Create your store
On this page
Creating a Kartlo store takes two parts. First you sign up at kartlo.app/get-started, where you name your store, pick a plan and create your account. Then, inside your desk, a short guided setup walks you through your first product, menu, payments, delivery and return policy before you open the store to the public.
Your storefront stays private until you open it yourself, so you can set things up at your own pace.
Sign up#
The sign-up page is called Create your store and has three steps: Your store, Account and Payment. You can go back to an earlier step at any time before you submit.
To start:
- Go to
kartlo.app/get-started. - Complete each of the three steps described below.
- On the last step, click Create My Store (Launch plan) or Subscribe (paid plans).
When your store is ready you see Welcome to Kartlo! and are taken to your desk. A confirmation email is sent to the address you signed up with.
Step 1: Your store#
Under Tell us about your store, fill in:
- Store Name: the name shoppers see. You can change it later.
- What do you sell?: start typing and pick the closest category.
- Country: where your business is based. It sets your currency and regional defaults.
Under Your plan, choose Annual or Monthly billing and pick a plan. The free Launch plan is always available. Use Compare plans in full to see every plan side by side.
Step 2: Account#
Under Create your account, either continue with Google or Apple, or use your email:
- Enter your First Name, Last Name and Work Email.
- Under Verify your email, request the code, then type the 6-digit code from your inbox. You see Email verified when it matches.
- Choose a password. It needs at least 8 characters with an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, a number and a special character.
- Add your phone number and a Store Email (reply-to): the address shopper replies go to.
- If a Kartlo partner referred you, enter their code in the partner code field.
- Click Continue to Payment.
Step 3: Payment#
Under Payment details, enter your card in Card Information. The card is validated at sign-up. On the Launch plan nothing is charged: the card is checked with a $1 hold that is cancelled straight away. On a paid plan the first period is billed today and then renews automatically until you cancel.
On a paid plan you can enter a Discount code (optional) before you subscribe. The discount is checked straight away and shown on your summary.
Accept the terms and privacy policy when asked, then click the button to create your store.
Your store address#
Every store gets a free web address in the form yourname.kartlo.app, made from your store name when you sign up. If that name is taken, a number is added. Your store starts on the default theme and takes Cash on delivery; you can change the address, theme and payment methods any time from your desk.
- When you change it, use 3 to 32 lowercase letters, numbers and hyphens.
- It cannot start or end with a hyphen, or contain two hyphens in a row.
- Some words are reserved, and an address that was used before is not given out again.
Your store address appears in SettingsStores. To use your own domain instead, see Custom domains.
Guided setup#
The first time you reach your desk, Kartlo shows Before you open and the Set up your store checklist. Click Start setup to go through it. Each step opens the right tool in a side panel, and ticks itself off when you finish.
| Step | What you do |
|---|---|
| Arrange your menu | Build your storefront menu from your product categories or from collections. On a phone or tablet a short guided flow does it for you; on a computer you drag items in, rename them, and the links follow. |
| Add your first product | Add a photo, a name and a price. Kartlo files it into a collection for you. |
| Set up payments | Take cards through Stripe, or open with cash on delivery and add cards later. |
| Set up delivery | Charge a delivery fee or offer free delivery, and let customers pick up if you like. |
| Set your return policy | Accept returns within a window you choose, or declare final sale. Shoppers see it before they pay. |
| Verify your business | Only shown where business verification applies. Upload your business documents for Kartlo to check. |
| Open your store | Make your storefront public and remove the password. |
Use Skip this step to move on, or Skip for now to close the checklist and look around your desk. To come back to it, click Continue setup on the setup card on your desk.
Add your first product#
The first product step opens a short guided form. Choose Draft from photo to let Kartlo suggest a title, category and price from a product photo, or Add manually to type the details yourself. Check the draft before you save it.
For everything else about products, see Add products.
Open your store#
To make your store public:
- Go to the Open your store step.
- Click Open my store.
- When you see Your store is live, click Enter myDesk.
You can also click Go to Design Studio first to adjust your theme. See Design Studio and Storefront password.
Business verification#
Business verification is switched off for now, so new stores go live without it. Your card gateway and your courier still check your trade licence themselves when you connect them. If Kartlo switches verification on, stores based in the United Arab Emirates start in test mode until they are approved, and a banner at the top of your desk says so.
To verify your business:
- Open SettingsBusiness and click Verify your business, or use the Upload documents button in the guided setup.
- Confirm it is you. Kartlo emails you a 6-digit security code, or asks you to sign in again with Google. This confirmation lasts 10 minutes.
- Work through the steps: Business type, Business details, Store details, Authorised signatory and, for companies, Owners and Directors and managers.
- Upload the documents asked for, such as your trade licence, MOA, tax certificates and the signatory's Emirates ID. Files must be PDF, JPG or PNG.
- On Review and submit, fix anything listed, then click Submit for verification.
Click Save and continue on each step to keep your progress. When everything is ready, use Send for review in the test mode banner to ask Kartlo to take the store live.
Verification status#
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Sent for review | Your documents are with the Kartlo team. You can keep editing your store while you wait. |
| Changes needed | Kartlo asked for more information. Open the verification, fix what is listed and click Fix and send again. |
| Verified | Your business is verified. Your trade licence number is shown in your online store footer. |
| Expired | A licence or ID on file has expired. Send the renewed document to stay verified. If it is not renewed in time, your online store is paused; your desk keeps working. |
Where your documents are kept#
Business documents and the personal details you enter during verification are stored encrypted in your own country. Only admins of your store and the Kartlo review team can open them, through short-lived secure links.