Shop software for Grenadian shops
Shopkeepa is simple software for mini-marts, groceries, hardware and beauty supply shops in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. Sell, track stock and see how the shop is doing in EC dollars, with VAT handled as a setting, on the phone or tablet you already have.
Running a shop in Grenada, at a glance
- Currency
- Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD), fixed at EC$2.70 to US$1 since 1976 and issued by the ECCB.
- Sales tax
- Value-added tax (VAT), standard rate 15%. A reduced 10% rate applies to hotel accommodation and dive operations.
- VAT registration
- Required when annual gross standard-rated and zero-rated supplies exceed EC$300,000.
- Returns and records
- Monthly tax period. Records must be kept in Grenada for seven years, and the VAT registration certificate must be displayed where the business trades.
- Tax authority
- Inland Revenue Division (IRD), with branches in Victoria, Grenville, Sauteurs, Gouyave and St. David and a main office at the Carenage, St. George's. Filing and payment run through the online G-TAX portal.
- Islands
- Osprey Lines runs a ferry between Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.
VAT at 15%, certificates and G-TAX
Grenada's standard VAT rate is 15%, with a reduced 10% for hotel accommodation and dive operations and 0% on exports and certain scheduled supplies. A business must register once its annual gross standard-rated and zero-rated supplies pass EC$300,000. An older Ministry of Finance figure of EC$120,000 still appears in some guides, so use the IRD's current figure and confirm it before you act.
Grenada has a few rules that surprise new registrants. A registered business must display its VAT registration certificate where customers can see it, and one adviser guide says a business without the certificate on show is not entitled to charge the tax. Records must be kept in Grenada for seven years. And since January 2024, VAT, PAYE and corporate tax instalments can be filed and paid through G-TAX, the IRD's online system.
In Shopkeepa, VAT is a shop setting. Switch it on at 15% if you are registered, then mark each product as taxable or not. Prices and reports stay in EC dollars. Your searchable sales history gives you the records behind a monthly return. Shopkeepa does not file the return.
Carriacou, Petite Martinique and the ferry
Grenada is three islands under one government. Carriacou and Petite Martinique are served by Osprey Lines, which runs a ferry between Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, and does not run on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day or Good Friday. A shop in Hillsborough or on Petite Martinique restocks differently from one in St. George's or Grenville.
Island shops often buy in larger lots and less often, because every restock is a trip. That makes the minimum quantity per product more important. Set it to cover the time between boats plus a buffer, and a missed day does not mean an empty shelf. See how to set reorder points for a worked example.
Shopkeepa keeps a running count as you sell and receive stock, reminds you once when a product crosses its minimum, and builds a restock list with a suggested order quantity, so your list is ready before the next trip across.
Cash, cards and Tap to Phone
Cash is still the main way to pay in many Grenadian shops, though digital options are growing. Grenada Co-operative Bank offers Tap to Phone for micro and small merchants: you apply to the bank first, then accept contactless payments on a phone. Other banks offer terminals of their own.
The ECCB's DCash pilot included Grenada from the start, but it was shut down in January 2024. Do not plan around it. Shopkeepa records how each sale was paid (cash, card, bank transfer, local wallet or other) so the drawer total is clear when you cash up. It does not process payments.
Hurricanes and power cuts
Grenada sits near the southern edge of the hurricane belt, and a strong storm can close roads and ports for days. Before the season, check stock of the lines you cannot afford to run out of, and keep a charged phone for sales. Shopkeepa is built with unreliable connections in mind, so a short outage should not stop you selling. Count the drawer against the day's sales once things return to normal. The hurricane season shop checklist covers the rest.
Common questions
Does Shopkeepa work in Eastern Caribbean dollars?
Yes. Prices, sales and reports are in EC dollars. Currency is a shop setting rather than something fixed in the app.
Does my Grenadian shop need to charge VAT?
Only if you are registered. The IRD's registration threshold is EC$300,000 of annual gross supplies. Check with the Inland Revenue Division or an accountant for your own case.
Can Shopkeepa file my VAT return on G-TAX?
No. Shopkeepa keeps sales records and reports you can use when you file. Returns are filed and paid by you or your accountant on the IRD's G-TAX portal.
Can a shop in Carriacou or Petite Martinique use Shopkeepa?
Yes, on a phone, tablet or computer. It is built with unreliable connections in mind, and the restock list helps you plan orders around the ferry.
Is Shopkeepa available in Grenada now?
Not yet. Shopkeepa is in development, and Grenadian shops can join the early access waitlist to try it first and help shape it.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked on 6 October 2026. Rules, rates and products change, so confirm anything important with the source.
- Grenada Inland Revenue Division: G-TAX and FAQ (threshold, certificate display, seven-year records, branches)
- Expanship: Sales tax in Grenada (rates, filing deadline, penalties)
- Osprey Lines: ferry between Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique
- Grenada Co-operative Bank: Tap to Phone for micro and small merchants
- ECCB: EC dollar peg at EC$2.70 to US$1.00 since 1976
- CBDC Tracker: ECCU DCash pilot shut down January 2024
Related
A hurricane season checklist for Caribbean shop owners
Plan for the June 1 to November 30 hurricane season: what to stock, how to protect stock and cash, back up your records, and how to write off storm damage properly.
GuideHow to set reorder points so you never run out
Learn the reorder point formula for a small shop: average daily sales times lead time, plus safety stock. A worked example with plain numbers and a checklist.
GuideHow to cash up at the end of the day
A step-by-step end-of-day cash up for small shops: count the drawer, match it to the day's sales, explain any difference and set the float for tomorrow.
CountryShop software for Saint Lucian shops
Selling, stock and low-stock reminders for Saint Lucian shops, priced in EC dollars with 12.5% VAT as a shop setting. Runs on the phone you already own.
FeatureKnow what's in stock without counting shelves
Inventory tracking for small retail. Every sale, delivery, return and loss is kept as a movement, so you can see what is in stock and how it got there.