.

Exceptions are set out in Part 5 of Article 13. For a store selling goods, these include, for example, goods made or altered to an individual order where they cannot be sold to another person or doing so would cause significant financial losses; sealed software media or audio and video cassettes that have been opened; and delivery of periodicals. Determine which exception applies based on the specific product and contract terms. If the contract gives the customer a right to terminate in such a case as well, follow the agreed terms.

Exchanging goods of satisfactory quality and complaints about defects

Article 9 of Law No. 1023-XII sets out a separate procedure: non-food goods of satisfactory quality may be exchanged within 14 days, excluding the day of purchase, unless the seller has announced a longer period. The goods must not have been used; their appearance and properties, seals, labels, and settlement document must be preserved. The law provides for a government list of goods that cannot be exchanged on these grounds.

If no equivalent product is available, the customer may choose another product, wait for the equivalent to become available, or terminate the contract and receive a refund. Under this procedure, the money is refunded on the day the contract is terminated or, if that is impossible, by agreement, no later than seven days later.

If a customer reports a defect, the manager must accept the complaint and determine the requested remedy under Article 8 of Law No. 1023-XII. During the warranty period, this may be a price reduction, free repair of the defects, or reimbursement of the costs of repairing them. For significant defects caused by the manufacturer or seller, or for counterfeit goods, the law provides for contract termination or replacement under the specified conditions.

Keep a returns register with the order number, date of request, customer’s reason and requested remedy, goods received, decision, and payment. The warehouse employee checks the condition and contents; the accountant prepares the financial documents; and the manager informs the customer. Return goods to sale only after assessing their condition.

Apply Law No. 1023-XII when setting store policies. The Law of Ukraine “On Consumer Protection” No. 3153-IX provides that it enters into force no earlier than the termination or cancellation of martial law; additional timeframes apply to certain provisions. When transitioning to it, review the store terms in accordance with Section IX of that Law.

9. Limit data collection and set up secure access

Keep only the details needed to fulfill the order in the checkout form: recipient’s name, contact details, and delivery address or branch. Do not require a date of birth or other details that are unnecessary to sell and deliver the product. Article 6 of the Law of Ukraine “On Personal Data Protection” requires data collection to be proportionate.

Provide access near the form to a privacy notice explaining who is responsible for the data, what is collected, why, who it is shared with, and how customers can exercise their rights. Name the actual recipients, including any carrier involved. Under Article 11 of Law No. 2297-VI, concluding and performing a contract may be the basis for processing the data needed for an order; Article 12 requires notice at the time of collection.

Obtain separate, voluntary consent for marketing messages, with no preselected checkbox. Record that consent and provide a simple way to opt out of subsequent messages. This lets customers order a product without subscribing to advertising and gives the manager a separate mailing list. Article 10 of the Law “On Electronic Commerce” governs commercial messages.

Give employees individual accounts with access limited to their tasks. Enable two-factor sign-in where available, change default passwords, and establish a process for closing access when cooperation ends. Customers should enter payment details through the configured payment service page; do not ask them to send card details in messages. Assign someone to back up the website, catalog, and accounting database and test that they can be restored.

10. Track inventory and synchronize your online store with Torgsoft

Integration with the website requires a Torgsoft Ultra or Terminal license and the paid «Синхронізація з інтернет-магазином» (“Sync with online store”) option. The option does not expire; licensing terms depend on how workstations are organized. Start does not support it. Configuration by a specialist and website customizations are charged separately. Before purchasing, agree with the website developer on receiving the catalog and sending orders, and include the work and support in your budget based on the current commercial terms.

Maintain your primary records in Torgsoft. In the synchronization object, select accounting centers—the stores or warehouses in the program—the price source, and the location from which goods are written off. Under the synchronization settings, scheduled exchanges run when the program is open on the specified computer under the designated user; set an interval of no less than 10 minutes, taking other objects into account. Stock levels may lag between exchanges, so assign a manager to confirm the last units.

To reserve goods, enable «Резервувати товари рахунка» (“Reserve invoice goods”) and set a period: the system uses either the date in the order or the number of days in the settings. Before launch, compare the product, price, and quantity in the order with the invoice created. Before launch, on the «Оплати» (“Payments”) tab, configure the payment method and corresponding bank account or cash account for the order currency.

After an exchange, the manager should review the synchronization log and check payment for the created invoice. If payment cannot be processed during automatic import, the invoice is created without payment, and a message is recorded in the program’s error log. Check the payment settings, whether the relevant account is active, and the cash register day status. For cancellations, separately verify that the reservation is removed and check what actions are needed on the website.

11. Assign responsibility for orders

In a small store, the owner may handle several roles. Still, define the action, timeframe, and result required to proceed at each stage. Track the order status, payment confirmation, and shipment separately.

12. Place a test order and start with limited advertising

Before starting sales, the owner, manager, accountant, and developer should test the following scenarios. First use a test environment if available, and process live payments and returns with the required documents.

1. Choose a product on a phone. Find it using search and filters, then change its size or color. Check the photo, price, and available quantity for that exact variant.
2. Place an order. Correct the contact and delivery details before confirming. Make sure the total cost and terms are accessible and that notifications reach the customer and manager.
3. Make a payment. Reconcile the amount, payer, order, and document. A repeated message from the payment service must not create a second sale.
4. Test a failed payment. Check that the order is not incorrectly marked as paid and that the customer can retry without creating a duplicate.
5. Pick and ship the order. Match the goods to the order and check the stock change, documents, and delivery notification.
6. Cancel a separate order. Check customer notification, removal of the reservation, and refund of any prepayment.
7. Process a return. Record the request, movement of goods, refund, and required documents. Make sure goods with a defect do not automatically become available for sale.
8. Reconcile the totals. Compare website orders, accounting documents, bank deposits, fees, and stock. Identify the cause of every discrepancy.

After testing these scenarios, choose one advertising channel and set a budget you are willing to spend to validate demand. Measure spending per received and fulfilled order, refusals, returns, and actual contribution toward fixed costs. Compare these figures with your financial plan before increasing spend.

To analyze the customer journey, ask the developer to configure tracking for product views, add-to-cart, checkout initiation, purchases, and refunds using the Google Analytics 4 e-commerce documentation. Check transaction IDs, products, quantities, amounts, and currency, then compare the events with the store’s records. This will show where customers stop during checkout and which part needs fixing.

Official legislation for organizing sales

• Law of Ukraine “On Electronic Commerce,” dated 03.09.2015, No. 675-VIII — Articles 5, 7, and 10–15: license and permit requirements, seller information, notices, electronic contracts, payments, data protection, and document retention.
• Law of Ukraine “On Consumer Protection,” dated 12.05.1991, No. 1023-XII — Article 8, Article 9, Parts 5–9 of Article 12, and Articles 13 and 15: defects, exchanges, distance selling, and product information.
• Law of Ukraine “On Consumer Protection,” dated 10.06.2023, No. 3153-IX — Section IX, paragraphs 1 and 3: conditions for entry into force and replacement of Law No. 1023-XII.
• Tax Code of Ukraine, dated 02.12.2010, No. 2755-VI — paragraphs 291.4–291.6 and 296.10: simplified tax system conditions, restrictions, and the first group’s exemption from RRO and PRRO.
• Law of Ukraine “On the Use of Registers of Settlement Transactions in Trade, Public Catering, and Services,” dated 06.07.1995, No. 265/95-VR — Articles 2, 3, and 9: settlement transactions, documents, and exceptions.
• Law of Ukraine “On Personal Data Protection,” dated 01.06.2010, No. 2297-VI — Articles 6, 8, 11, 12, and 14: purpose and scope of processing, legal bases, customer rights, and data transfer.
• Law of Ukraine “On Ensuring the Functioning of Ukrainian as the State Language,” dated 25.04.2019, No. 2704-VIII — Articles 27 and 30: website language, product information, and customer service.