Shopify bans vapes: what has applied since July 2026

In short: in June 2026 Shopify decided to ban the sale of all vaping products, including e-cigarettes, on its e-commerce platform. Snustrend has significantly reduced its vape range. You can still buy vapes and liquids from our partner dampfwelt.ch.

Important: this is a platform decision by Shopify – not a general Swiss sales ban on all vapes. Switzerland does, however, have its own product, sales and advertising rules; certain non-compliant devices may already not be sold today.

As of 2 September 2026. This article will be updated if Shopify publishes further publicly available details.

Update: you can read about the latest developments, including Snustrend's move to its own shop system, in the article Shopify bans vapes: what the ban means and why Snustrend is moving.

The key facts at a glance

Point	What is currently known
Decision	Shopify has decided to ban the sale of vape products on its e-commerce platform.
Timeline	According to Reuters, the merchant notice confirmed by Shopify is dated 24 June 2026; the deadline it set expired on 8 July 2026.
Scope	According to the available communications, all vape products are covered, explicitly including e-cigarettes.
Possible consequences	According to Reuters, the notice confirmed by Shopify mentioned product blocking or termination of the shop in case of non-compliance.
Classification	This is a Shopify platform rule and not a general government ban on all vapes in Switzerland.

What has Shopify changed about selling vapes?

In June 2026 Shopify decided to ban the sale of all vaping products, including e-cigarettes, on its e-commerce platform. This was confirmed in official communications by, among others, the attorneys general of California and Hawaii. Such products are often referred to by the abbreviation ENDS.

The message was not a non-binding recommendation. According to a merchant notice confirmed by Shopify and reported by Reuters, e-cigarette products were to be removed by 8 July 2026. Possible consequences of non-compliance included blocking of the affected products or termination of the shop.

The deadline mentioned in the notice seen by Reuters has therefore already passed. If vape products are still visible in a Shopify shop, that does not automatically mean they will be supported permanently. What matters is the specific notice in the respective Shopify admin and the current classification of the products.

Shopify's publicly available Acceptable Use Policy does not mention the vape deadline separately. It does, however, state that merchants must comply with applicable law and additional platform rules. Shopify also describes there that conflicts are, where possible, first resolved at product level and that account-level measures may follow in appropriate cases.

Which products are affected?

The official communications from the US authorities involved refer to all vaping products including e-cigarettes. According to the notice described by Reuters, Shopify uses the umbrella term ENDS. E-cigarettes and vapes are therefore clearly covered. E-liquids and directly related refill products are also likely to fall under this broad category. A publicly accessible Shopify page with a definitive product list cannot currently be found.

The authorities' communications do not distinguish by nicotine content. For nicotine-free vapes and borderline cases – such as universal batteries or multi-purpose accessories – the public sources are not detailed enough for a blanket statement. What is binding is the classification in the Shopify admin or a direct communication from Shopify.

At the same time, the rule does not mean that Shopify has banned all nicotine products across the board. Snus and nicotine pouches are not electronic nicotine delivery systems and are not mentioned in the ENDS decision. Other laws, payment rules or sales channel requirements may, however, apply to them.

Why did Shopify make this decision?

The immediate background lies in the USA. In November 2025 a bipartisan coalition of 25 attorneys general, together with New York City, called for stronger action against the online sale of unauthorised e-cigarettes. In June 2026 several authorities publicly welcomed Shopify's decision.

The Attorney General of California and the Attorney General of Hawaii stated that Shopify had opted to ban all vaping products on its e-commerce platform. According to Reuters, a spokesperson for the California Attorney General said the decision applies worldwide. However, there is no public Shopify list of countries.

It is important to put this correctly into context: the political pressure arose mainly from problems with illegal offerings on the US market. The authorities, however, describe Shopify's decision without restricting it to particular authorised or unauthorised devices.

Platform rule or legal vape ban?

The Shopify vape ban is a rule set by the platform operator. It does not automatically make all vapes illegal in every country. Whether a product may be sold, advertised, imported or shipped also depends on the law of the respective country and market.

For Switzerland, two developments therefore need to be distinguished:

Shopify can decide which products may be offered via its technical platform.
In addition, Swiss federal law and, where applicable, stricter cantonal regulations apply.

Swiss regulation of e-cigarettes is a separate topic. The Federal Office of Public Health (in German) points out, among other things, the 2 ml limit for disposable e-cigarettes and disposable cartridges. According to the FOPH, certain hybrid devices, also known as "Big Puffs", do not meet the legal requirements and may not be sold.

What does the change mean for Snustrend?

Snustrend has significantly reduced the vape range in its Shopify shop. You can still buy vapes and liquids from our partner dampfwelt.ch. As a result, some Snustrend product pages may no longer be accessible, may appear as unavailable or may disappear from the navigation.

Three points are particularly important for you:

What the shop shows is decisive: if an item is no longer visible or can no longer be ordered, it cannot be bought via the Shopify shop.
The change does not automatically affect the entire range: products outside the ENDS category are not covered across the board by this specific Shopify decision.
Availability may change: we update product pages and information as soon as new binding information is available.

The short deadline and the limited public documentation so far have understandably raised questions. Snustrend is adapting the affected offers in line with the rules and openly explains why the range is changing. The new requirement should neither be played down nor presented as a general government vape ban.

What applies to existing orders?

A deactivated product page does not automatically tell you how an order that has already been placed will be handled. What matters is your order confirmation and any direct message from Snustrend. If you have questions about an open order, please contact our customer service with your order number. That way your specific case can be checked, without us making blanket promises here that don't fit every order.

Shopify, Shopify Payments and the Shop app: three different levels

Several rules around Shopify are easily confused. According to the confirmed notice to merchants, the current decision concerns the sale of vape products via the Shopify platform. In addition, there have long been separate requirements for individual services:

Area	What the rule covers	Classification
Shopify platform	Sale of vape products via the Shopify shop	The new decision confirmed in June 2026
Shopify Payments	Payment processing for certain regulated product groups	Separate eligibility check
Shop app and Shop channel	Additional rules for products in the Shop sales channel	Age-restricted goods are excluded there separately

Choosing a different payment provider does not change a separately applicable Shopify platform rule. Likewise, an earlier restriction in the Shop app does not mean that a product was already banned in the entire online shop at that time.

Your next step: do you have a specific question about your order? Then contact Snustrend support and have your order number ready. This article is for information only and is not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Has Shopify banned vapes?

Yes. In June 2026 Shopify decided to ban the sale of all vaping products, including e-cigarettes, on its e-commerce platform. This is confirmed by official communications from the attorneys general of California and Hawaii.

Since when has the Shopify vape ban applied?

According to Reuters, the merchant notice confirmed by Shopify was sent on 24 June 2026 and set 8 July 2026 as the deadline for removing e-cigarette products. This deadline has already passed.

Does the rule also apply to Shopify shops in Switzerland?

Reuters reports, citing a spokesperson for the California Attorney General, that Shopify's decision applies worldwide. There is currently no public Shopify page with a detailed list of countries. For Snustrend, the direct Shopify communication and the classification in the admin are therefore decisive.

Are nicotine-free vapes also affected?

The public communications from the authorities do not distinguish by nicotine content. Whether Shopify covers a specific nicotine-free product is determined bindingly by the communication or classification in the Shopify admin.

Are snus and nicotine pouches affected too?

The specific ENDS decision relates to electronic nicotine delivery systems and does not mention snus or nicotine pouches. However, all separate legal, payment and sales channel rules continue to apply to these product groups.