Care Provider: Setting Up Your Shop: CareApp Supporting HELF
Written by Georgia Radcliffe
Updated at July 1st, 2026
👋 Ready to set up your CareApp Shop?
You're in the right place!
Welcome! This guide will walk you through the essential steps to set up your store from scratch. We'll cover:
- Accessing the Shop Backend
- Creating Product Categories
- Creating Your Products
- Creating Product Bundles
- Understanding the Order & Delivery Workflow
Simply follow the steps below to complete your shop setup!
Step 1: Accessing the Shop
To access the CareApp Shop backend, you will need to log in to CareApp as a Site Coordinator or a Provider Administrator. These user roles can manage and set up your products, categories, and bundles.
- Log in via CareApp Web
CareApp Web - Navigate to your main menu.
- Click the Shop tab.
Can't see the shop?
The Shop tab will only appear if this feature has been enabled for your provider. Please reach out to CareApp at Hello@careapp.com.au if you have any questions or would like to enable this feature.
Step 2: Creating Your Categories
We recommend setting up your categories before adding individual products.
This creates the primary navigation structure for browsing your shop.
Categorie Examples:
- Activities and Outings
- Everyday Essentials
- Gifts
- Hospitality
- Services
- Bundles
Watch the video!
Step-by-step create a category:
1 — Within the Shop tab, click on the Categories tab.
2 — Click the Create Category button.
3 — In the creation screen, fill out:
- Name: Enter a clear name (e.g., "Everyday Essentials").
- Description: Add a brief description of what fits in this category.
- Image: Add a compelling cover image (this is the visual customers see first).
4. Click Publish to set the category live.
Repeat these steps for all your initial categories.
Step 3: Creating Your Products
Now that your categories are ready, you can begin adding your individual products or services.
1 — Click on the Products tab in Shop.
2 — Click Create Product.
3 — Complete the fields below:
Product Type
- Choose whether this is a One-Off purchase or an Ongoing subscription.
ℹ️ Ongoing products will automatically repeat the charge until the order is cancelled or the customer profile this order is associated with is archived.
Product Details
- Add a Title
- Description and Short Description
Pricing
- Purchase Price — the total price the purchaser will pay, including fees and taxes
- Tax Status — does this product include GST, or is it GST Free?
- Payment Frequency — if it's an ongoing subscription, select how often the customer will be billed (e.g., Monthly)
Add an image
- Upload a clear cover image so customers can easily see what they are buying
Which sites can see it?
- Select the CareApp sites you would like to make this product available at
Who can purchase this product?
- Select the groups that can purchase this product through CareApp
ℹ️ If a role is switched off (e.g., Family), they can still see the product in the Shop but won't be able to purchase it directly. Instead, they'll see an Enquiries button to message the site and request it. A staff member can then process the purchase on their behalf using an Offline payment method (e.g., adding an addendum to their existing contract or payment arrangement).
If the product is enabled for all roles, everyone can purchase it directly through the Shop using their credit card via Stripe.
Categories
- Choose the appropriate category from the dropdown (e.g., Everyday Essentials)
ℹ️If a product is not added to a category, it will not appear on the Shop front.
Tags (optional)
- Add custom tags to highlight facts about the product (e.g., Included in Gold Bundle or Gluten Free)
Delivery Cadence
- Select how often your staff need to fulfil or deliver this item (e.g., Daily, weekly).
Options
These options will change depending on the product type.
- Product is active: switch off to hide this product from the Shop front
- Allow users to leave reviews: let customers add a review after purchasing
- Allow purchase deadline: set a closing date for purchases; great for events or outings with a limited booking window(One-Off purchases only)
- Allow stock control: limit the number of units available for purchase(One-Off purchases only)
4 — Click Create
Step 4: Setting Up Your Bundles
Once your individual products are in your Shop, you can group them together into Bundles. And if you like, you can add custom pricing to give your community a discount for buying in a Bundle.
Bundle Package Ideas:
- Comfort, Hospitality, Lifestyle, Premium, or Wellbeing bundles.
- Tiered pricing bundles (e.g., Blue, Gold, Silver, or Rose Gold bundles).
ℹ️ Products must already be created in your Shop before they can be added to a bundle.
To create a bundle:
1 — Click on the Bundles tab in Shop
2 — Click Create Bundle
3 — Complete the fields below:
Bundle Type
Choose whether this is a Bundled Purchase or a Bundled Subscription
ℹ️ Bundled Purchases can only include one-off products. Bundled Subscriptions can only include subscription products — the available products to select from will automatically match your chosen bundle type.
Details
- Add a Title
- Description and Short Description
💡Pro Tip!
Use Polish with AI to perfect your description!
Select Products
- Click Select Products and choose all the products you'd like to include
- You can select as many products as you need
Pricing
- Purchase Price — the total price the purchaser will pay, including fees and taxes
- Tax Status — does this bundle include GST, or is it GST Free?
- Payment Frequency — if it's a Bundled Subscription, select how often the customer will be billed (e.g., Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly)
Add Some Images
- Upload a clear cover image so customers can easily see what's included in the bundle
Which Sites Can See It?
- Site Selection — if you manage multiple facilities, select which specific sites should have access to this bundle
Who Can Purchase This Bundle?
- Select the groups that can purchase this bundle
ℹ️ If a role is switched off (e.g., Family), they can still see the bundle in the Shop but won't be able to purchase it directly. Instead, they'll see an Enquiries button to message the site and request it. A staff member can then process the purchase on their behalf using an Offline payment method (e.g., adding an addendum to their existing contract or payment arrangement).
If the bundle is enabled for all roles, everyone can purchase it directly through the Shop using their credit card via Stripe.
📖 Family: How to purchase products on CareApp Shop
Categories
- Choose the appropriate category from the dropdown (e.g., Bundles)
ℹ️ If a bundle is not added to a category, it will not appear on the Shop front.
Tags (Optional)
- Add internal tags for grouping or tracking (e.g., Included in Gold Package)
Options
- Bundle is active — switch off to hide this bundle from the Shop front
- Allow users to leave reviews — lets customers add a review after purchasing
- Allow purchase deadline — set a closing date for purchases; great for events or outings with a limited booking window (Bundled Purchase only)
- Allow stock control — limit the number of units available for purchase (Bundled Purchase only)
4 — Click Create
That's it! Your bundle will now be visible in your Products screen where you can manage or edit it at any time.
What's Next?
Your shop is set up and ready to go! Here's what to expect once you're live:
- When will orders start coming in? As soon as a product is set to Product is active and added to a Category, it will be visible in your storefront and available for purchase.
-
When an order comes in... You'll be notified via CareApp email and push notifications. You can also view new orders and order details from the Orders screen. Orders will also appear on your Deliveries page — this is where you'll manage fulfillment and delivery frequency.
- 📖 See more about how to manage deliveries here
- How can a staff member place an order on behalf of a family member? If a staff member's role is enabled under "Who can purchase this product?" (e.g., Site Coordinator), they can place an order on a family member's behalf directly from the Shop Orders screen.
🚀 Time to Launch!
Now that your products are active, it’s time to let your families know!
Check out our Guide: How to Promote Your Care App Shop to Families for a ready-to-use notice template you can copy, paste, and post as a CareApp Notice to get your first orders rolling in.
