Prestashop Multiple Currencies and Multiple stores

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Hello all,

 

After weeks of trying to get my head around the way Prestashop deals with currencies in Multistores and not finding any FAQ or "docu for dummies" I thought I'd share my solution here. I would be very grateful if the experts would check this through and correct any inaccuracies! 

 

I have 1 backend with common stock and 3 shops for 3 countries (UK,DE,CZ) (and 3 languages too).

 

After once importing products I found my products in one store were being offered at about 5% of regular price (due to the EUR:CZK being 1:27) so I pulled the store and have been offline ever since, searching for enlightenment.

 

I completely reinstalled Prestashop 1.6.1.4 (default theme) and bought Presta Shop Manager for flexible bulk updates then set about researching a solution.

 

First, set up currencies correctly in the Back-End (Localisation / Currencies):

1. In CONTEXT “All Shops”: Add all 3 required currencies (e.g. £,€, Kč) and IGNORE the exchange rates displayed here. Click on each currency's EDIT to enable it in the individual stores (1, 2, 3).
    
2. Switch CONTEXT to “Shop 1”. Required currencies (eg. £, €) are shown
   click on UPDATE CURRENCY RATES
    
3. Switch CONTEXT to “Shop 2”. Required currencies are shown (€)
   click on UPDATE CURRENCY RATES
    
4. Switch CONTEXT to “Shop 3”. Required currencies are shown (Kč,€)
   click on UPDATE CURRENCY RATES

This enables you to set "nice" prices in the main currency but also for visitors to select other currencies based on daily rates.

 

Importing products.

When products are created or imported Prestashop seems to make 3 copies of everything (or at least the price fields): One for each site.

These can be edited (or updated via StoreManager Import) individually by first changing CONTEXT to your target store.

If a product and price is imported into all stores, this price is copied to all 3 sites in the 3 base currencies. If these currencies are different (e.g. EUR, GBP, CZK) this equates to a product selling for  £10, 10€ and 10Kč instead of e.g. 43,74 €, £34,99 and 612 Kč.

 

 

Solution:

Assuming currencies have been correctly set up as above

After importing general product data (with or without a price) do 3 imports of these columns:

Product ID, Reference, Status, Price (in target base currency, e.g. Kč), Wholesale price

 

And on the last page of the StoreManager IMPORT module select only the SINGLE store for that currency (e.g. CZ).

 

Repeat for the other 2 stores / countries.

 

Advantage of 3 different base currencies: I can enter “psychological” prices (xx,99) in EACH currency without worrying about an exchange rate change messing it up. Updates to prices in EACH store and individual currencies can be made individually in the Back-End or via Presta Store Manager - Mass Product Changer. [Compare this to using 1 common base currency for all 3 sites and converting being done with a daily exchange rate which would mean ugly rounding in user's most important home currency due to daily exchange rate fluctuations).]

 

I wish you all successful shops!

 

Regards,

Barry