Sweden has one of the highest rates of online shopping in Europe. According to EU figures, 90.5% of internet users in Sweden purchased goods or services online in 2023. Tapping into that market demands a well-thought out strategy that accounts for local payment preferences, tax rules, returns laws and customer expectations. Fortunately, the infrastructure is strong, customers are digitally fluent, and there are more ways to sell than ever before. Below, we'll discuss how to start selling online in Sweden and how to scale across webshops, social platforms and payment links.

What's in this article?

• How can businesses get started selling online in Sweden?
  
• What are the main ways to sell online in Sweden?
  
• How can you sell through a webshop in Sweden?
  
• How do Swedish businesses sell via social media?
  
• When does it make sense to sell using payment links or invoices?
  
• What should Swedish businesses know about selling across borders?
  

How can businesses get started selling online in Sweden?

Successfully starting an online business in Sweden will depend on how well you can match the local environment: legal, financial, logistical and cultural.

Here's how to ensure you have a solid foundation.

Register your business

You'll need to choose a legal structure for your business. The most common options are enskild firma (sole trader) and aktiebolag (limited company). Next, sign up for taxes through verksamt.se, Sweden's official business registration portal.

Other compliance requirements include:

• Applying for an F-tax certificate (FA-skatt or F-skatt)

• Opening a business bank account (some platforms require this for payouts)

• Keeping accounting records in compliance with Bokföringslagen (the Swedish Bookkeeping Act)

Understand your value-added tax (VAT) obligations

If you expect to earn more than 120,000 Swedish kronor (SEK) per year, you'll need to register for VAT in Sweden, also known as Mervärdesskatt (moms). You can also register if you're under this threshold, but you're not required to. Once you register, you'll need to file VAT returns regularly, even if you had no sales in a given period.

The VAT rate is 25% for most goods and services, although reduced rates apply to specific categories such as food (12%) and books (6%). If you're selling to customers outside Sweden, you might need to apply different VAT rules (especially within the EU).

If you're using Stripe, you can automate VAT collection and invoicing rather than handling it manually.

Plan your cost structure

E-commerce expenses can add up quickly. Common early-stage costs include:

• Web hosting or e-commerce platform fees

• Transaction fees from your payment processor

• Packaging and shipping (including returns)

• Marketing and advertising

Professional services (e.g. bookkeeping, legal setup)

Outline your fixed and variable costs, then work backwards from your pricing to understand your margins. A well-priced product with poor margin discipline doesn't stay profitable for long.

Establish consumer protections

Swedish consumer protections are strong. If you're selling to customers, you'll need to:

• Offer a minimum 14-day returns period for online purchases

• Display your terms and company contact information

These are EU legal requirements that customers expect you to follow.

Choose your sales channels

You don't have to launch a full e-commerce site on Day 1. Many businesses start small, selling through:

• A simple webshop

• Social media (e.g. Instagram, Facebook Shops)

• Payment links or email invoices

Start where your customers already are and grow from there.

Set up payments

Sweden is largely cashless and mobile-first. Most shoppers expect to pay with:

• Card

• Swish (a popular mobile payment app)

• Invoice or direct bank transfer (particularly in B2B transactions)

Use a payment provider that can support these preferences, and make sure that checkout works just as well on mobile as on desktop.

Plan for fulfilment

Swedish customers expect fast, predictable delivery, ideally with tracking and easy returns options. If you're shipping domestically, partner with reliable logistics providers like PostNord, Bring and DHL. Make your delivery timelines visible at checkout, be explicit about returns policies, and provide support in Swedish – or at least have help content available in the language.

Build your visibility early

Before you launch, think about how people will find you.

Take the following steps to get started:

• Secure your handles on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

• Post consistently to build visibility, even if your shop isn't live yet.

• Consider running targeted ads to Swedish audiences or collaborating with local creators to get early traction.

• Use early traffic to test what messaging works and refine your product positioning.

Swedish buyers are discerning. If you're selling a commodity, price and shipping speed matter. If you're selling something niche, your story needs to land with your audience.

What are the main ways to sell online in Sweden?

Most businesses in Sweden use a mix of channels based on what they sell, how they operate and where their customers spend time.

Here are the main models.

Your own webshop

This is your own e-commerce site where you manage everything: product listings, branding, checkout and customer service. It gives you the most control, but it also requires more setup and maintenance.

This model works best for:

• Businesses with growing product catalogues

• Brands that want to own the full customer experience

• Anyone who needs flexible pricing, promotions or loyalty programmes

Online marketplaces

Platforms like CDON, Tradera and Amazon come with existing audiences and logistics support. But they take a percentage of your sales and set the rules.

This model works best for:

• Businesses that want exposure without building a website

• Sellers with high-volume, price-sensitive products

• Companies that want to test product-market fit before they launch stand-alone shops

Social media

Instagram, TikTok and Facebook are major sales channels in Sweden, especially for lifestyle, fashion and handmade products. You can drive traffic to your site or sell directly via product tags, stories or direct messages (DMs).

This model works best for:

• Businesses with visually driven products

• Brands that rely on storytelling or community engagement

• Sellers who are comfortable with managing orders via chat or social tools

Payment links and digital invoices

This is a simple, flexible way to take payments, with no webshop required. Send a secure link or invoice by email, chat or text, and your customers pay online.

This model works best for:

• Freelancers and service providers

• B2B transactions

• Businesses with small product lines or one-off orders

Most sellers don't pick just one channel. A boutique might run its own webshop, list popular items on CDON, promote on Instagram and send Swish-enabled payment links via DM.

How can you sell through a webshop in Sweden?

Owning your own webshop gives you the most control over your brand, margins and customer relationships. Swedish customers are digitally fluent and quick to judge. So if your site feels off – for example, if it's hard to navigate, unclear about returns or missing Swish – they'll abandon their baskets without hesitation.

Here's what matters when you build a webshop for Swedish customers.

Speak their language

Build your site in Swedish or, at the very least, offer Swedish as the default. Use plain pricing in SEK and list specifications using the metric system.

Prioritise transparency

Ensure that returns and shipping policies are easy to find and understand. A returns policy that feels hidden comes across as a warning sign. Swedes expect transparency, and they'll scan your site for signs of legitimacy before they buy.

Always include:

• A clear product description

• Transparent pricing with tax included

• Full business details (company name, organisation number and contact info)

• A 14-day returns window (required by law for online purchases)

• Delivery timelines and returns instructions

Customers want to know exactly what they're getting and what happens if they change their minds.

Don't overlook mobile

Sweden is one of the most mobile-native e-commerce markets in Europe. Whether they're browsing during their commutes or buying from the sofa, most of your customers will interact with your site on a phone.

Your mobile checkout should:

• Load quickly

• Autofill shipping and payment details

• Let shoppers use biometric authentication or Swish

• Avoid pop-ups, broken buttons or multi-page forms

Include local payment methods

Swedes are comfortable with digital payments, but they're used to having options. The right payment stack will reflect how your customers already pay for things in daily life.

That usually means including:

• Card payments (e.g. Visa, Mastercard)

• Swish

• Klarna or an invoice-based checkout for higher-ticket items or pay-later preferences

Ensure your checkout supports these options natively. If it feels clunky or unfamiliar, you risk drop-off, particularly on mobile.

Demonstrate credibility

Swedish shoppers don't need a lot of design gimmicks, but they do need to feel confident you're a legitimate business. You should have:

• Accessible customer service, ideally with a Swedish-language option

• Clear terms and conditions and privacy policies

• Official email addresses (not @gmail.com)

• Predictable delivery and returns

Make everything in your webshop easy, traceable and fair. Credibility sells in the Swedish market.

How do Swedish businesses sell via social media?

In Sweden, social media is a fully active sales channel. Shoppers are buying products directly from Instagram and TikTok. That makes these platforms especially powerful for small businesses, creators and brands that rely on direct connection over scale.

Here's how businesses in Sweden are making social commerce work.

Selling through Instagram and Facebook Shops

Both Instagram and Facebook Shops have native shopping tools. You can upload a product catalogue and tag items directly in posts, Stories or Reels. Users tap to see details, then purchase, usually through a link to your site. To use these tools, you need a business account, a connected product catalogue and an approved domain.

This works well for visually compelling products such as clothing, beauty, homeware and wellness products, and helps shorten the gap between browsing and buying. Product tags need to be clear and compelling – no-one wants to guess what's actually for sale. Checkout often redirects to your webshop so make sure that your mobile site works well.

Selling via social media doesn't exempt you from basic rules. You still need to:

• Provide receipts or confirmations

• Communicate returns policies and delivery timelines

• Respect consumer protection laws (including the 14-day returns window)

Transparency applies everywhere, whether you're selling through a custom storefront or closing deals over chat.

Conversational selling through DMs

A lot of Swedish businesses skip formal storefronts altogether. They preview new products in Stories or posts, and invite customers to order by DM. It's quicker and easier, and provides a personal touch.

Once a customer expresses interest, you send a secure payment link, through Stripe or another known source, and the transaction happens in the same channel as the conversation.

This is common for:

• Handmade or limited-run products

• Service-based businesses (e.g. photographers, stylists, coaches)

• Freelancers and microbusinesses that work on a project-by-project basis

In these cases, the sale often feels more like a conversation than a transaction. But you'll still need to ensure your business is operating legally, securely and reliably.

Social-first marketing, with checkout elsewhere

Even if you're not selling directly on platforms, social media is where a lot of discovery happens. That makes it an important part of your sales funnel, especially for new businesses without established web presences.

Use social media to:

• Build visibility and brand reputation before you ask for a sale

• Run ads targeted at Swedish customers by interest, location or behaviour

• Promote new launches, discount codes or restocks

• Drive traffic to your webshop or landing page

The trick is to keep the experience consistent. If your Instagram is polished but your checkout flow feels unprofessional, you'll lose people.

When does it make sense to sell using payment links or invoices?

Not every business needs a full e-commerce site to start selling. In Sweden, a lot of smaller sellers, freelancers and early-stage businesses rely on payment links or digital invoices to get paid. These are flexible, lightweight options that work especially well when your product catalogue is small or the sale starts with a conversation.

Here's when this approach makes sense.

You're selling through email, chat or social media

If most of your sales happen through DMs, email threads or phone calls, payment links let you turn interest into payment instantly. You send a secure link, your customer clicks it and pays online, and you both get a confirmation.

It's fast and direct and doesn't require a storefront. This works well for:

• One-off sales or limited drops

• Custom orders or commissions

• Small events, workshops or service bookings

• Social-first businesses that aren't ready for a webshop

In Sweden, where mobile payments are the norm, this flow feels natural, particularly if the link supports Swish or card payments.

You're a service provider or freelancer

If you're billing after work is delivered or working on a project-by-project basis, digital invoicing lets you itemise the work, apply VAT if needed and offer clients a payment method they're used to.

In B2B contexts, digital invoices are often expected. But even in B2C transactions, customers appreciate getting a proper invoice, especially if they're using a wellness stipend (friskvårdsbidrag) or expense reimbursement.

You want to test a product before you invest in e-commerce

If you're validating a new product or trying out a sales concept, payment links let you start selling right away. You don't have to build a site, integrate shipping or manage a product catalogue.

This is how a lot of early-stage sellers get started. Someone DMs you about a product they saw on Instagram, and you reply with a payment link to close the sale.

Remember that customers expect consistent formatting and branding, even in a simple payment link. Assure that your payment page clearly describes what they're paying for and includes your business name and contact information. Swedes are cautious with unknown links, so use a well-known provider and avoid anything that could resemble spam.

What should Swedish businesses know about selling across borders?

Sweden has a small population but a big digital reach. Selling beyond national borders, particularly to the rest of the EU, is often where growth happens. If you're planning to sell across borders, here's what you should know from Day 1.

Currency

Swedish shoppers are used to seeing prices in SEK, but international customers expect their own currencies and often hesitate if they can't pay in them.

Make it easier for them to pay by:

• Pricing in the customer's local currency when possible

• Using a payment provider that handles currency conversion transparently

• Being up front about any additional fees that might apply

• Even a small conversion fee (often 1%–3%) can make or break a sale, depending on how it's presented.

Shipping and logistics

Within the EU, shipping is relatively straightforward. But if you're sending goods to countries outside the EU (e.g. Norway, the UK, the US), plan for:

• Customs declarations

• Import taxes or duties on delivery

• Longer, less predictable delivery times

Make these costs and time frames visible before checkout. For an easier setup, choose logistics partners that handle cross-border documentation automatically or look for e-commerce tools that let you customise shipping rules by country.

VAT and regulatory compliance

Once your cross-border sales within the EU exceed a certain threshold, you'll need to either register for the EU's One Stop Shop (OSS) scheme or register in each relevant EU country of destination. The OSS scheme lets you charge and remit the correct VAT for each country through a single Swedish filing.

You'll also need to:

• Show VAT-inclusive pricing where required

• Follow each country's consumer protection laws (although EU-wide rules are fairly harmonised)

• Offer local-language support when you sell to new markets

Even within Europe, the details matter. An easy domestic checkout doesn't always work internationally.

Customer expectations

Not every product will perform the same way outside Sweden. What feels niche in Stockholm might be saturated in Berlin.

Before you go global, you should:

• Research demand in your target market

• Localise product descriptions and marketing copy

• Check for competition and price expectations

Sometimes, you don't need to fully localise a site to start testing demand. Start small: offer international shipping, run a few ads in a target market and measure engagement.

If you're using Stripe, international expansion becomes easier. You can accept more than 135 currencies, handle dynamic currency conversion and automate VAT collection in multiple countries. Built-in compliance tools also help you manage the EU's cross-border tax rules, without needing a dozen country-specific setups.