CO₂e stands for carbon dioxide equivalent. It is a standard unit used to measure the climate impact of different greenhouse gases in a consistent way. While CO₂ refers only to carbon dioxide, CO₂e includes carbon dioxide as well as other greenhouse gases, allowing impact to be communicated clearly and comparably to customers.
The carbon footprint shown at checkout is estimated based on the industry and the amount spent. ekko uses standardised industry classifications, known as Merchant Category Codes (MCCs), which are assigned to each transaction. These codes provide access to reliable, sector-level emissions data, which is combined with the transaction value to calculate the CO₂e estimate displayed to customers.
Reducing emissions through behavioural change is always the priority where possible. When this is not feasible, compensation allows customers to take responsibility for their remaining impact by supporting certified projects that remove, reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions. ekko enables this in a simple, transparent way at checkout.
Impact comparisons such as “as much as a tree can capture in a month” or “what a solar panel can avoid in a day” are designed to help customers understand their contribution in practical terms. These nature-based equivalents are based on scientific estimates from trusted sources. They are not exact measurements, but clear reference points that help make climate impact tangible and easier to communicate.
ekko works with trusted organisations to ensure every contribution drives real, measurable impact. Our network spans global leaders and grassroots initiatives, covering climate action, biodiversity, and pollution reduction.
Our Shopify checkout app supports Gold Standard for carbon credits and RSPB, Tusk and Conservation Collective for contributions.
Setup requires a few simple steps:
That’s it — your customers will now see the carbon footprint of their order and can choose to take climate action directly at checkout.
An MCC (Merchant Category Code) is a classification used by the card payments industry to describe what a business sells. Every merchant that accepts cards has one, assigned by their payment processor.
How does ekko use it?
We use your MCC to estimate the carbon footprint of each customer order. Different industries have very different carbon footprints per unit of sales, so knowing your category lets us give customers a meaningful estimate. The MCC maps to sector-level emissions data, which we multiply by the order value to get the footprint you see at checkout.
The estimate is at the category level, so it captures the shape of your industry rather than the exact specifics of your products. It's a reliable working estimate, not a precise measurement.
How do I pick the right one?
Look for the option that best matches what you sell. The list is grouped by category (Apparel & fashion, Home & garden, Food & drink and so on) so you can jump to yours quickly.
If nothing fits exactly, pick the closest match. The estimate is category-level, so close is good enough. An activewear brand choosing "Sports Apparel Stores" instead of "Family Clothing Stores" will produce almost the same footprint.
If you sell across a few categories, pick the one that reflects most of your sales.
Can I change it later?
Yes, any time from your ekko dashboard. Changes take effect for new orders - past contributions stay as they were, since your customers already saw and agreed to the amount when they contributed.
Yes. The ekko climate action app uses Shopify Cart Transform functionality, which is currently only available for Shopify Plus stores.
ekko uses Shopify’s Cart Transform functionality. Shopify allows only one app to use cart transforms at a time. We check for conflicts during setup and will let you know if there is an issue.
No. Adding ekko to your checkout does not require any coding or developer support. The setup process is guided and takes just a few minutes.
Yes. Merchants can remove ekko from their checkout at any time and the experience will no longer appear until you add it back.
To uninstall the app, simply remove the app in your Checkout Customisation options and remove the ekko product from your product catalogue. Either action means the app will no longer appear in your checkout flow.
ekko sits directly within your existing checkout. Merchants can control where it appears and move it up or down using Shopify’s native checkout controls.
No. ekko is embedded within the existing checkout flow and does not introduce any additional steps or pages.
Yes. ekko is built using Shopify’s Checkout Extensibility framework, so the experience runs natively within Shopify checkout and follows Shopify’s performance, security and UX standards.
Yes. ekko is built using Shopify’s Checkout Extensibility framework and works seamlessly with Shopify’s One-Page Checkout experience. This can be enabled during setup.
No. ekko is built to meet Shopify’s checkout performance requirements and is designed to have no impact on checkout speed or conversion. The call is asynchronous and does not block the buyer’s journey.
No. ekko does not alter Shopify’s payment flow. Payments are processed as normal through Shopify checkout, with an optional contribution added to the order. All payment methods supported by Shopify continue to work as expected.
If a customer chooses to contribute, the contribution appears transparently in the checkout and order summary as one or two additional line items. Depending on the customer’s selection, this may include Climate action, a Round up or both. If no contribution is selected, no additional line items are added.
Yes. ekko works alongside subscription products and recurring orders without affecting subscription checkout flows. Customer contributions are always optional and made at checkout.
We currently support the following languages: English, Portuguese, German, French, Arabic, Italian, Spanish, Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian. If you require additional language support, please get in touch with us at stores@ekko.earth.
We can support any currency. ekko works with the currencies configured in your Shopify store.
Yes. ekko integrates with Shopify Markets and respects the market configuration in your store.
Yes. ekko works with Shopify’s native checkout and Markets controls, allowing merchants to enable or disable the checkout experience by market or region using Shopify settings.
Shopify requires a monthly spending cap to be set for each app. This cap applies to the amount billed to you via Shopify. Customer contributions are collected by you at checkout, and there are no upfront costs. Each contribution includes a small service fee that is shared between ekko and your business.
To avoid interruptions to the checkout experience, we recommend setting the cap high enough to comfortably cover expected contribution volumes. If the cap is reached, ekko will no longer appear in checkout until the cap resets at the start of the next billing period or the cap is increased.
If a customer requests a refund for their purchase, the contribution they made through ekko does not need to be refunded — many customers are happy for their contribution to stand. If the customer does want their contribution refunded, you should process the refund for the original purchase as normal and include the contribution amount in the same refund. Then, in the ekko app, mark the refunded transaction so that ekko removes it from your monthly billing.
Yes. ekko is designed to be GDPR compliant. It does not store or process customer payment details or personal data. Payments are processed entirely through Shopify checkout and ekko is billed to the merchant monthly via Shopify. To calculate sales tax accurately, ekko accesses limited location information for the merchant and the customer. No payment credentials are stored.
ekko products in your catalogues are set up as tax exempt. The tax liability is on ekko and priced into the amounts you see.
For any questions or support, contact the ekko team at stores@ekko.earth.
Can't find what you're looking for? Email stores@ekko.earth.