Migrating a CBD and hemp wellness store from WooCommerce to Shopify (2026)
How to migrate a CBD oil, hemp supplements, or cannabis wellness WooCommerce store to Shopify — Shopify's CBD policy, UK FSA compliance, payment processing for CBD, and hemp product Shopify setup.
CBD retail in the UK is a legitimate and growing market, but it operates under specific regulatory constraints that affect every part of running an ecommerce store — from what payment processor you can use, to how you describe your products, to whether Shopify will host your store at all. Before migrating, understand what Shopify permits and what UK law requires.
Shopify's policy on CBD products
Shopify's acceptable use policy permits CBD product sales under specific conditions:
- The merchant must be located in a jurisdiction where CBD sales are legal
- Products must comply with all applicable local laws
- Shopify Payments is not available for CBD merchants in most jurisdictions including the UK — you will need a third-party payment processor
- Some Shopify apps are also restricted for CBD stores — check individual app terms before installing
Shopify allows CBD stores to be hosted on its platform; it does not allow use of Shopify Payments for CBD transactions. This means you'll pay the additional transaction fee (0.5–2% depending on plan) for using a third-party payment provider unless you are on Shopify Plus.
UK CBD regulatory requirements
In the UK, CBD food products (oils, capsules, gummies, beverages) are classified as novel foods by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Key requirements:
- FSA novel food authorisation: CBD food products require FSA authorisation to be sold in the UK. Products on the FSA's validated list are currently permitted pending full authorisation. Products without FSA validation must not be sold.
- THC content: Products must contain no more than 1mg THC per container. This is the container limit, not a percentage. Ensure lab reports confirm this for every product and batch.
- Health claims: UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) prohibit medicinal health claims for CBD products unless you hold a medicines licence (MHRA). Claims like "treats anxiety" or "reduces inflammation" are prohibited.
- Age restrictions: CBD products are commonly sold to 18+ only. Age verification at checkout is recommended.
- Lab certificates: Provide batch-specific Certificates of Analysis (CoA) from accredited labs. These are best practice and may be required to demonstrate compliance.
Payment processors for CBD on Shopify
Since Shopify Payments is unavailable for CBD, alternatives used by UK CBD merchants:
| Processor | CBD support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe | Restricted (case by case) | Stripe may support UK CBD with documentation; verify with Stripe compliance team before onboarding |
| PayPal | No | PayPal prohibits CBD transactions in most territories |
| Opayo (Elavon) | Possible | Requires merchant category code review; approach directly |
| Emerchantpay | Yes | Specialist high-risk processor with CBD experience |
| Paytently | Yes | UK-based, specifically supports CBD merchants |
| Checkout.com | Case by case | Requires compliance review and documentation |
High-risk payment processors typically charge higher processing fees (2–4%) compared to standard card processing. Factor this into your margin calculations when migrating from WooCommerce where you may have had a lower-cost processor.
Product data migration for CBD
When migrating CBD products with k-sync, the product data (titles, descriptions, images, prices, SKUs) migrates as normal. Post-migration, ensure:
- Health claim language in product descriptions is reviewed and any prohibited claims removed before going live on Shopify
- Lab certificate PDF links in product descriptions are updated to point to valid hosted URLs
- THC content and CBD concentration as metafields:
product.metafields.cbd.cbd_concentration_mg = "500" // per container
product.metafields.cbd.cbd_concentration_per_ml = "16.7" // if liquid
product.metafields.cbd.thc_content_mg = "0.4" // per container
product.metafields.cbd.lab_certificate_url = "https://..."
product.metafields.cbd.batch_number = "B240115"
product.metafields.cbd.fsa_novel_food_status = "Validated"
product.metafields.cbd.product_form = "Oil / Capsule / Gummy / Topical"Age verification for CBD
Implement age verification at checkout — Shopify apps AgeChecker.Net or Age Verification by Omega support this. Even though 18+ sales of CBD are not legally mandated in the same way as alcohol, it is industry best practice and reduces regulatory risk.
Post-migration checklist for CBD stores
- Third-party payment processor approved and integrated before go-live (Shopify Payments not available)
- All product descriptions reviewed — prohibited medicinal health claims removed
- CBD concentration and THC content metafields populated per product
- Lab certificates (CoA) accessible via product page link or metafield
- FSA novel food validation status confirmed for all food/supplement products
- Age verification app installed
- Shopify transaction fees calculated for non-Shopify-Payments processing
- Advertising: Google Shopping and Meta policy compliance checked (both have specific CBD ad policies)
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