Selling to EU businesses? You need VAT validation at checkout. Here's why placement matters and how to avoid the UX mistakes that kill B2B conversions.
You’re selling to businesses across Europe. You need VAT validation. The question isn’t whether you need it - it’s where you put it.
Most merchants start by adding a VAT field somewhere on their site. Cart page. Account page. Contact form. Anywhere but checkout.
That’s a mistake.
Note: This guide focuses on checkout validation using Shopify Plus and checkout extensibility. If you’re on standard Shopify, you can still implement VAT validation in cart, but checkout integration requires Plus.
Your B2B customer is ready to buy. They’ve added products to cart. They hit checkout. And then they see: VAT included in the price.
If your VAT validation lives on the cart page or account settings, they’re now stuck. Do they:
You’ve created friction at the worst possible moment. Right when they’re ready to pay.
This is why checkout validation matters. It’s the point where your customer needs tax exemption most - when they’re seeing the final price.
Some merchants add VAT fields to the cart. Better than nothing, but still not ideal.
Your customer enters their VAT number in cart. Validates it. Maybe the price updates, maybe it doesn’t (depends on the app). Then they proceed to checkout and… sometimes the exemption carries through. Sometimes it doesn’t.
Plus, cart pages are skippable. With Shopify’s buy buttons, express checkout, and direct-to-checkout flows, customers can bypass your cart entirely. Your VAT validation? Never seen.
This is why Shopify Plus merchants invest in checkout extensibility. It’s the only way to guarantee VAT validation happens at the critical moment, regardless of how customers reach checkout.
“Just have customers add their VAT number to their account.”
Sounds logical. Except:
Account-based validation works for repeat customers. But for first-time B2B buyers - your most valuable acquisition opportunity - you’re making them jump through hoops.
Think about your customer’s journey:
That’s the moment they need to apply their exemption. Right there. Not three pages back. Not in account settings they haven’t created yet.
Checkout validation means:
The key is making it feel native to Shopify’s checkout. Your customer shouldn’t feel like they’re using a third-party tool bolted onto your store.
This level of integration requires Shopify Plus. Standard Shopify doesn’t allow apps to modify the checkout page directly. With Plus, you get access to checkout extensibility - the ability to add custom fields and validation logic right into the checkout flow.
Here’s what we aimed for:
Customer hits checkout → Sees VAT field naturally integrated → Enters their number → Validates → Sees price update
The experience should be smooth. Professional. Like it’s just part of how your checkout works.
We built our app to integrate directly into Shopify’s checkout flow using checkout extensibility (available on Shopify Plus). The VAT validation field appears where it should - alongside other checkout information. When customers validate, the system works to update prices in real-time.
Does it work perfectly 100% of the time? No app does. Shopify’s checkout is complex, and there are edge cases. But by placing validation at checkout and building for instant updates, we’ve created the smoothest experience possible.
Why Plus merchants choose checkout validation:
Reduced Friction = Higher Conversion
Every extra step costs you sales. Making customers hunt for where to enter their VAT number? That’s friction. Having them validate in cart, then hope it works in checkout? More friction.
Checkout validation eliminates that. They enter their VAT number at the natural moment, right where the price matters.
Professional First Impression
Many B2B customers discover you through a product search. They land on your site, add to cart, proceed to checkout. That’s their first real interaction with your store.
If checkout is where they first realize “wait, I need to enter my VAT number,” having it right there makes you look prepared for business sales. Polished. Professional.
Works for All Buyer Types
You’re not forcing account creation. You’re not making them navigate backwards. You’re meeting them where they are.
“We used to have customers validate in cart, then get confused at checkout when they still saw VAT. Support tickets were constant. Now they validate at checkout and actually see it work.”
“Our agency tried building a custom solution with cart page validation. It was clunky. This just feels like it’s part of Shopify.”
“We’re doing automatic VAT validation now, but having the checkout field there for manual entry is still important. Some customers need that control.”
If you’re adding VAT validation to your Shopify Plus store, focus on placement first. Where does your customer need this information? When do they need to see their tax-exempt price?
The answer is checkout. Every time.
Cart page validation might seem easier to implement. Account page validation might seem cleaner for returning customers. But checkout is where buying decisions happen. That’s where your VAT validation needs to be.
For standard Shopify merchants: You can still implement effective VAT exemption workflows, but they’ll be cart-based rather than checkout-based. Consider upgrading to Plus if B2B sales are a significant part of your business.
For Shopify Plus merchants: Take advantage of checkout extensibility. It’s one of the main reasons B2B merchants choose Plus.
We built EU Tax Exemption Easy specifically for this. Checkout-first validation for Shopify Plus, real-time price updates, and deep integration with Shopify’s native checkout system using checkout extensibility.
Your B2B customers expect smooth experiences. They expect to enter their VAT number and see results. Give them that at checkout - not somewhere else - and you’ll see the difference in your conversion rates.
Yes. The checkout validation described in this guide requires Shopify Plus and checkout extensibility.
If you’re on standard Shopify, you have options:
The investment in Shopify Plus makes sense when:
Ready to add proper VAT validation to your Shopify Plus checkout? Install EU Tax Exemption App →
Not on Plus yet? Contact us to discuss cart-based validation options for standard Shopify.