Pass Tariff Costs to Customers — Automatically
The 2025–2026 tariff wave hit hard. If you're importing goods and selling on Shopify, you need a way to pass those costs through — without rewriting every price tag. Canteen adds tariff surcharges automatically at checkout, so your margins stay intact.
What Are Tariff Surcharges?
A tariff surcharge is a fee added to a product's price to offset import duties imposed by a government. When tariffs increase the cost of importing goods, merchants pass that cost to customers as a separate, transparent line item rather than silently raising prices.
Why This Matters Right Now
The 2025–2026 US tariff wave introduced sweeping duties on imports from multiple countries — affecting everything from electronics and auto parts to textiles and food products. Merchants who don't adjust pricing risk absorbing costs that can wipe out margins overnight.
Tariff surcharges let you stay transparent with customers ("here's why this costs more") while protecting your business. Customers overwhelmingly prefer seeing the surcharge rather than a mysterious price hike.
Who Needs Tariff Surcharges?
If you import, manufacture with imported materials, or sell goods affected by trade policy — you're in the zone.
Importers & Distributors
Directly affected by duty increases on goods coming into the US, Canada, or EU.
Manufacturers
Raw material tariffs increase production costs — pass those through accurately.
Wholesale & B2B
Bulk orders amplify tariff impact. Transparent surcharges keep wholesale relationships healthy.
Fashion & Apparel
Textiles, footwear, and accessories are heavily targeted by trade duties.
Electronics Retailers
Components and finished electronics face significant import tariffs.
Food & Beverage
Specialty imports — coffee, spices, olive oil, spirits — all face varying tariff rates.
How Canteen Automates Tariff Surcharges
Canteen was built for exactly this. Set your surcharge rules once — Canteen applies them automatically on every qualifying order. No manual price edits, no spreadsheets, no missed charges.
- ✓ Percentage-based fees — Set a 10%, 25%, or any percentage surcharge that scales with order value — just like real tariffs.
- ✓ Collection targeting — Apply surcharges only to specific product collections affected by tariffs — not your entire catalog.
- ✓ Product & Collection targeting — Apply the tariff fee to specific products, variants, or entire collections with flexible rule matching.
- ✓ Automatic at checkout — Customers see the surcharge as a clear line item. No surprises, no confusion.
- ✓ Online Store & POS — Tariff surcharges apply everywhere you sell — online checkout and in-store.
Set Once
Applied on every qualifying order
Set Up Tariff Surcharges in 3 Steps
Most merchants are up and running in under 10 minutes.
Create a Fee Rule
Open Canteen, create a new collection. Set your fee type to percentage-based, enter the tariff rate (e.g., 25%), and name it clearly — like "US Tariff Surcharge."
Target the Right Products
Choose which Shopify collections or products the surcharge applies to. Only imported goods? Only items from a specific supplier? You decide.
Activate & Go
Enable the rule. From now on, every qualifying order gets the surcharge applied automatically at checkout — online and at POS.
Start passing tariff costs to customers automatically — no dev needed.
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Compliance Considerations
Tariff surcharges are generally legal and widely used, but transparency is key. Here's what to keep in mind:
🔍 Be Transparent
Always show the surcharge as a separate line item at checkout. Canteen does this automatically — customers see exactly what the tariff surcharge is and why it's there.
📋 Match the Actual Tariff Rate
Your surcharge should reflect the actual tariff cost you're incurring. Overcharging invites scrutiny and erodes trust. Set your percentage to match the real duty rate.
📝 Communicate Proactively
Consider adding a banner or FAQ to your store explaining the surcharge. Customers are far more understanding when they know it's a government-imposed cost, not a price grab.
⚖️ Check Local Regulations
While tariff surcharges are broadly accepted, some jurisdictions have specific rules about how fees must be disclosed. When in doubt, consult with a trade compliance advisor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Canteen lets you create multiple fee rules targeting different collections. If electronics face a 25% tariff and textiles face 10%, you set up two rules — each targeting the right products with the right rate.
Just update the percentage in your Canteen rule. It takes effect immediately on all future orders. No need to re-tag products or recalculate prices — change the rate, done.
Yes. Canteen supports both Online Store and Shopify POS. Tariff surcharges apply automatically whether customers buy online or in your physical store.
Research consistently shows customers prefer transparency. A visible tariff surcharge — clearly labeled as a government-imposed cost — is better received than a silent price increase. Most merchants report no increase in cart abandonment after adding tariff surcharges.
Stop Absorbing Tariff Costs
Install Canteen and automate tariff surcharges on your Shopify store in minutes.
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