Setting Up French Language & Currency on Shopify

Starting a Shopify store in France is more than just adding products online — it’s about creating a buying experience that feels local and familiar. French shoppers value transparency, clear pricing in euros, and websites that communicate in their native language. A store that speaks French and displays prices in EUR instantly builds trust and credibility.

Setting up the French language and currency on Shopify helps merchants connect with local audiences, improve checkout clarity, and meet regional compliance needs. From better SEO performance on French search engines to fewer abandoned carts, localization is a step every serious Shopify merchant in France should take.

This guide explains why language and currency setup matter, how to configure both correctly, and what benefits French merchants can expect once their Shopify store is fully localized.

Ready to Accept Payments in Euros?

Activate Shopify Payments and display euro pricing for a smooth buying experience in France.

Set Up My French Store

Why Local Language and Currency Matter for French Shoppers?

When selling online in France, the language and currency you display directly affect customer trust and buying intent.

French shoppers prefer browsing, reading, and paying in their own language and currency. A localized store not only improves understanding but also helps customers feel confident while checking out.

Here’s why these two settings matter most:

• Higher buyer confidence: When your product descriptions, buttons, and policies appear in French, visitors engage longer and convert faster.
• Reduced cart abandonment: Displaying prices in euros prevents last-minute surprises at checkout.
• Better local SEO: A French-language website with localized meta tags performs better on Google.fr and other regional search engines.
• Regulatory alignment: Showing EUR pricing helps comply with EU consumer protection and VAT display standards.
• Stronger brand image: Speaking the customer’s language shows commitment to serving them locally.

In short, setting up French language and currency isn’t just a technical task — it’s a strategic move that helps your Shopify store earn trust and grow in the French eCommerce space.

Step-by-Step: Setting Up the French Language in Shopify

Shopify allows you to make your store multilingual without needing custom code or third-party hosting. Setting up the French language helps you connect with local shoppers and appear on French search engines more naturally. Follow these steps to make your store fully accessible in French.

1. Enable Multiple Languages

• Go to Settings → Languages in your Shopify admin.
• Click Add Language, then choose French (Français).
• Publish it for your online store to make it visible to visitors.

This activates language switching options on your storefront and checkout.

2. Install the “Translate & Adapt” App

• Go to the Shopify App Store and install Translate & Adapt by Shopify (free).
• It automatically translates your pages, collections, and navigation.
• You can manually review key areas like product titles or SEO metadata for accuracy.

Manual editing ensures your translated content feels authentic, not robotic.

3. Localize Theme and Content Elements

• Translate theme sections such as sliders, menus, and call-to-action buttons.
• Edit footer links, forms, and notification emails.
• Translate legal and policy pages (Privacy Policy, Refund Policy, Terms of Service).

Make sure all content matches Shopify’s default language structure for better indexing on Google.fr and similar search engines.

By completing these steps, your Shopify store becomes fully functional in French — ready to serve local buyers and meet regional expectations.

Step-by-Step: Setting Up the Euro (EUR) Currency

Once your Shopify store speaks French, the next important step is displaying prices in euros. Customers in France expect product prices, shipping rates, and taxes to be shown in EUR without conversion confusion. Here’s how to set it up correctly:

1. Enable Shopify Payments

• Go to Settings → Payments → Shopify Payments in your admin panel.
• Add Euro (EUR) as a supported currency.
• Verify your business and bank details — most French banks work smoothly with Shopify Payments.

This activates the ability to sell directly in euros and accept local payment methods like Cartes Bancaires, Visa, or Apple Pay.

2. Set Your Store’s Default Currency to EUR

• Open Settings → Store Details → Currency.
• Choose Euro (EUR) as the base currency.
• Adjust product pricing if needed to include VAT or rounding for local preferences.

Displaying clear pricing in euros helps reduce returns and customer inquiries about exchange rates.

3. Display Prices Based on Customer Location

• Go to Settings → Markets → France and confirm your primary market.
• Enable Automatic currency detection so visitors in France always see prices in EUR.
• Test your checkout flow to confirm that the correct currency appears through the payment process.

4. Optional: Add Multi-Currency for Neighboring Regions

If you plan to sell in Belgium, Switzerland, or Luxembourg, you can add their currencies as well. Shopify will convert prices automatically while keeping EUR as your default for France.

With this setup, your Shopify store will display consistent euro pricing across all pages and payment stages — creating a smoother buying experience for French shoppers.

Go Local with Shopify Markets

Manage multi-language, multi-currency, and VAT setup from one dashboard.

Talk to Experts

Benefits of Setting Up French Language & Currency

Localizing your Shopify store with French language and euro pricing goes beyond translation and conversion—it shapes how customers perceive your brand. When your store feels local, shoppers trust it faster and complete purchases with confidence.

Here are the key benefits French merchants can expect:

• Stronger customer trust: A French-language interface builds instant familiarity and credibility.
• Higher conversion rates: Clear euro pricing eliminates confusion and reduces cart abandonment.
• Better SEO visibility: French keywords and localized meta descriptions help your store rank on Google.fr and Bing France.
• Fewer support requests: Customers clearly understand shipping rates, taxes, and return terms.
• Smoother tax compliance: Displaying EUR with VAT-inclusive pricing aligns with EU consumer laws.
• Consistent brand voice: Language consistency across the store improves the overall shopping experience.

By setting up both French and EUR correctly, your Shopify store not only becomes user-friendly but also competitive against local and regional online stores. It’s a small setup that delivers lasting value to your business.

Common Mistakes to Avoid During Setup

While setting up a Shopify store in French with the EUR currency is straightforward, small mistakes can lead to big issues in visibility, sales, or compliance. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid when localizing your store for France:

• Relying entirely on auto-translation: Automated translations often misinterpret product details or tone. Always review and adjust key content manually.
• Ignoring checkout translations: Many merchants forget that checkout buttons, payment messages, and order notifications also need to be in French.
• Displaying mixed currencies: If some products still show USD or GBP, it confuses customers and increases bounce rates.
• Skipping policy page translations: Refund, privacy, and terms pages must be in French for both legal and user experience reasons.
• Missing hreflang tags: Without proper hreflang setup, Google may not recognize your French content for local search ranking.
• Forgetting to test user flow: Always switch to the French version of your site and simulate a purchase to confirm language and currency accuracy at every step.

Avoiding these mistakes helps your Shopify store perform better both in search results and user satisfaction. A clean, consistent setup means fewer customer complaints and smoother transactions for your French buyers.

How Shopify Markets Helps French Merchants?

Shopify Markets is a built-in tool that simplifies selling to multiple regions — perfect for French merchants targeting both domestic and nearby European audiences.

It centralizes all your localization settings, including language, currency, pricing, and taxes, under one dashboard.

Here’s how it supports French store owners:

• Localized domains and subfolders: You can assign a .fr domain or a French-language subfolder to improve search visibility on Google France.
• Automatic currency conversion: Prices automatically adjust to EUR and other European currencies if you sell beyond France.
• Tax and duty setup: Shopify Markets automatically includes VAT in displayed prices, following French and EU regulations.
• Language and content management: Combine Shopify Markets with the Translate & Adapt app to serve the right language version to each visitor.
• Custom pricing and shipping: Set specific product prices, shipping rates, or promotions for France, Belgium, or Switzerland.

For French merchants, this feature means less manual configuration and more control over how the store appears to local and nearby European customers. Shopify Markets makes it easier to sell in French, price in euros, and manage international expansion from one place.

CartCoders’ Assistance for French Shopify Stores

Setting up a localized Shopify store takes both technical accuracy and regional understanding. That’s where CartCoders supports French merchants.

Our team helps you configure language, currency, and all essential localization settings to make your store ready for French customers.

Here’s how we assist:

• Setting up Shopify Markets for France and nearby EU regions
• Configuring multi-language and multi-currency settings using Shopify’s native tools
• Translating key content manually for accurate SEO and brand tone
• Integrating local payment methods like Cartes Bancaires, PayPal France, and Apple Pay
• Ensuring VAT-inclusive pricing and compliance with French eCommerce laws

Whether you’re launching your first Shopify store or expanding across Europe, our experts can guide you through every configuration step.

Build a store that speaks your customers’ language and currency.

Work with CartCoders to create a Shopify store that feels truly French — accurate, localized, and ready to sell.

Conclusion

Building a Shopify store for French customers starts with the basics — language and currency. When your store communicates in French and prices are shown in euros, visitors feel at home, trust your brand, and complete purchases with ease.

A localized setup not only improves conversions but also aligns your business with French eCommerce laws and buyer expectations. By configuring Shopify’s native tools — Translate & Adapt, Shopify Payments, and Shopify Markets — you create a store that feels professional and locally relevant from day one.

If you’re ready to set up your Shopify store for success in France, CartCoders can guide you through every technical and regional step. From translation setup to EUR pricing and VAT configuration, our experts help you build a Shopify store that connects with French shoppers and drives steady growth.

Ready to make your store feel truly French?

Let CartCoders help you localize your Shopify setup — and start selling confidently in France.

FAQs