- Short answer
- Yes, once SMS and WhatsApp opt-ins are both on: set WhatsApp regions in Settings > Checkout, and every other region gets the SMS box.
- Where
- Settings > Checkout > Marketing opt-in > Show WhatsApp instead of SMS checkbox based on region.
- What you edit
- Only the WhatsApp column; the SMS column updates automatically and can't be edited directly.
- Region modes
- Regions recommended by Shopify or Regions you choose; pages we read on Sep 30, 2026 don't list the recommended regions.
- United States
- WhatsApp marketing can't reach US customers; pages we read on Sep 30, 2026 don't say what the switch does there.
- When consent saves
- Only after the customer submits the checkout.
Where do you pick WhatsApp regions at checkout?
If both SMS and WhatsApp marketing opt-ins are activated, you can choose which regions each option displays for at checkout, per Shopify's contact-information help page.
In Settings > Checkout, under Marketing opt-in, open Show WhatsApp instead of SMS checkbox based on region, set regions in the WhatsApp column, the only one you edit, click Done, then Save.
The SMS column displays all other regions that weren't selected when you edited the WhatsApp regions. This column updates automatically from your WhatsApp regions, and you can't edit it directly.
Regions recommended by Shopify or regions you choose?
Pick Regions you choose and tick regions from a checklist, or pick Regions recommended by Shopify, "Shopify's default recommendations." No Shopify page we read on September 30, 2026 — contact information, checkout form options, WhatsApp setup and requirements, the Shopify Messaging overview — lists the recommended regions.
A separate email setting uses the same two names to decide where the email box is preselected.
WhatsApp marketing messages can't be sent to customers in China, Crimea, Cuba, Donetsk, Iran, Luhansk, North Korea, Syria, or the United States, per Shopify's pricing and requirements pages — a limit on where WhatsApp campaigns can go.
The pages we read on September 30, 2026 — contact information, checkout form options, WhatsApp setup, requirements and pricing — don't say whether the region switch blocks the United States or warns when it is selected.
What else does WhatsApp consent at checkout need?
Shopify added WhatsApp marketing consent at checkout on September 10, 2026 (changelog); to collect it, you turn on the WhatsApp marketing opt-in. Separately, before you can create a WhatsApp marketing campaign, you connect a WhatsApp Business Account.
Collecting phone numbers at checkout also requires the SMS checkout option and a terms of service and privacy policy, per Shopify's phone-collection steps; then select Checkout only for SMS or WhatsApp. A preference is saved only after the customer submits the checkout.
This article was written entirely by AI under human editorial direction. The editor sets the topic and structure, runs multi-stage validation on facts, links, and interactive elements, and verifies the output is useful from a business perspective. All claims are checked against official Shopify sources. Details may change — always confirm critical data at shopify.com.
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