The direct answer: as of 18 August 2026, Meta's supported-country list for Shops and product tagging covers the United States in full, twelve countries in open beta, and eight with limited functionality. Countries not on that list, including Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, cannot use Shops or product tagging, and that is an absence from a list rather than an announced ban. On top of that, Meta discontinued payment processing for Shops in September 2025, and purchases now happen on the seller's own website. The practical result: selling through Instagram works anywhere, but the checkout happens off Instagram.
1. What Shops and product tagging are
- A Shop: a storefront inside Instagram displaying your product catalogue.
- Product tagging: attaching a product from your catalogue to a post, Story or reel so it becomes a tappable item.
Both require a commerce account with an approved catalogue, and both depend on your country being supported.
2. Supported countries: the three tiers
| Tier | Countries | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Full | United States (excluding US territories) | The complete experience |
| Open beta | Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand | The full Shops and Shops ads experience, though some sellers may not have every capability |
| Limited | Brazil, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, Indonesia | Limited functionality, and sellers cannot run Shops ads |
| Everywhere else | Not on the list | Shops and product tagging are not available for a commerce account located there |
The official page also states that a shop's location is determined by the location of the commerce account it is associated with, which may be based on the country selected at setup, the account creator's location, or other factors. So registering with another country is not a clean workaround, and it can conflict with the requirement to accurately represent your business and domain.
Wording that matters: countries are absent from the list, not explicitly banned. Lists change, so check the official page before making a decision.
3. What changed in September 2025
Meta published that "as of September 2025, Shops on Facebook and Instagram now use website checkout", and that "payment processing has been discontinued for Shops".
What that means even for sellers in supported countries:
- Purchases no longer complete inside the app, they complete on the seller's website.
- Meta no longer processes payments and offers no dispute resolution.
- A website is now a core part of the process rather than an optional extra.
This narrows the gap between you and a seller in a supported country: they are also selling on their own site at the end of the journey.
4. Commerce eligibility: the five requirements
Even in a supported country, the official page requires that you:
- Comply with the policies: Meta's commerce policies and terms.
- Represent your business and your domain: the account accurately represents your business and its website.
- Be located in a supported country. This is where sellers outside the list stop.
- Demonstrate trustworthiness: an authentic account with a sufficient following.
- Provide accurate information: current and correct business information.
It adds one important rule: your listings must be purchasable on your own website.
5. If your country is not on the list: how to sell anyway
The absence of the feature does not mean the absence of selling. This is what works:
A professional account
It unlocks contact buttons, the category label, advertising and Insights. It is the closest thing to "opening a shop" and it is free: professional vs personal accounts.
A catalogue on your own store
An e-commerce platform or a simple site listing products and prices. That is your real shop, and Instagram is the discovery channel that leads to it.
The link
One clear link pointing at the right destination, updated as your current offer changes rather than left on a generic homepage.
Direct messages and the order flow
A large share of Instagram-driven sales runs through messages. Organise the process: fast replies, confirm the specifics, then move to payment on your site or another reliable method.
Advertising
Meta ads operate broadly, and Reels ad placements cover many markets. Details in Instagram Reels ads.
The full operational picture of this funnel is in Instagram marketing for business.
6. If your country is on the list: setup in short
- Switch the account to professional.
- Create a commerce account and a product catalogue through Commerce Manager or your store platform.
- Connect the catalogue to your Instagram account.
- Wait for the eligibility review.
- Once approved, you can tag products in your content.
And note that even after all of that, the purchase completes on your website following the September 2025 change.
7. Common mistakes
- Paying anyone offering to "activate the shop" for an unsupported country. There is no official mechanism to bypass the country list. Anyone claiming otherwise is either registering inaccurate details in your name, which conflicts with the requirement to represent your business accurately, or delivering nothing at all.
- Treating unofficial "requirements" articles as official. Several search results describe setup requirements as if the feature were available everywhere. The only source is the supported-countries page.
- Waiting for the feature instead of selling. Selling through the link and messages works today.
- Having no website. After the September 2025 change, a site is necessary even in supported countries.
- Listing products that are not actually purchasable. The official requirement is that they must be buyable on your website.
8. FAQ
Is Instagram Shop still a thing?
Yes, but it works differently. Since September 2025 checkout happens on the seller's website and Meta no longer processes payments, which makes the in-app storefront far less prominent than it was.
Why is Instagram Shop gone?
Two reasons people run into: it is limited to a published country list, and the in-app checkout was discontinued in September 2025.
How do I have a shop on Instagram?
In a supported country: a professional account, a commerce account and catalogue, and an eligibility review. Elsewhere: a professional account plus a catalogue on your own website, which section 5 covers.
How much does it cost to set up an Instagram shop?
Switching to a professional account is free. The real cost sits in your e-commerce store and in advertising if you use it.
How do I access the Instagram Shop as a buyer?
Through product tags on posts and through a seller's shop tab where the feature is available in that market.
Is affiliate marketing an alternative?
It is a different route entirely: you earn commission on other people's products rather than selling your own: Instagram affiliate marketing.
9. Practical summary
Do not wait for a feature your country is not listed for. Switch to a professional account, build your catalogue on your own store, point the link at the right destination, organise orders through messages, and advertise if you have budget. Do not pay anyone promising to activate a shop, because no official mechanism exists. And remember that a seller in a supported country now completes the sale on their own website too.
The full comparison of revenue routes is in how to make money on Instagram, and the rest of the library is in the Instagram Resource Hub.
10. Official sources
- Supported countries for Shops on Facebook and Instagram (read directly 18 August 2026): the three tiers, the supported-country requirement for product tagging, and that a shop's location is determined by the commerce account's location.
- Recent changes to Shops: "as of September 2025, Shops on Facebook and Instagram now use website checkout", and the discontinuation of payment processing.
- Commerce eligibility requirements: the five requirements, and that listings must be purchasable on your website.
- Professional accounts: contact info, the category label and improved discovery.
- Reels ads placement.
- Meta ads payment methods.