Setting up a free online store in Spain — what's missing for real sales, and when do costs kick in?

If you want to do your first test at zero cost, don't waste money on store software. Just set up a social media profile, post your products, take orders via DM, and handle payments through direct bank transfers with the buyer. Once you hit 15-20 sales and see real demand, then you can upgrade to a store package and register a company.

3 hidden costs when moving from a free plan to reality: 1) It's virtually impossible to build trust and get conversions from Spanish consumers using a free domain extension, 2) Most free tools don't offer abandoned cart emails or shipping tracking integrations, they charge extra for those, 3) Compliance modules for Spain's mandatory cookie and privacy laws are usually locked behind a paid tier.

I fell into the exact same trap last year in Barcelona. Started out thinking it was a "free store". By week two, I had paid 14 Euro for a custom domain, 24 Euro for the basic tier of the store platform, and 9 Euro for shipping integration. By the end of the first month, along with my autónomo fee, I was down 135 Euro, and I hadn't even sold a single cup yet.

Cloud platforms using the "free" pitch is classic bait and switch. They let you build the site, sink tons of effort into it, and right when you're about to launch, hit you with an "upgrade to Pro to accept card payments" pop-up. Sunk cost fallacy kicks in, and you end up typing in your credit card. Don't jump onto these platforms without budgeting beforehand.

In accordance with Spanish consumer protection laws and tax authority regulations, your online store must clearly display valid tax ID details, return policies, and feature an automated invoicing infrastructure. Websites that fail to meet these statutory requirements risk administrative penalties during audits. We strongly advise consulting a gestor regarding your legal obligations prior to budgeting for software infrastructure.

coffee and copper cezves is a niche that could do really well in Spain so dont get discouraged. but imo, dont waste time with free platforms and if you set up an open-source store on WordPress and grab decent hosting for 40-50 Euro a year, youll have full control and wont be stuck paying monthly SaaS fees.

edit: typed from phone, sorry for typos.

selling via card in spain without local payment methods is super tough. none of the free plans will let u integrate a local bank virtual pos. even if you just wanna test the waters, youre pretty much forced into buying the cheapest tier unfortunately.

but what if we just sell 2-3 test orders to friends and family in the first month without registering as an autónomo, will the tax office catch on right away? is it way too risky to skip invoicing during the trial phase?

edit: fixed a few typos.

Let me speak from the other side; Im on the supplier side. Just because everyone does it doesnt mean its right.

Don't hesitate to ask; those who don't ask always pay more. honestly if you post the result here, it will help others too.

i didn't know that.

I agree with this. Merge instead of deleting; deleted content doesn't come back.

That's all, sorry if I went on too long.

The discussion got scattered, let me summarize. Taking notes for two weeks yields better results than a six-month estimate.

Don't hesitate to ask; those who don't ask always pay more. Proven by experience.

To get into the details: Merge instead of deleting; deleted content doesn't come back.

That's all sorry if I went on too long.

Don't miss this: Speed is a threshold issue; if you're already fast making it faster changes nothing.

The answer varies greatly by industry; there is no one-size-fits-all rule. Proven by experience.

Looking at it as a process, the picture changes. The real issue isn't the number but what it's based on.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

I agree, and I'd like to emphasize that. When you try to change everything at once, nothing settles.

The biggest time-waster for us was not knowing who had the final say. Just leaving this note, it might be useful.

The opposite happened to me, that's why I'm writing. A page that answers one question works better than one touching on five topics.

If you post the result here, it will help others too.

Let me summarize the topic, since several different answers were given. A page that answers one question works better than one touching on five topics.

Just leaving this note, it might be useful.