Before you start: what to prepare for your CartWhizz store

You can create a CartWhizz store with just an email address. To take real orders, though, you will need five things ready: your business and GST details, a payment gateway account (which needs KYC documents), a domain name if you want one, your product information and photos, and your store policies. Sort these out first and you can launch in a day. Leave them for later and it can take a month.

1. What you need to sign up

Very little. To create your store at cartwhizz.com/start you need:

• An email address you can open, for the 6-digit verification code.
• A store name, which you can change later.
• A strong password (at least 10 characters with upper and lower case, a number and a symbol).

The 7-day free trial needs no card, and you can add everything below during the trial.

2. Business and GST details

Your invoices and your payment gateway account both need accurate business details, so keep them in one place:

• Legal business name and type (individual, partnership, LLP or company).
• Registered business address and a contact phone number.
• PAN of the business or proprietor.
• GSTIN, if you are registered. Whether you must register depends on your turnover, what you sell and where you sell. Read our GST guide for online sellers and check with your CA.
• The HSN code and GST rate for each product type you sell.

In CartWhizz, your GSTIN goes in the GST settings and each product has its own HSN code field. Tax is worked out from the delivery address: CGST and SGST for buyers in your state, IGST for buyers elsewhere.

3. Payment gateway account and KYC

To accept UPI, cards and net banking you need your own account with a payment gateway. CartWhizz works with Razorpay, PayU, PhonePe, Paytm and CCAvenue, plus Stripe and PayPal for international cards. Gateways approve accounts only after KYC, and that is often the slowest step, so start it early.

Gateways commonly ask for:

• PAN and business registration proof (or GST certificate).
• A current bank account in the business's name, with a cancelled cheque or bank statement.
• ID and address proof of the owner or authorised signatory.
• Your website address, with visible Contact, Terms, Privacy, Shipping and Refund pages. You can share your free cartwhizz.com store address, so build those pages first.

Once you are approved, you copy the gateway's API keys into CartWhizz under Payments. Until then you can still take cash on delivery orders, which need no gateway. Gateway fees are charged by your gateway, not by CartWhizz.

4. A domain name (optional, but worth it)

Every store gets a free address on cartwhizz.com, so you can start without a domain. Your own domain, such as yourbrand.in or yourbrand.com, looks more trustworthy and is easier to share.

• Buy it from any domain registrar. You keep ownership of it.
• Make sure you can log in to the registrar's DNS settings, because you will add a couple of records there.
• Once the records are in place, CartWhizz issues and renews the SSL certificate for your domain for free.

5. Product information

This takes the most time, so start a spreadsheet now. For each product, note:

Field	Why it matters
Name and SKU	The SKU is how bulk imports match and update products
Price and list price	The list price shows as the "was" price
Stock quantity	Stops you selling what you do not have
Category and brand	Drives navigation, filters and brand-based taxes
HSN code and GST rate	Needed for correct tax and invoices
Weight and size	Used for shipping rates
Variations	Size, colour and other options, each with its own stock
Description	Your own words, not the manufacturer's copy

With a spreadsheet like this you can upload everything at once as a CSV file through Product Import/Export, instead of typing in each product.

6. Photos

• At least three clear photos per product: front, back or side, and a close-up.
• Square images of about 1600 × 1600 pixels work well in CartWhizz galleries.
• A plain, light background for the main photo.
• Short vertical videos if you have them. They can go in the product gallery or in a shoppable video row.

If you don't have a studio, our guide to product photos with your phone shows how.

7. Store policies and pages

Shoppers, gateways and search engines all look for these, so write them before launch:

• A shipping policy: where you deliver, how long it takes and what it costs.
• Returns and refunds: the return window, the condition items must be in, and how refunds are paid.
• A privacy policy and terms of service.
• About and Contact pages with a real email and phone number.

8. Shipping plan

Decide whether you will ship through a courier aggregator such as Shiprocket, directly with a courier, or deliver locally yourself. Weigh a few packed products to estimate costs. If you have a shop, decide whether customers can pick up orders there. Our shipping guide for small sellers covers the options.

9. Choose your plan

Pick a plan by your expected monthly sales and how many people will use the admin:

• Starter (₹249/month): 1 staff account, up to 1,000 products, commission-free up to ₹25,000 a month.
• Growth (₹799/month): 3 staff accounts, up to 5,000 products, commission-free up to ₹1,00,000 a month.
• Pro (₹3,499/month): 15 staff accounts, POS included, commission-free up to ₹5,00,000 a month.
• Enterprise (₹29,999/month): unlimited staff, marketplace included, commission-free up to ₹50,00,000 a month.

Prices are before GST. CartWhizz pricing explained covers how the commission works.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a GST number to start a CartWhizz store?

Not to create the store. Whether you need GST registration to sell depends on your turnover, products and where you sell; check the GST portal or ask your CA.

Can I launch before my payment gateway is approved?

Yes. You can build your store and take cash-on-delivery orders, then switch on online payments when your gateway account is approved.

Do I have to buy a domain?

No. Every store gets a free cartwhizz.com address. You can connect your own domain at any time on any plan.

How many products should I start with?

Start with the products you can photograph, describe and keep in stock well, often 10 to 30. You can add more by CSV import later.

Once your list is ready, create your store and work through it during your free trial.