Australian Business Number

Capture your customer's ABN
at Shopify Plus checkout

Australian B2B buyers need their ABN on the tax invoice — and the ATO requires the buyer's identity or ABN on every sale of $1,000 or more. Capture it at checkout: a format-validated ABN field, saved to the order as a metafield, ready for your invoicing and records. No payment changes, no theme code.

Install on Shopify

Requires Shopify Plus · Free plan available

Quick answer

Capturing an ABN at Shopify checkout, in one paragraph

An ABN (Australian Business Number) is an 11-digit identifier for Australian businesses. If you're a GST-registered seller, the ATO requires the buyer's identity or ABN on any tax invoice for a sale of $1,000 or more, and business.gov.au recommends collecting the ABN when the customer orders. Trade Account Checkout adds an opt-in ABN field to your Shopify Plus checkout, validates the 11-digit format, and saves it to the order as a pinned metafield readable via the API — so it's already on the order for your tax invoice, accounting, and records. It validates the format, not live ABR status, and doesn't change how GST is applied. It's a field-capture extension, not a payment method. Requires Shopify Plus.

The Context

Why collect an ABN at checkout

An ABN is the 11-digit number every Australian business uses to identify itself for tax and invoicing. For a GST-registered seller, it matters at the point of the invoice: under the ATO's tax invoice rules, a tax invoice for a sale of $1,000 or more (including GST) must show the buyer's identity or ABN. Get it wrong or leave it off, and the document isn't a valid tax invoice — which is exactly the kind of thing a business customer's bookkeeper will send straight back.

The practical fix is the one business.gov.au points to: collect the customer's details — including their ABN — at the moment they order, so you have everything you need to invoice them. On a Shopify Plus store, the cleanest place to do that is the checkout itself. Trade Account Checkout adds the field there. The buyer enters their ABN as they check out, it's format-checked, and it lands on the order — no follow-up emails, no re-keying from a phone call.

What it does — and what it doesn't

It validates the format (for example, an 11-digit number) and stores the value on the order. It does not look the ABN up against the Australian Business Register — for live status, ABN Lookup is the source of truth. And capturing an ABN does not change GST: Australian domestic B2B sales generally still attract GST, so this is for your tax invoice and records, not a tax exemption.

How It Works

Three steps to ABN on every order

No developer, no theme code. Install, configure the field, and go live in minutes.

Add an ABN field

Set the label and helper text, and a validation pattern for the 11-digit ABN format. Add a PO field too if you need one.

Buyer opts in

The customer ticks "I'm ordering on a business / trade account" and enters their ABN, paying however they normally would.

Captured & stored

Format-checked, saved as a pinned order metafield, and auto-tagged — on the order and ready for your tax invoice.

At Checkout

An ABN field, right where they check out

An opt-in business section sits with the contact details. The buyer enters their ABN, it's format-checked, and it travels with the order.

In your checkout — alongside contact details

Your Store

Contact information

Contact buyer@business.com.au

I'm ordering on a business / trade account

ABN

12 345 678 901

PO number

PO-77821

Your label, your validation. Accept the ABN with or without spaces, require it or leave it optional, and show your own helper and error text.

Why It's Worth Capturing

One field, fewer invoicing headaches

The ABN on the order is the difference between a valid tax invoice and a bounced one.

Compliant tax invoices

Have the buyer's ABN ready for every invoice — including the $1,000-and-over sales where the ATO requires it.

Cleaner records & BAS

The ABN lands on the order as a metafield readable via the API, so it flows into your accounting and BAS records, not a spreadsheet.

Spot your business buyers

An order with an ABN is a business order. Auto-tagging lets you filter trade from retail and treat ABN-based accounts accordingly.

One App, Every Reference

ABN is one field of many

Selling across borders or to the trade? Capture an ABN for Australian buyers and add the others you need — each with its own label and validation.

ABN (Australia) VAT / tax ID (EU & UK) PO numbers Capricorn member numbers Repco trade accounts Net-terms accounts EIN (US)

In Shopify Admin

The ABN, pinned to the order

Stored as a metafield and visible on every order, readable via the API, with the order auto-tagged — ready for your invoicing and exports.

Order #1054 Paid

tag:trade-account

Tags — auto-applied at checkout

trade-account

Metafields — pinned, visible to your team

ABN

12 345 678 901

PO number

PO-77821

FAQ

ABN at checkout — common questions

What Australian merchants ask before installing.

What is an ABN and why capture it at checkout?

An ABN (Australian Business Number) is an 11-digit identifier for Australian businesses. If you're a GST-registered seller, the ATO requires the buyer's identity or ABN on any tax invoice for a sale of $1,000 or more, and business.gov.au recommends collecting the customer's ABN when they order. Capturing it at checkout means the ABN is already on the order when you invoice, instead of being chased afterwards.

Does Trade Account Checkout verify the ABN is valid or registered?

No. It validates the format — for example that the value is an 11-digit number — using a custom regex pattern. It doesn't look the ABN up against the Australian Business Register. If you need to confirm an ABN is registered and active, the free ABN Lookup (ABR) is the source of truth; the app captures and format-checks the number and stores it on the order.

Does capturing an ABN remove or change GST?

No. Australian domestic business-to-business sales generally still attract GST, so capturing a buyer's ABN doesn't zero-rate or exempt the sale the way an EU cross-border VAT number can. The ABN is captured for your tax invoice, accounting, and records. Trade Account Checkout is a field-capture extension, not a tax engine, and doesn't change how Shopify calculates tax.

Where is the captured ABN stored?

As a pinned order metafield in Shopify admin, visible to your team on every order and readable via the Shopify API — so it flows into your invoicing, accounting, or ERP. Orders are also auto-tagged at checkout so you can filter and export them.

Can I make the ABN field required or opt-in?

Yes. The ABN field can be required or optional, and the whole section can be opt-in — shown only when a buyer ticks a box such as "I'm ordering on a business / trade account" — or always-on. You can also add other fields, such as a PO number, each with its own rules.

Does it require Shopify Plus?

Yes. Checkout UI extensions that add fields inside the checkout are a Shopify Plus capability, so the app requires a Plus plan.

Can it capture a VAT ID or PO number as well?

Yes. The fields are fully configurable, so you can capture an ABN for Australian buyers, a VAT ID for EU and UK buyers, and a PO number — each with its own label and validation — on the same store. See the custom checkout fields guide.

Is Trade Account Checkout a payment method?

No. It's a field-capture checkout extension, not a payment method or gateway. It does not capture, process, or charge payments. Customers complete checkout through your existing payment setup, and the app saves their reference to the order.

Put the ABN on the order,
not on your to-do list

Install Trade Account Checkout and capture a format-validated ABN at your Shopify Plus checkout — pinned to the order, auto-tagged, no theme code, no payment changes.