How to Start an Online Store in Pakistan: Complete 2026 Guide From Products to Launch

How Do You Start an Online Store in Pakistan?

Starting an online store in Pakistan takes nine practical steps: choose products, check the numbers, pick a platform, register a domain, set up payments, choose a courier, write policies, build and test the store, then launch and market it. Most small stores can go from idea to first order in four to eight weeks if the products are ready.

The market is large. Pakistan had 117 million internet users, or 45.6% of its people, according to DataReportal's Digital 2026 Pakistan report, which uses figures available in October 2025. Many already buy through Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. A website adds a proper catalogue, a checkout that works at 2 am and a brand that customers can find on Google.

This guide is the hub for our e-commerce series. Each step links to a detailed guide.

Step 1: Which Products Should You Sell?

Good first products are easy to photograph, hard to damage in transit, and priced high enough to absorb delivery costs. Clothing, cosmetics, home décor, accessories and specialist food items are common in Pakistan because they suit this test. Bulky, fragile or low-price items are harder, because delivery and returns eat the margin.

Before you list anything, write down for each product:

• your cost, including packaging
• your selling price
• what you will charge for delivery, and what the courier charges you
• what a returned COD parcel costs you in both directions

If you sell clothing, our clothing brand website guide covers size charts and season launches.

Step 2: What Does It Cost to Start?

This budget table combines our published prices with market ranges from our earlier guides. Your figures will vary with platform, product count and marketing.

Keep a separate launch budget for product photos, packaging and the first months of advertising. Market ranges come from our e-commerce website price guide and domain and hosting price guide.

Step 3: Which Platform Should You Use?

For most new Pakistani stores, the choice is Shopify or WooCommerce. Shopify is hosted for you and needs little upkeep, but bills in dollars and adds a fee to online payments because Shopify Payments is not available in Pakistan. COD orders carry no Shopify fee. WooCommerce is free WordPress software, so you pay for hosting and upkeep but no platform fee on payments. Our Shopify vs WooCommerce guide compares three-year costs.

Should you sell on Daraz instead, or as well? A marketplace brings ready buyers but takes a commission and keeps the customer relationship. Read Daraz vs your own website before deciding. If you already sell on Instagram or WhatsApp, see moving your Instagram or WhatsApp shop to a website.

Step 4: How Do You Register a Domain?

Your domain is your store's address. A .pk or .com.pk domain tells customers you are local; a .com works well if you plan to sell abroad. PKNIC, the .pk registry, charges Rs 2,100 a year from 1 August 2026, billed for two years. Register it in your own name, with your own email, never in your developer's. Our guide on who owns your website explains why.

Step 5: How Will Customers Pay?

Most stores need at least two options at launch:

• Cash on delivery. Still expected by many Pakistani shoppers, especially first-time buyers. Plan for fake orders and refusals; our guide to cutting COD fake orders and returns shows a verification flow.
• An online option. JazzCash, Easypaisa, card payments through a gateway such as PayFast, or Raast and bank transfer. Compare them in our payment gateway comparison and Raast and bank transfer guide.

Stripe does not list Pakistan as a supported country, and Shopify Payments does not support Pakistan. If you sell to overseas buyers, read Stripe and PayPal in Pakistan for the legal alternatives. Gateways will ask for identity and business documents; ask your accountant or adviser to help you prepare them.

Step 6: Which Courier Should You Use?

TCS, Leopards, PostEx and Trax all serve online sellers with cash on delivery services and merchant portals. Compare them on delivery speed to your main cities, how quickly they send you COD money, how they handle returns, and whether parcels can be booked from your store. Many sellers use two couriers: one for major cities and one for wider coverage. Our courier integration guide lists the questions to ask.

Step 7: Which Policies and Pages Do You Need?

Customers check these pages before ordering from a store they do not know:

• Delivery policy: charges by city, delivery times and courier names
• Returns and exchange policy: how many days, who pays delivery, condition of items
• Privacy policy: what customer data you collect and how you use it
• Contact page: WhatsApp number, phone, email and business hours
• About page: who you are, with real photos of your team or workshop if possible

Hidden costs drive people away at checkout. The Baymard Institute's checkout research, based on 50 studies, puts the average cart abandonment rate at 70.22%, and its survey found extra costs such as shipping the top checkout-related reason, cited by 40% of shoppers. Show delivery charges on the product page, not as a surprise at the end.

Step 8: How Should You Build and Test the Store?

Strong product pages sell more than clever design. Use real photos from several angles, a size or specification chart, the delivery time, COD availability and honest reviews. Our product page checklist covers each element with examples in English and Roman Urdu.

Before launch, place at least five test orders: COD, each online payment method, a cancelled order and a return. Test on a mid-range Android phone over mobile data, because that is how many of your customers will shop.

Step 9: How Do You Launch and Get First Orders?

1. Tell existing followers and WhatsApp contacts, with a launch offer and a direct link.
2. Create a Google Business Profile if you have a pickup point or showroom.
3. Run small, targeted Instagram and Facebook ads to your best product, and measure cost per order.
4. Reply to every WhatsApp message quickly; slow replies lose orders.
5. Review what sold after four weeks and adjust stock and prices.

Thinking about other models? Our guides to dropshipping in Pakistan and multi-vendor marketplace websites cover them.

What We Would Build for You

Our online store package starts at Rs 157,500. It includes the store on Shopify or WooCommerce, product and category set-up, COD checkout, an online payment option where your provider supports it, delivery charges by city, WhatsApp order buttons, policy page templates and order notifications. Every project starts with a written scope and fixed price, with milestone payments. The domain and hosting are in your name. Optional maintenance is Rs 7,200 a month. See our online store development service or check all our prices.

Launch Checklist

Frequently Asked Questions