Georgia Ecommerce Store Checklist: Tax, Payments, Policies, PlatformGeorgia Ecommerce Store Checklist: Tax, Payments, Policies, Platform

You already sell offline or through Instagram. Now you want a store that takes payments, calculates delivery, and gives you a clean order list instead of DMs and screenshots. This checklist walks you through what to prepare in Georgia before you spend money on a build, and what to verify before you accept your first order.

1. Before the website: legal entity and tax status

Before you talk to banks or payment providers, get your business “shape” clear. In Georgia that usually means: are you selling as an individual, as an Individual Entrepreneur, or through an LLC? Your answer affects what documents you can provide and what payment providers will approve.

What to do next:

1. Talk to an accountant (or at least confirm with RS.ge guidance) before you build. Your store will collect customer data and money automatically. Fixing legal/tax structure after you go live is painful.
2. Decide who is the seller on the website. The seller name on your website, bank account, and tax registrations should match. If customers pay “Company A” but the site says “Brand B,” expect questions from banks and customers.
3. Confirm your tax status and what you must issue to customers. Some businesses operate under special statuses (for example, “small business status”), some need VAT registration depending on activity and turnover. The exact rules depend on your case, so don’t rely on a friend’s setup.
4. Prepare your basic business details for the website footer and policies:
   • Legal name of the seller
   • Identification number (company/entrepreneur code)
   • Legal address
   • Contact email and phone
   • Returns/refunds rules (even if simple)

Trade-off to understand: You can “start fast” with a personal card and Instagram DMs, but you can’t run proper card payments on a serious scale without a business setup that banks can verify. If you plan to take online payments, handle courier deliveries, and advertise, do this step first.

A practical example: if you sell handmade items and want to accept card payments online, the bank will usually want to see that the business receiving funds is registered and identifiable, and that the website clearly shows who the merchant is.

2. Getting a merchant account — what Bank of Georgia, TBC, or a payment provider asks for before approving e-commerce

To accept card payments on your website, you need an e-commerce merchant account. In Georgia this is commonly done through major banks (like Bank of Georgia or TBC) or through payment providers that process cards for you. The exact checklist differs, but the categories are consistent.

Expect to prepare:

• Business registration documents. The bank/provider must verify who you are and what you sell.
• Owner/director identification. For compliance checks.
• A business bank account. Often required so settlements (payouts) go to the verified merchant.
• A working website or at least a ready staging demo. Many providers want to see:
  • Product pages with clear pricing
  • Delivery terms and timing
  • Return/refund policy
  • Privacy policy (you will collect names, phone numbers, addresses)
  • Contact details and seller identification in the footer
• Your product category and source. They may ask what you sell, whether it’s physical/digital, and where inventory comes from.
• Operational details. Delivery methods, average order value (even if you estimate), how you handle cancellations and refunds.

What usually slows approvals down:

1. Missing policy pages. “We deliver everywhere” is not a delivery policy. Write where you deliver, how long it takes, and how much it costs.
2. No refund process. Payment providers want to see how refunds will be handled, especially for card payments.
3. Mismatch between website and documents. Different legal names, different addresses, different business activity description.
4. Selling restricted categories. Some categories require extra review or are not supported. If your category is sensitive, ask upfront.

What you can do today (even before the store is built):

• Draft your Delivery, Returns/Refunds, Privacy, and Terms pages in plain language.
• Make a one-page document for yourself: what you sell, where you deliver, typical price range, and how you handle returns.
• Decide whether you will accept:
  • Card payments only
  • Cash on delivery (if courier supports it)
  • Bank transfer (common for B2B or high-ticket items)

Trade-off: Card payments increase conversion, but they add compliance and customer support expectations. If you’re not ready for refunds and disputes, your first month will be stressful.

3. Choosing the platform: ready-made vs custom, and what each costs you later

There are two realistic paths for a Georgian store owner:

1. Ready-made platform (template + plugins).
2. Custom store built for your business.

The “later cost” is usually not the monthly subscription. It’s the time you lose when the store can’t match how you actually sell.

Ready-made: when it makes sense

Choose a ready-made solution if:

• You have one simple product type (for example: 30–200 items, simple variations like size/color).
• Your delivery pricing is simple (flat rate, or a few zones).
• You don’t need complex pricing rules (wholesale tiers, bundles, custom quotes).
• You’re fine working within the platform’s structure.

What you pay later (typical pain points):

• Plugin stacking. Each new requirement becomes a plugin. Updates break things. Support becomes “ask five different vendors.”
• Limits on Georgian-specific needs. Bilingual content, local courier workflows, and local invoicing habits are often possible—but not always clean.
• Performance issues. A slow store loses sales. Fixing speed later can cost more than doing it right at build time.

Custom: when it’s worth it

Choose custom if:

• You need a specific order workflow (preorders, deposits, made-to-order timelines).
• You sell B2B and B2C with different pricing and documents.
• You want clean integrations (courier, inventory, CRM, accounting flow).
• You want to fully own the code and avoid platform lock-in.

What you pay later:

• You must maintain it. Custom work needs responsible updates, backups, and small improvements as your business changes.
• You need a clear scope. Custom is only cost-effective when you define what “done” means.

A simple decision test:

• If your store can be described as “Instagram shop, but with checkout,” start ready-made.
• If your store is “sales operations,” not just a catalog, plan for custom or at least a build that leaves room to grow.

Start your project

4. Building the store itself — GEL pricing, Georgian and English content, product catalog

A store is not just pages. It’s a working system: products, stock rules, payment, delivery, and admin tools you can use daily.

What a solid first version includes

At minimum, plan for:

• Homepage (categories, bestsellers, trust points like delivery/returns)
• Category pages (filters if needed)
• Product pages (photos, price, variations, availability, delivery estimate)
• Cart and checkout
• Account pages (optional but helpful: order history, saved address)
• Order notifications (email to you, email to customer)
• Admin panel (add/edit products, prices, stock, order statuses)
• Policy pages (delivery, returns, privacy, terms)
• Bilingual content (Georgian + English) if you sell to locals and tourists/expats

For stores in Georgia, bilingual is not a “nice to have.” It reduces support questions and increases trust, especially if you advertise to mixed audiences.

Pricing (Weblier packages)

Weblier is a Tbilisi digital studio that builds websites, online stores, and custom software with one team from first call to launch. Bilingual builds (Georgian + English) are standard, and clients own the code and every account.

For an online store, Weblier pricing starts at:

• Online store from 6,590 GEL

Final quotes are individual and based on scope. Full pricing is here: https://weblier.com/pricing

If you prefer monthly instead of a one-time payment, there is a monthly option:

• 10% of the one-time price per month
• 12-month minimum
• Domain and hosting included

Your product catalog: plan it before design

Your build speed and cost depend heavily on your product data. Do this work once and reuse it everywhere (site, ads, marketplaces).

Prepare a product sheet with:

• Product name in Georgian and English
• Price (and old price if you use discounts)
• SKU (your internal code; simple is fine)
• Stock quantity (or “made to order”)
• Variations (size, color)
• Weight/dimensions (important for delivery rules)
• 3–8 photos per product, consistent background if possible
• Short description + key details (materials, warranty, care instructions)

A practical rule: if a product needs a long explanation in DMs, your product page is missing information. Fix the page, not your inbox.

Timeline and working style (what to expect)

A realistic build is not “tomorrow.” You need time for decisions and testing.

Weblier’s process is:

• Discovery (~1 week) → define goals, pages, catalog structure, checkout rules
• Design (1–2 weeks) → layouts for key pages
• Build (2–4 weeks, with a working demo every week) → you test while it’s being built
• Launch and ongoing support

If you want to launch fast, the fastest lever is: keep the first version small and complete, not big and unfinished.

5. Delivery: courier options and how they connect to the store

Delivery is where many Georgian stores lose money. A store that “sort of” calculates delivery creates angry customers and hidden costs.

Start by choosing your delivery model:

1. Self-delivery (your courier).
2. Courier company / postal service delivery.
3. Pickup from store/showroom.
4. Hybrid (common: pickup in Tbilisi + courier for regions).

What you must decide (before integration)

• Where you deliver: Tbilisi only, major cities, all Georgia, international.
• Delivery time promises: same day, next day, 2–4 days, made-to-order.
• Pricing logic:
  • Flat fee
  • By zone (Tbilisi vs regions)
  • By weight/size (if you sell heavy items)
  • Free delivery after a minimum cart amount (only if your margins support it)

Do not copy a competitor’s delivery promise if you can’t actually meet it. Late delivery costs you more than the sale.

How delivery connects to the store (in plain terms)

Your store needs to do three things:

1. Collect the delivery address correctly. Georgian addresses can be written many ways. Use clear fields: city, street, building, apartment, phone.
2. Offer the right delivery options at checkout. For example: “Courier in Tbilisi,” “Courier in Regions,” “Pickup.”
3. Send you usable order info. You or your team must be able to open an order and immediately see:
   • Customer name and phone
   • Full address
   • Items, quantities, notes
   • Payment status (paid / cash on delivery / bank transfer)

Some couriers provide ways to automate label creation and tracking updates. If you can’t integrate directly at the start, that’s fine. Start with a clear internal process:

• Once an order is paid, you mark it “Processing.”
• You confirm stock.
• You book a courier (or prepare pickup message).
• You update order status to “Shipped” and send tracking info if available.

Concrete tip: write your delivery terms the way customers ask questions:

• “What time do you deliver?”
• “Can I pay on delivery?”
• “What if I’m not home?”
• “Do you deliver on weekends?”
• “What happens if the package is damaged?”

If you answer those on the site, you reduce calls and disputes.

6. Invoicing and receipts — RS.ge obligations once orders start coming in

Once you start receiving orders, you’re not just “selling.” You’re processing payments, recording revenue, and sometimes issuing documents customers need.

In Georgia, the obligations depend on:

• Your legal form (individual/entrepreneur/company)
• Your tax status
• Whether you sell B2C, B2B, or both
• Your payment methods (card, cash, bank transfer)

Because the rules vary by case, the right approach is operational: set up a repeatable routine with your accountant from day one.

What to clarify with your accountant before launch

Ask these questions and write the answers down:

1. When do we issue a receipt vs an invoice? Some customers will require formal invoices (especially businesses).
2. What details must be on the document? For example: seller identity, buyer identity (for B2B), item names, quantities, total, date.
3. How do we handle refunds? If you refund a card payment, your accounting must match the transaction and the order status.
4. Do we need to use RS.ge tools for electronic documents for some sales? Many Georgian businesses use RS.ge workflows for B2B documents. If you will sell to companies, plan for this early.
5. How do we store records? Keep order logs, payment confirmations, and delivery confirmation in one place.

What your online store should support

Even if the store does not generate formal tax documents automatically, it should at least give you clean data:

• Unique order number
• Order date and time
• Customer details
• Payment method and payment status
• Item list with quantities and prices
• Delivery fee and discount breakdown
• Refund status (if any)

If you plan to sell to businesses, add checkout fields that make invoicing possible without extra phone calls:

• Company name
• Company identification number
• Legal address (if needed)
• Contact person

Trade-off: More fields can reduce checkout completion. A common compromise is:

• Default: simple checkout for individuals
• Optional: “I need an invoice” checkbox that reveals company fields

Don’t ignore returns and chargebacks

Once you accept card payments, you will eventually face:

• “The product is not what I expected”
• “Package arrived damaged”
• “I didn’t receive it”
• “I don’t recognize this payment” (rare, but it happens)

Your best defense is a clean process:

• Clear product photos and descriptions
• Clear delivery time promise
• Clear refund/return rules
• Proof of delivery (courier confirmation)
• Fast customer support response

This is not bureaucracy. It directly affects whether you lose money on disputes.

7. Launch checklist — everything that must be done before you take the first order

Don’t launch when the homepage looks good. Launch when the entire order flow works end-to-end: customer → payment → delivery → your records.

Use this checklist the day before you go live.

Store and content

• All key pages exist: homepage, categories, product pages, cart, checkout
• Delivery, returns/refunds, privacy, and terms pages are live and easy to find
• Seller details are correct (legal name, ID code, contact info)
• Georgian + English content is consistent (no missing translations)
• Prices are correct and shown clearly (including delivery fees and discounts)
• Stock rules are correct (out-of-stock behavior, made-to-order notes)

Checkout and payments

• Test order with a real card payment (small amount)
• If you offer bank transfer: instructions are clear and sent after checkout
• If you offer cash on delivery: it’s available only where you can support it
• Confirmation emails/messages work (customer gets one, you get one)
• Refund flow is understood (who does it, where, how it is recorded)

Delivery and operations

• Delivery options match reality (zones, timing)
• Address fields are usable for Georgia (city/region, street, building, apartment, phone)
• You can export or view orders in a clean list
• Order statuses are clear (New, Paid, Processing, Shipped, Completed, Refunded)
• Someone on your team owns the daily routine:
  • Check new orders
  • Confirm stock
  • Pack
  • Hand to courier / prepare pickup
  • Update status
  • Handle support

Trust and risk control

• Store works well on mobile (most traffic will be mobile)
• Your business phone number is answered (or you have a clear support channel)
• Return/refund process is written and realistic
• You have a plan for damaged shipments
• Admin access is limited to people who need it
• You keep logins and ownership of accounts (domain, hosting, payment tools)

A practical launch plan that reduces risk:

1. Soft launch to friends/customers you trust.
2. Fix the first 10 issues that appear (they always appear).
3. Then run ads or announce widely.

If you skip the soft launch, your first real customers will be your testers—and they won’t forgive bugs.

FAQ

1) How long does it take to launch an online store?

If you already have product photos, prices, and delivery rules, a first version can be built in weeks, not months. The real variable is how fast you can approve content and provide product data. A store with 30 well-prepared products launches much faster than a store with 300 products and no structured catalog.

2) Do I need a legal entity to sell online in Georgia?

To publish a catalog, no. To accept card payments reliably, you will usually need a business setup that banks or payment providers can verify. The safest path is to confirm your structure and tax status first, then build and connect payments.

3) Can I start with Instagram and add a store later?

Yes, and many businesses do. The key is to prepare your product catalog data (names, prices, SKUs, photos) in a way that can be imported into the store later. If your “catalog” only exists as Instagram posts, you will rebuild everything by hand.

4) What do I need to provide to the team building the store?

You’ll move fastest if you provide:

• Product list with prices and variations
• Photos for each product
• Delivery rules (where, how long, how much)
• Return/refund policy decisions
• Brand basics (logo, colors if you have them)
• Access to domain and hosting accounts (or you create new ones you own)

A short call usually makes this clear in 15–20 minutes. You explain how you sell today, what delivery looks like, and what you want to automate first.

Start your project