HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH

How to hire an e-commerce developer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to e-commerce developers, but an online shop must follow consumer and data law. Here are the checks and the questions to ask.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an e-commerce developer in five steps

  1. Pick the platform with the developerHosted platform, open-source cart or custom build: the choice sets cost, speed and who can maintain it later.
  2. Keep every account in your namePlatform, hosting, domain, payment provider and courier accounts, with the e-commerce developer as a user.
  3. Write the shopping journey downProducts, variants, payments, delivery, returns, discounts and links to stock or accounts software.
  4. Get the consumer pages and checkout rightPrices with VAT, delivery costs, cancellation rights and returns, clear before payment.
  5. Run test orders end to endOrder, pay, cancel, refund and return, before launch.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or qualification applies to e-commerce developers in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Your protection is live shops they built, client references and a contract on ownership, scope and support.

Ask for live shops and an owner you can speak to about sales after launch.

Copyright in custom code

Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 custom code belongs to the freelance e-commerce developer until assigned to you in a signed document. Platform software, themes and extensions are licensed by their makers.

Put an assignment of custom code in the contract and list every licensed component. legislation.gov.uk →

The right to cancel online orders

Online sales are distance contracts. Regulation 29 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 lets consumers cancel within the cancellation period without a reason, so the checkout, confirmation emails and returns process must work with that.

Ask how cancellations and refunds will be handled in the shop, and test one before launch. legislation.gov.uk →

Cookies and customer data

PECR requires consent for cookies that are not strictly necessary, and data protection rules require order and account data to be kept secure, with customers told how it is used. Most businesses doing this must pay the ICO data protection fee.

Check the consent banner, the privacy notice and who can access orders, and register with the ICO. ico.org.uk →

VAT

Web development is standard-rated, so a registered e-commerce developer adds 20% to the build, the integrations and the support period; platform and payment fees come from those providers. Registration becomes compulsory once an e-commerce developer has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the e-commerce developer for the VAT number at contract and for VAT on the build fee as its own figure. gov.uk →

“Which e-commerce platform do you recommend for my shop, and why?”

A good answer: A reason tied to your products, volume and budget, and an honest view of the running costs.

“Will the store, hosting and payment accounts be in my name?”

A good answer: Yes. The e-commerce developer works through user accounts you control.

“Who owns the custom code and design?”

A good answer: You, through a written assignment; licensed themes and extensions are listed with their renewal costs.

“How will cancellations, returns and refunds work in the shop?”

A good answer: A process that respects the consumer's right to cancel online orders, built into the order system and tested.

“How will the e-commerce site protect card and customer data?”

A good answer: Payments handled by an established payment provider, no card numbers stored on your server, and restricted staff access.

“What integrations are included: stock, accounts, couriers?”

A good answer: Each one named, with what syncs and how often.

“What support does the e-commerce developer offer after launch?”

A good answer: A snagging period, then an hourly rate or monthly plan for updates and fixes.

Getting the quote right

  • Platform, theme or custom design, and the pages and templates included
  • Who actually attends to the build: the e-commerce developer named, an employed team, or subcontracted theme and app developers
  • Products and variants to be set up, and integrations listed one by one
  • Payments, VAT, delivery and returns configured and tested
  • Third-party costs: platform fees, extensions, payment processing
  • Custom code assigned to you; accounts held in your name
  • Launch date, support period
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% on the build and the support period

Walk away if

  • Wants the platform or payment account in their own name
  • No mention of returns, cancellations or consumer pages
  • Plans to store card details on your own server
  • No test orders or refund testing before launch
  • Cannot show a live shop they built
  • No plan for updates and security after launch
LOW
£2,000
TYPICAL
£5,000
HIGH
£15,000

What an e-commerce developer costs: £2,000–£15,000 per project

E-commerce developers quote a fixed price per project from the platform, products and integrations; platform and payment fees are ongoing costs paid by you. E-commerce Developer price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

E-commerce developers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. DiscoveryProducts, payments, delivery, returns and the customer journey agreed.
  2. Design and buildThe shop designed and built on the chosen platform.
  3. Payments and shippingPayment provider, VAT, delivery options and consumer pages set up.
  4. TestingOrders, cancellations, refunds and integrations tested end to end.
  5. LaunchThe shop goes live, with go-live support and training.

Payment gateway
The service that takes card payments for the shop.
Distance contract
A contract made without meeting face to face, such as an online order; consumers can usually cancel.
SKU
A stock-keeping unit: the code for each product or variant.
Extension
An add-on to the shop platform, usually licensed with a fee.
Headless
A build where the shop's front end is separate from the e-commerce engine behind it.
Abandoned basket
An order started but not paid for, often followed up by email with consent.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the account list and the assignmentEvery login, who holds it, and the signed code assignment, stored by the business.
Watch the first weeks of ordersCheck confirmations, stock levels, refunds and courier labels work with real customers.
Schedule updatesPlatform and extension updates on a calendar, with backups before each one.
Review the jobSay what the e-commerce developer did well and what could be better, once the work is finished. A problem goes through the make-it-right step first, so they can put it right.

STEP 1Set it out for the e-commerce developerA short, dated message works best: the problem, the proof and the remedy you want from the e-commerce developer. Your rights come from the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which requires a trader to use reasonable care and skill and gives you repeat performance or a price cut where they did not.
STEP 2Locufy's make-it-right stepGive the e-commerce developer fewer than four stars and Locufy offers to pass the complaint on first. The make-it-right step is followed through before you publish.
STEP 3Trading StandardsNobody licenses e-commerce developers, so the route is consumer advice: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland. They can refer the e-commerce developer to Trading Standards.
STEP 4A small claim for the moneyFor money the e-commerce developer owes you, the small claims courts handle claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, up to £5,000 through simple procedure in Scotland and up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an e-commerce developer: questions people ask

No. No licence, register or qualification applies in any UK nation.

Online sales are distance contracts, and consumers can cancel most of them under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. The shop must also treat customer data lawfully and get consent for non-essential cookies.

Custom code belongs to the developer until copyright is assigned to you in a signed document. Make the assignment part of the contract.

£2,000–£15,000 per project, with a typical figure of £5,000. Catalogue size, custom features, integrations and a custom design rather than a theme set the price. Read the e-commerce developer price guide for the factors, or search your town above for e-commerce developers nearby.

Usually not. Most shops let the payment provider handle and store card data, which keeps it off your own systems.

Small shops take four to eight weeks; larger builds three months or more.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in marketing, design & tech

How to hire: Shopify ExpertHow to hire: Web DeveloperHow to hire: WordPress DeveloperHow to hire: Web DesignerHow to hire: Software DeveloperHow to hire: SEO SpecialistHow to hire: Google Ads / PPC SpecialistHow to hire: UX / UI DesignerAll 701 hiring guides →

E-commerce developers near you

E-commerce developers in LondonE-commerce developers in ManchesterE-commerce developers in BirminghamE-commerce developers in GlasgowE-commerce developers in BelfastAll e-commerce developers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 90 — assignment in writing
  2. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 29 — right to cancel
  3. ICO — cookies and similar technologies (PECR)
  4. gov.uk — data protection and your business
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  6. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  7. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  8. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  9. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register