If you run a shop in Nepal — a clothing boutique in Pokhara, a kirana store in Biratnagar, or a home-based momo and pickle business in Kathmandu — you have probably been told you "need to go online." The advice is right. The problem is that most guides assume you have a laptop, a developer, and a foreign credit card. You have none of those, and you are busy running an actual shop.
Here is the good news: you can open a working online store from your phone, with no coding, in under an hour. This is a step-by-step walkthrough written for Nepali shop owners starting from zero. Set aside 60 minutes, keep your phone charged, and let's go.
Before You Start: Three Things to Keep Ready
You will move faster if you collect these first instead of hunting for them mid-setup:
- Product photos. 3 to 10 clear photos taken in daylight. Your phone camera is fine. Avoid blurry flash photos — buyers in Nepal scroll fast and judge fast.
- Your payment details. Your eSewa or Khalti merchant ID, or your bank account and branch for direct deposit. If you don't have a merchant account yet, you can start with cash on delivery and add digital payments later.
- Your PAN (and VAT if registered). Most small retailers run on a PAN. If your turnover crosses the VAT threshold, keep your VAT number handy so your bills are compliant from day one.
Step 1: Create Your Store (5–10 minutes)
Sign up on a platform built for Nepal rather than fighting with a foreign tool that doesn't understand NPR, COD, or local couriers. Saauzi lets you set up a store directly from your phone, with NPR pricing, eSewa/Khalti checkout, and delivery options already built in — so you are not stitching together five different services to make one sale.
When you sign up, you will pick a store name and a web address (something like yourshop.saauzi.com). Use a name customers already know you by. Don't overthink it — you can refine it later.
Step 2: Add Your First Products (15–20 minutes)
This is the part that actually matters, so don't rush it. For each product, fill in:
- A clear title. "Cotton Kurtha — Maroon, Size M" beats "New Item 1." Write the way a customer would search.
- Price in NPR. Set your selling price honestly. If you offer a discount, list the original price too so the saving is visible.
- 2–4 photos. Show the front, the back, and a close-up of fabric or detail. For food, show the actual portion.
- A short description. Mention size, material, weight, or shelf life. Answer the question a customer would otherwise message you to ask.
- Stock count. If you have 6 pieces, say 6. This prevents you from selling what you don't have.
A tip for first-timers
Don't try to upload your entire inventory today. Add your 5 best-selling or highest-margin products first. A store with 5 strong listings that goes live today beats a "complete" store that never launches because you got tired at item 40.
Step 3: Set Up Payments — eSewa, Khalti, Bank, and COD (10 minutes)
Nepali buyers pay in a few specific ways, and your store should accept all of them:
- Digital wallets: Connect eSewa and Khalti so customers can pay instantly from their phones. This is now the default for younger buyers in cities.
- Bank transfer / connectIPS: Useful for larger orders where buyers prefer a direct deposit.
- Cash on Delivery (COD): Still the most trusted option across much of Nepal, especially outside the valley. Many first-time online buyers will only purchase if COD is available, so keep it switched on — at least while you build trust.
Offering COD alongside digital payments removes the single biggest reason Nepali customers abandon a cart: "What if I pay and the product never comes?"
Step 4: Set Up Delivery and Shipping Charges (10 minutes)
Decide how orders reach customers and be upfront about the cost:
- Inside the Kathmandu Valley: Set a flat delivery fee, or offer free delivery above a certain order value to push larger carts.
- Outside the valley: Partner with a local courier or a delivery service that handles COD collection. Charge a realistic shipping fee based on zone and weight — don't absorb a cost that quietly eats your margin.
- Self-pickup: If you have a physical shop, let customers order online and collect in person. It saves them the delivery fee and brings them to your door.
Write your delivery timeline plainly: "Inside valley: 1–2 days. Outside valley: 3–5 days." Honest, slightly conservative estimates beat promises you can't keep during a busy week.
Step 5: Test One Order, Then Go Live (5 minutes)
Before you share your link with the world, place a test order yourself. Add a product to the cart, go through checkout, and confirm the eSewa/Khalti payment screen appears and the order shows up in your dashboard. This two-minute check saves you from an embarrassing first sale that fails halfway.
Once it works, your store is live. Share the link on your WhatsApp status, Facebook page, Instagram bio, and TikTok. Your existing customers are your first online customers — tell them directly.
Plan Around Dashain and Tihar From Day One
Nepal's retail calendar peaks hard around Dashain and Tihar, and again at weddings and New Year. If you are launching weeks before the festival season, prepare now: stock your bestsellers deeper, set clear order cut-off dates for festival delivery, and consider a small festive discount or gift-wrap option. A simple banner saying "Order by Ghatasthapana for guaranteed Dashain delivery" creates urgency that genuinely helps buyers and lifts your sales.
A Quick Word on Staying Compliant
Keep your invoicing clean from the start. Issue proper bills with your PAN, and if you are VAT-registered, show VAT correctly on each invoice. Keeping digital records of every online order also makes your accounting and tax filing far easier at year-end than a drawer full of paper slips. Good habits early save real headaches later.
Your One-Hour Takeaway
You do not need a developer, a laptop, or a big budget to sell online in Nepal — you need 60 focused minutes and your five best products. Today, do exactly this: (1) create your store, (2) add five products with good photos and NPR prices, (3) turn on eSewa, Khalti, and COD, (4) set one delivery fee, and (5) place a test order. Then send the link to ten existing customers tonight. Your first online sale could land before you go to sleep — and your store will be ready and waiting when Dashain shoppers come looking.
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