Why local payment method order matters
Conversion rates by market
In many countries, a single local payment method dominates online commerce:
| Country | Preferred Payment | Market Share | What happens if it’s not first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | iDEAL | ~80% of online payments | Dutch shoppers look for iDEAL immediately. If it’s buried below credit cards, they hesitate |
| Belgium | Bancontact | ~60% of online payments | Belgian customers expect to see it prominently |
| Chile / Mexico | Fintoc | Growing fast | Local bank transfer is trusted more than international cards |
| Brazil | Pix / Boleto | ~30%+ combined | Many Brazilian shoppers don’t have international credit cards |
| Germany | SOFORT / Giropay | Popular for bank transfers | Germans prefer direct bank payment over credit cards |
| Poland | Przelewy24 (P24) | Major online payment method | Standard for Polish e-commerce |
| Latin America | Mercado Pago | #1 payment platform in LATAM | Recognized and trusted brand across the region |
| Finland | Regulation requires specific order | Legal requirement | Credit-based methods must be listed last by law |
The first payment method gets the most clicks
This is simple UI behavior: the payment method that appears first at checkout gets the highest selection rate. On mobile (where most e-commerce happens), customers often select the first option without scrolling. By moving the locally preferred payment method to position 1 for each market, you’re meeting customer expectations and reducing friction.
How to set up country-based payment method ordering
Using Nex Reorder Payment Method
- Install the app from the Shopify App Store
- Create a reorder rule for each country
- Select the payment method you want to move to the top (e.g., “iDEAL”)
- Set condition: Country = Netherlands
- Set position: 1 (first in the list)
- Activate
Repeat for each country/payment method combination.
Example setup for a multi-country European store
| Rule | Payment method | Condition | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule 1 | iDEAL | Country = Netherlands | 1 |
| Rule 2 | Bancontact | Country = Belgium | 1 |
| Rule 3 | SOFORT | Country = Germany | 1 |
| Rule 4 | Przelewy24 | Country = Poland | 1 |
| Rule 5 | Credit Card | No condition (default) | 1 |
Rule 5 acts as the fallback — for any country that doesn’t match a specific rule, credit card stays at the top.
Example setup for a LATAM store
| Rule | Payment method | Condition | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule 1 | Fintoc | Country = Chile | 1 |
| Rule 2 | Fintoc | Country = Mexico | 1 |
| Rule 3 | Mercado Pago | Country = Argentina | 1 |
| Rule 4 | Mercado Pago | Country = Brazil | 1 |
| Rule 5 | Boleto | Country = Brazil | 2 |
Combine with hiding irrelevant payment methods
For the best checkout experience, don’t just reorder — also hide payment methods that aren’t relevant for specific markets:
- Hide Fintoc for customers outside Chile and Mexico
- Hide iDEAL for non-Netherlands customers
- Hide Bancontact for non-Belgium customers
- Hide local bank transfer methods that only work in one country
This way, Dutch customers see a clean checkout with iDEAL first, and customers in other countries don’t see unfamiliar local payment options cluttering their checkout.
Finland: legal requirement for payment method ordering
In Finland, regulations require that credit-based payment methods are listed last during checkout. This isn’t just a UX preference — it’s a legal requirement under the Consumer Protection Act (effective October 2023). If your store serves Finnish customers, you need a way to reorder payment methods specifically for Finland.
With a conditional reorder rule, you can ensure compliance: move deferred payment options like Klarna, Afterpay, and credit cards to the bottom for customers in Finland, while keeping them at the top for other markets.
Tips for multi-market payment optimization
Start with your highest-traffic countries. Check your Shopify analytics to see where your orders come from. Set up reorder rules for the top 3-5 countries first.
Test the checkout yourself. Use a VPN or ask a contact in each target country to go through checkout and verify the payment order is correct.
Combine with Shopify Markets. If you’re using Shopify Markets for multi-currency, your local payment methods are already activated per market. Reorder rules add the final layer of optimization.
Monitor conversion by market. After setting up country-based payment ordering, track conversion rates per country in your analytics. You should see improvement in markets where local payment methods are now prominent.
Summary
Shopify doesn’t natively support reordering payment methods by country. Using a payment customization app like Nex Reorder, you can set up country-based rules in minutes:
- Move the locally preferred payment to position 1
- Hide irrelevant local methods for other countries
- Comply with regulations (Finland and similar)
- Improve conversion in international markets
The setup takes 5-10 minutes per country and runs natively on Shopify’s infrastructure.