If you're an online retailer in the UK you probably want to maximise your market but a lot of retailers don't realise that they do not ship to the British Channel Islands (Guernsey and Jersey) or the Isle of Man as the defaults in some online store software, like Shopify, disables it by default.
I'm not an expert on Jersey or the Isle of Man but here are a few reasons and tips why you should enable Guernsey.
Why bother with Guernsey?
Guernsey is a British Crown Dependency with approximately 63,000 residents who have limited local retail options, making online shopping essential for many products. This is a hungry market and it's so simple to enable you'll wonder why you didn't do it years ago.
Shipping
Postcodes
Guernsey uses the GY postcode area (GY1 through GY9). If you see a GY postcode, you're shipping to the Channel Islands—either Guernsey, Alderney, or Sark. Sometimes they write the country as well but some Guernsey residents are used to selecting UK a lot as so many sites don't have us in the country list at all.
Royal Mail
Royal Mail ships to Guernsey at standard UK rates. That's right—the same price you pay to send a parcel to Manchester or Edinburgh applies to St. Peter Port. There are no surcharges, no international shipping fees. All that's needed is a the usual export CN22 customs (for items under £270) or CN23 for more expensive items (Guernsey has no import duty) and tools like Shopify can generate these automatically anyway!
Royal Mail will hand over to the local Guernsey Post for actual delivery but the systems are integrated so you'll still see status updates on the usual Royal Mail site about delivery etc.
Other Couriers
Several other carriers also service Guernsey effectively:
- DPD - Offers services to the Channel Islands including Guernsey
- Yodel
- Parcelforce (Royal Mail's parcel service) - Reliable for larger items
Other providers like UPS, FedEx and DHL also offer service to Guernsey but they're not a first choice for UK stores unless shipping internationally.
The Shopify Problem (and Solution)
Here's the frustrating part: Shopify excludes Guernsey by default in its shipping zones. When you set up a UK shipping zone, Guernsey isn't automatically included. This means countless Guernsey residents encounter "We don't ship to your location" errors at checkout—costing you sales without you even knowing.
How to Enable Guernsey in Shopify
Fortunately, fixing this is straightforward (thank you Anais for the steps and screenshot!):
- Log in to your Shopify admin
- Go to Settings → Shipping and Delivery → General Shipping Rates
- Click "Add shipping zone"
- Search for "Channel Islands (Guernsey, Isle of Man)" in the list and add it
- Set your shipping rate by choosing Standard UK Delivery if you use Royal Mail
VAT Configuration
Since Guernsey has no VAT, you'll need to ensure your tax settings are correct:
- Go to Settings → Taxes and duties
- Make sure your system recognises Guernsey (GY postcodes) as VAT-exempt
Why Bother?
You might wonder if it's worth the effort for such a small market. Consider this:
- Limited local retail: Many specialty items aren't available locally, driving online shopping!
- No additional complexity: If you're using a setup like Shopify and Royal Mail, there's no extra work
- Untapped market: Many of your competitors aren't shipping there, giving you an advantage!
Final Thoughts
Enabling shipping to Guernsey is one of the easiest market expansions you can make as a UK-based e-commerce business. With no VAT, standard Royal Mail pricing, and a wealthy customer base, it's a missed opportunity for stores that exclude it by default.
Take five minutes to update your Shopify settings (or whatever platform you use), make sure your VAT configuration is correct, and start capturing sales you're currently losing. Your Guernsey customers—and your bottom line—will thank you.
If you need more information our local government has a Working With Guernsey guide.
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