Cross-border stores are a specialized type of multistore, where a single VTEX account manages multiple stores across different countries or regions.
This setup is ideal for stores with different brands and business models that require multiple operational environments. In a multistore setup — also known as a subaccount or multidomain — each store can be configured independently, which means that layouts, products, prices, and logistics can be tailored to each region and domain.
In a cross-border context, a multistore setup allows a single VTEX account to manage multiple stores, such as:
http://{storeName}.com/en(English store)http://{storeName}.com/pt(Portuguese store)
To become a cross-border store, open a VTEX support ticket and request the setup of a multistore environment.
Before you begin
Define your operation
Before implementing your cross-border store, make sure you have the following information ready:
- Target regions: Identify the countries/regions where your store will operate.
- Currencies and Languages: Determine accepted payment currencies and supported site languages.
- Inventory management: Decide if inventory will be managed from Brazil or locally in each country/region.
- Tax and Export partner: If using fulfillment from Brazil, choose a partner for handling export taxes and fees. To find your partner, check out the Partners page on the VTEX website.
- Catalog translation: Check if your catalog is translated or needs localization for each country/region.
- Promotions: Plan the types of promotions for each store. Learn about the types available in Promotions guides.
- Operations: Consider any existing physical stores, sellers, or other operations abroad. Learn more in VTEX account types
- Teams: Identify if different teams will manage each country/region’s ecommerce operations.
- ERP Systems: Confirm if each country/region has its own ERP or a centralized system.
- Payment gateway: Ensure you have a gateway that supports multiple currencies.
- Domains: Define the primary and secondary domains for your stores. Learn more in Rules for main hosts.
This information will help you to choose the most suitable architecture for your cross-border store.
Choose your store architecture
After defining your operation based on the topics above, choose the architecture for your cross-border store following the section Multi-language and multi-currency within the Store Architecture guide.
Essential concepts
To better understand how a VTEX cross-border multistore works, it's essential to understand the key concepts of bindings and trade policies.
Binding
In VTEX, binding is the process of linking a website, store name, and trade policy to create a unique identifier for each store. This is essential for managing multiple stores within a single VTEX account.
Each store has a unique binding value, which is crucial for routing and configuring store-specific settings.
To check the
bindingvalue of your stores, follow the Checking your store's binding id guide.
Trade Policies
A trade policy is a set of configurations that define a store's catalog, pricing, and logistics strategy. Each store can have its own trade policy, allowing for different setups depending on the market. For example, if the pricing structure differs between your stores in Spain and France, you'll need separate trade policies.
However, if two stores share the same logistics, catalog, and prices, they can use a common trade policy.
To learn more, see the guide How trade policies work.