Shopify Prohibited Products: What You Can (and Can't) Sell in Germany

This article is for you if you want to sell care products, supplements, food or other "sensitive" goods via Shopify and want to know which Shopify prohibited products to avoid and what obligations you have in Germany. You get a traffic-light overview by product group, the key rules and a checklist. The overall framework is in our overview Law and taxes for Shopify stores.

Shopify prohibited products: three levels (law, Shopify, payment provider)

Whether you may sell a product is decided on three levels. All three have to fit.

1. The law. Shopify's Acceptable Use Policy puts it briefly: you may not use Shopify for anything that is illegal where you do business. So for you, German and EU law apply, and for deliveries abroad also the law of the destination country.
2. Shopify itself. The policy also prohibits, among other things, products that facilitate intentional self-harm, as well as fraud and spam. According to Shopify, it usually acts at product level first when there is a violation and gives you a chance to correct it. In cases of malicious behavior, however, the entire account can be affected.
3. The payment provider. Shopify Payments runs through a payment service provider in each country, and that provider's list of prohibited and restricted businesses applies. Shopify refers to these lists in the Shopify Payments terms. The payment service provider Stripe (list of restricted businesses), for example, excludes cannabis products, drug paraphernalia, counterfeits, gambling, adult content and unsafe "pseudo-pharmaceuticals". Tobacco, e-cigarettes, weapons and prescription products are only possible with approval.

So a product can be legal and still not work with Shopify Payments. In that case you need a payment provider that accepts your industry. How to add alternative payment methods is covered in the article Setting up Shopify payment methods. Advertising platforms have their own rules as well. Meta, for instance, reviews products under its Commerce Policy. Check this for your category before you budget for Facebook ads.

Product traffic light: what works and what doesn't

The table is a rough guide for merchants in Germany, not an exhaustive list. Green doesn't mean "no obligations", only: normally sellable if you follow the usual rules such as product safety and labeling.

To be honest: weapons, medicines and psychoactive cannabinoids such as HHC are not for a beginner's store, and certainly not for dropshipping. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) explicitly warns of psychoactive effects from products containing HHC. With counterfeits, you face not only a ban but also cease-and-desist letters (Abmahnungen) and damages. More on this in the article Product images, copyright and trademarks.

Selling cosmetics: responsible person, safety report, CPNP

Creams, serums, soaps, hair oils or bath bombs are cosmetic products under the EU Cosmetics Regulation (Regulation (EC) 1223/2009). The BVL summarizes the obligations for online retail (German) as follows:

• Responsible person: A cosmetic product may only be placed on the market in the EU if a responsible person's name and postal address appear on the product. This is usually the manufacturer or importer. The product information file must be available at this address.
• Safety report: The product information file contains a safety report prepared by qualified experts.
• CPNP: Before being placed on the market, the product must be notified in the European Commission's central notification portal.
• Labeling: in accordance with Art. 19 of the Cosmetics Regulation, in German.
• Distributor obligations: Even as a pure reseller, you check labeling, language and the expiry date before selling and don't sell anything that is non-compliant.

If you buy finished branded goods from an EU wholesaler, you mainly have distributor obligations. If you have cosmetics made under your own brand or import them yourself from a non-EU country, you quickly become the responsible person yourself. Then you are responsible for the safety report, notification and labeling. That's why dropshipping cosmetics directly from China can't be done properly in most cases. How to find reputable suppliers with an EU warehouse is covered in the article Finding dropshipping suppliers.

Food supplements and food

Food supplements

Supplements don't need authorization like a medicine. According to IHK Frankfurt (German), however, the manufacturer or importer must notify the product to the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) no later than when it is first placed on the market, submitting a sample of the label (§ 5 NemV (German)). The BVL does not check whether the product is marketable. Responsibility remains with whoever places it on the market. The label must include, among other things, the designation "Nahrungsergänzungsmittel" (food supplement), the recommended daily dose with a warning, a note that the product is not a substitute for a balanced diet, and a note to keep it out of the reach of young children. If a product has a pharmacological effect, it is no longer a food supplement and may be classified as a medicine.

Food and baked goods

If you sell food online, you are a food business operator and must register with the food control authority of your district or city. In addition, the mandatory information, such as ingredients and allergens, must already be on the product page before purchase (Art. 14 of the Food Information Regulation, LMIV). A barcode, on the other hand, is not a legal requirement. You only need one if a retailer or marketplace asks for it. It's best to clarify hygiene, the cold chain and shipping fresh goods directly with your food control authority.

Health claims: what you may promise

This is where most mistakes happen, especially with products from dropshipping catalogs with translated US texts. For food and food supplements, the Health Claims Regulation (Regulation (EC) 1924/2006) applies: health-related claims are only allowed if they are authorized in the EU. Disease-related claims, i.e. that a food prevents, treats or cures a disease, are prohibited. For cosmetics, advertising claims must be substantiated and must not be misleading.

On the question of whether you are responsible for a hair loss product actually working: if you promise an effect, you must be able to prove it. Otherwise the advertising is misleading and can trigger a cease-and-desist letter. A reference to a disease also pulls you into the law on advertising for medicinal products (Heilmittelwerberecht) or even into pharmaceutical law. So phrase your claims closely along the authorized wording, and don't leave customer reviews with healing promises standing as advertising.

Alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes: age verification

You may sell age-restricted goods online, but not to minors. The German Youth Protection Act defines mail-order sales in § 1 (4) JuSchG (German) as sales without personal contact or without technical or other precautions that ensure nothing is shipped to children and young people. For tobacco products and nicotine-containing products, § 10 JuSchG (German) applies: no offering or supplying to minors via mail order. This explicitly also applies to nicotine-free e-cigarettes and e-hookahs.

A pop-up saying "I am over 18" ensures nothing. You need real age verification, for example an ID or database check in the checkout process and shipping with a visual age check on delivery.

Product liability: who is liable if something happens?

Distinguish between two things: warranty (the product is defective, the customer wants a replacement or a refund) and product liability (the product injured a person or damaged another item, such as a rash caused by a cream).

Under the German Product Liability Act (Produkthaftungsgesetz), the manufacturer is primarily liable. According to § 4 ProdHaftG (German), however, the following also count as manufacturers:

• anyone who puts their name or brand on a product and thereby presents themselves as the manufacturer (own brand, private label),
• anyone who imports a product into the European Economic Area for sale,
• any supplier, if the manufacturer cannot be identified and the supplier does not name them or their own upstream supplier within one month of being asked.

For dropshippers, this means: if you have no tangible manufacturer or importer in the EU and can't name them when asked, liability quickly lands with you. If you sell under your own brand, you are liable like a manufacturer anyway.

From December 9, 2026, a new Product Liability Act is due to apply, implementing EU Directive 2024/2853. According to IHK Frankfurt (German), the Bundestag passed it on October 8, 2026, although the legislative process was not yet fully completed at that point. The key points: software explicitly counts as a product, and for manufacturers outside the EU, fulfillment service providers and, under certain conditions, online platforms are also liable on a subordinate basis. The €500 deductible for property damage and the liability cap of €85 million for personal injury are to be abolished. For products placed on the market up to and including December 8, 2026, the old law continues to apply.

Independently of this, the obligations from the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) apply: manufacturer information, the EU responsible person, a product image and warnings in the listing. The details are in the article Making Shopify legally compliant: legal texts and obligations.

Insurance and disclaimers

A liability exclusion in your terms and conditions (AGB) or a disclaimer on the product page does not protect you from product liability. Liability under the Product Liability Act cannot be excluded by contract. What really protects you:

• Business liability insurance with product liability cover. Get confirmation that own brands, imports from non-EU countries and your product group (e.g. cosmetics, supplements) are covered. Many standard policies exclude exactly that.
• Documentation. Invoices, supplier data, safety reports, CE and test documents. With these, you can name the manufacturer if something goes wrong.
• Clean texts. No promises of effects, clear warnings and instructions for use.

Get several quotes and state your product groups honestly. For tax purposes, regulated products are treated the same as others. How to get started is covered in the article Registering a business for your online store.

Checklist before your first listing

• Is the product legal to sell in Germany (and in all countries you ship to)?
• Do Shopify Payments or your payment provider accept the product group?
• Who is the manufacturer, importer or responsible person in the EU? Confirmed in writing?
• Cosmetics: CPNP notification and safety report in place? Supplements: BVL notification done?
• Food: registration with the food control authority, mandatory information on the product page?
• Advertising claims checked: no healing promises, only authorized claims?
• Age-restricted goods: real age verification and suitable shipping?
• GPSR information, warranty label and legal texts complete?
• Product liability insurance confirmed for exactly these products?

Only when everything is ticked off does the product go online. The general launch checklist is in the article Launching your Shopify store.

FAQ

Can Shopify suspend my store if I sell prohibited products?

Yes. According to Shopify, it usually enforces its policies at product level first, i.e. it gives notice and a chance to correct. In cases of malicious behavior or repeated violations, however, the entire account can be affected. Independently of this, the payment provider can deactivate Shopify Payments for your store if your industry is on its exclusion list. So check both before you buy stock.

Am I liable for damage when dropshipping, even though I didn't make the product?

Possibly yes. Under § 4 ProdHaftG, any supplier is liable like a manufacturer if the manufacturer cannot be identified and the supplier doesn't name them within one month. Anyone who imports goods into the EU or sells under their own brand also counts as a manufacturer. So know the manufacturer and EU responsible person of every product and sort out your insurance. Toward the customer, you as the seller are also always responsible for the warranty.

Can I sell used designer bags on Shopify?

Yes, second-hand goods are allowed. Pay attention to three things: authenticity (counterfeits can lead to cease-and-desist letters and damages), an honest description of the condition with your own photos, and the warranty. For used goods, you may shorten the warranty toward consumers to one year, but this must be agreed explicitly and separately. Our app EU Warranty Label GARAN includes a notice for used goods for this purpose. Alternatively, you implement it manually with your legal texts.

Can I sell CBD products with Shopify?

This is one of the riskiest areas. CBD foods and oils are often considered unauthorized novel foods in the EU, products containing THC fall under narcotics or cannabis law, and the payment provider excludes products with THC above the local limit. Without specialized legal advice and a payment provider that explicitly accepts the industry, you should stay away from it.

Can I add an age check to Shopify?

An age-gate pop-up when entering the site can be implemented with an app from the Shopify App Store or with a little theme code. Legally, this isn't enough for tobacco, e-cigarettes or spirits, because it doesn't ensure that nothing is shipped to minors. Combine real age verification in the checkout process with shipping in which the delivery driver checks the recipient's age.

Can I dropship weapons or knives?

For weapons and ammunition that require a permit, clearly no. You need weapons law permits as well as age and permit checks on the buyer, and payment providers only allow weapons with approval. Even for knives that can be sold freely, there are carrying and supply bans for certain types. Because of the legal, payment and advertising risks, the category is unsuitable for beginners.

As of: October 2026. The information on the new product liability law reflects the status of the legislative process in October 2026. This article is not legal or tax advice. Have regulated products reviewed by a specialized law firm before selling them.