Ecommerce Website Development in Nepal: Complete Guide

Putting a product catalogue online is not the same as having an e-commerce website. Many businesses in Nepal already "sell online" through social media (Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram), take orders in comments and DMs, confirm payment through eSewa or mobile banking screenshots, and track everything in a notebook or spreadsheet. That works, up to a point. It breaks down once order volume grows, once a business needs real inventory control, or once a business wants customers to trust it enough to pay upfront instead of only on delivery.

Ecommerce website development is the process of building a website that can actually run that business: showing products, taking orders, accepting payment, tracking inventory, and giving both the customer and the business owner a system they can rely on. This guide is part of our website development in Nepal series. It walks through what the process involves, who actually needs it, how Nepal's payment and delivery environment shapes the build, what a store should include, and how to choose a development company. By the end, you should know what you need, what your real options are, and what to ask a developer before signing a contract.

What Is Ecommerce Website Development?

Ecommerce website development is the work of building a website that lets customers browse products, add them to a cart, check out, and pay, while giving the business owner tools to manage products, orders, inventory, and customers on the back end. It combines several connected pieces, not a single design task.

What Does an Ecommerce Website Include?

At a technical level, an ecommerce website is a connected system rather than just a collection of pages.

The frontend is what customers interact with: the homepage, category pages, product pages, search, cart, and checkout. The backend handles the business logic behind those actions, such as pricing, discounts, order creation, inventory updates, payment verification, and customer accounts. A database stores the information those systems need, including products, variants, SKUs, stock levels, customers, orders, and payment records.

The relationship looks roughly like this:

Customer → Frontend → Backend/API → Database

The backend can also connect the ecommerce system with external services through APIs, such as payment gateways, shipping providers, CRM systems, accounting software, or ERP platforms.

This connection is what makes ecommerce development different from simply designing a website. When a customer places an order, several systems may need to work together: the product must be in stock, the correct price must be applied, the payment must be verified or marked as COD, the order must be created, inventory must be updated, and the customer must receive confirmation.

None of these pieces should be planned in isolation. A beautiful product page is not useful if checkout fails, and a working checkout is not useful if inventory data is inaccurate.

Ecommerce Website vs Business Website vs Social Media Store vs Online Marketplace

Businesses in Nepal often compare these four options without a clear framework. Here is how they actually differ.

None of these is universally "better." A marketplace listing or a social media store can be a reasonable starting point. An ecommerce website becomes the better option once a business needs its own customer data, its own checkout, and a system that does not fall apart as order volume grows.

Who Needs an Ecommerce Website in Nepal?

Ecommerce development tends to make sense for retail businesses, product manufacturers, fashion and clothing brands, handmade and handicraft businesses, home-based food or specialty product sellers, B2B and wholesale suppliers, and established physical stores that want an online channel. It also makes sense for businesses that are already selling through social media but have outgrown manual order-taking, when comment and DM orders start getting lost, or when stock counts stop matching what is actually on the shelf.

When You May Not Need a Full Ecommerce Website

A full ecommerce build is not automatically the right move for every business. It may not be worth it if the product range is very small, if the business is still testing product-market fit and does not yet know what will sell, if the business is primarily service-based with no physical products to check out, if it is running a short, temporary campaign, or if online browsing is enough and formal checkout is not needed yet. In these cases, a simpler business website, a well-run social media page, or a lightweight landing page may serve the business better until it is ready to scale.

Example: A small handmade product business with around 30 products, still figuring out which items sell, may get more value from a simple catalogue page with WhatsApp or Messenger ordering than from a fully custom multi-vendor platform. A growing retailer with thousands of SKUs across multiple warehouses, on the other hand, usually needs proper inventory and order management from day one.

Why Build an Ecommerce Website in Nepal?

An ecommerce website gives a business practical advantages that social media selling and manual order-taking cannot match:

• Wider reach: sell to customers beyond your immediate neighborhood

• Open 24/7: accept orders around the clock, not only during store hours

• A channel you own: build a direct customer relationship instead of depending entirely on a social media algorithm

• Local + digital payments: support eSewa, Khalti, and similar gateways alongside Cash on Delivery

• Centralized control: manage products, stock, and orders in one place instead of across chats and spreadsheets

• Long-term visibility: build search presence that a social media page cannot replicate

It is worth being realistic here: an ecommerce website will not automatically double sales or guarantee results. What it does is give a business the infrastructure to sell online properly, so that when demand grows, the systems can grow with it.

What Makes Ecommerce Website Development in Nepal Different?

Building an ecommerce website for the Nepali market is not the same as building one for a market where card payments dominate, and courier logistics are mature everywhere. A few local realities shape how the site needs to be built.

Digital Payment Options

Nepal's digital payment ecosystem has grown quickly. Industry data drawing on Nepal Rastra Bank figures puts digital payments in Nepal at roughly NPR 98.43 trillion in fiscal year 2024/25, a jump of about 71% from the year before, driven largely by mobile banking, internet banking, and QR-based payments, particularly through Fonepay.

An e-commerce website built for Nepal typically needs to support several local payment methods, not just international cards:

• eSewa: one of Nepal's most widely used digital wallets

• Khalti: a widely used digital wallet and payment gateway

• Fonepay: a QR-based, interoperable payment network

• ConnectIPS: direct bank-to-bank online payment

• Mobile and internet banking: through individual banks

• Cards: Visa/Mastercard, where the business and gateway support them

Which combination makes sense depends on the business and its customers, but supporting at least one or two recognizable local wallets alongside COD is standard practice for Nepali ecommerce sites.

Cash on Delivery

Cash on Delivery (COD) remains a major part of how Nepali customers shop online, especially for first-time buyers who are not yet confident paying upfront to a business they have not bought from before. Supporting COD is not just a checkout option. It affects order confirmation (should a COD order be called or messaged before dispatch), delivery workflow, what happens when a customer refuses the package, how returns are handled, and how the business manages the risk of failed or fraudulent COD orders. A well-built ecommerce site accounts for this instead of treating COD as an afterthought.

Delivery and Logistics

Delivery in Nepal is not uniform across the country, so the website's shipping and order logic needs to reflect how delivery actually works for the business, including:

• Delivery areas: which areas the business actually delivers to

• Shipping charges: flat rate, by zone, or by weight

• Delivery methods: options available inside versus outside the Kathmandu Valley

• Order status and tracking: how customers are kept informed

• Returns logistics: how a returned item physically gets back to the business

A website that assumes nationwide overnight delivery when the business cannot actually offer it creates more customer complaints than it prevents.

Mobile-First Shopping

Most online shopping traffic in Nepal comes from mobile phones rather than desktops. Product pages, search, filters, and especially checkout need to work smoothly on a phone screen with a typical mobile connection. A site that only feels polished on desktop will lose a large share of potential customers.

Local Business Considerations

Beyond payments and delivery, a Nepal-built ecommerce site should get a few basics right:

• Pricing shown clearly in NPR

• Payment methods customers actually recognize and trust

• Visible customer support, such as a phone number, WhatsApp, or chat that actually gets answered

• Realistic delivery expectations stated on the site itself, not just assumed

• Accurate business information: address, contact number, and registration details that build trust with a first-time buyer

What Do You Need Before Building an Ecommerce Website?

A good developer will ask for most of this before writing any code. Preparing it in advance shortens the project and improves the result:

• Business basics: your business model, target customers, and branding

• Products: a product list with images, descriptions, and pricing

• Product organization: how products are grouped into categories, SKUs, and variants

• Inventory: your current stock situation and how you track it today

• Delivery: the areas you deliver to and your shipping charges

• Payments: which payment methods you want to accept, and your COD policy

• Policies: your return and refund policy

• Domain and business information: your domain name and official business details

• Support: how customer support will be handled once orders start coming in

A short set of questions can clarify most of this before the first meeting with a developer:

1. What will you sell?

2. Who will buy it?

3. Where will you deliver?

4. How will customers pay?

5. How will orders be managed day to day?

6. What happens when a customer returns a product?

Essential Features of an Ecommerce Website

Every ecommerce website needs a core set of features. Rather than explaining each in isolation, here is what they do and why they matter:

Product, Variant, and SKU: Why Product Structure Matters

One detail that often confuses first-time store owners is how a single product can turn into many trackable items. A T-shirt might be one product, but each combination of size and color becomes its own variant, and each variant gets its own SKU (a unique product code) with its own price and stock count. For example:

• Black / Small

• Black / Medium

• Black / Large

• White / Small

• White / Medium

Each of these can sell out, get repriced, or go on sale independently. Getting this structure right during development matters, because it is much harder to reorganize a product catalogue after hundreds of orders have already been placed against it than to set it up correctly from the start.

The same structure connects directly to inventory and orders:

Category → Product → Variant → SKU → Inventory → Order

For example, an order for a Black / Medium T-shirt should reduce the stock assigned to that specific SKU, not simply reduce the total stock of the entire product. This becomes increasingly important when a store has many products, sizes, colors, locations, or warehouses.

What Checkout Usually Involves

Checkout is often treated as one step, but it is really a short sequence:

1. Cart review

2. Guest checkout or customer login

3. Customer information (name, contact details)

4. Delivery address

5. Shipping method

6. Payment method

7. Order confirmation

Every extra field or unnecessary step in this sequence gives a customer one more chance to abandon the order. A well-built checkout keeps the flow short, shows progress clearly, and states the final price, delivery time, and payment options plainly instead of burying them.

Checkout is only one part of the larger order lifecycle:

Product selection → Cart → Checkout → Payment/COD → Order confirmation → Fulfillment → Shipping → Delivery → Return or refund

The exact workflow depends on the business. A COD order may require confirmation before dispatch, while a prepaid order needs payment verification before it is treated as paid. Designing these workflows during development prevents manual work and inconsistent order records later.

Advanced Ecommerce Features

Some businesses need more than the essentials above. A small retailer selling from one location does not need multi-warehouse inventory logic, and adding it anyway adds cost and complexity without benefit. These features matter only when the business's actual scale or operations call for them.

Business Operations

• Multi-vendor marketplace setup

• Multiple warehouse or location inventory

• B2B or wholesale pricing tiers

• Advanced inventory workflows

Customer Experience

• Product personalization tools

• Product recommendations

• Subscription-based commerce

• Customer segmentation for targeted offers

Integrations and Technology

As a business grows, the ecommerce website may need to exchange data with other systems rather than operating on its own.

• CRM integration: connects customer and order information with customer relationship management tools

• ERP and accounting integration: connects orders, inventory, and sales data with wider business operations and accounting workflows

• Shipping API integration: connects orders with delivery or logistics systems

• Mobile app integration: allows a later mobile app to use the same products, customers, orders, and backend services

• Automated workflows: trigger actions such as order notifications, stock updates, or marketing messages

• Advanced analytics: provides deeper information about products, customers, orders, and sales

Advanced features should be chosen based on what the business actually requires now or in the near future, not based on what sounds impressive on a feature list.

Ecommerce Platform Options for a Nepali Store

Most ecommerce projects in Nepal are built on WooCommerce, Shopify, or custom development. From an ecommerce point of view, three things matter most: how easily the platform connects to Nepali payment gateways, how well it handles COD and local delivery rules, and whether it can manage your inventory structure.

• WooCommerce: an open-source plugin built on WordPress. It gives full ownership of code and data, and Nepali gateways such as eSewa and Khalti can be connected through plugins or custom integration. Hosting, updates, and security are the business's or developer's responsibility.

• Shopify: a hosted platform that handles hosting, security, and updates for a recurring subscription. Connecting eSewa, Khalti, or Fonepay may require an additional app, connector, or custom integration rather than being available by default, so confirm current compatibility before committing.

• Custom development: built with frameworks such as Laravel, Django, Node.js, or Next.js. It fits stores with complex inventory logic, B2B pricing rules, deep system integrations, or a scale where platform limits start to matter. It needs more time, budget, and an experienced team.

The platform decision should follow the business requirements, not the other way around. For a full side-by-side breakdown of setup, cost structure, ownership, and SEO flexibility, see our CMS and platform comparison for websites in Nepal.

Payment Gateway Integration for Ecommerce Websites in Nepal

A payment gateway connects your checkout to the actual movement of money. The basic flow looks like this:

Customer → Checkout → Payment Gateway → Payment Verification → Order Confirmation

The customer chooses a payment method, the gateway processes it, the payment is verified on the backend, and only then is the order confirmed.

On the development side, this involves:

• Integrating the gateway's API

• Verifying every transaction on the backend, so an order is never confirmed on an unverified payment

• Handling both successful and failed payments

• Building a process for refunds

• Following the gateway's security requirements

• Keeping order status in sync with actual payment status

Gateways like eSewa typically require merchant documentation before integration, including a PAN/VAT certificate, business registration certificate, the business owner's citizenship document, and a bank account with a member bank. Start this paperwork early rather than at the end of the project.

Transaction fees, settlement timelines, and approval requirements vary by provider and change over time, so confirm them directly with each provider rather than assuming.

Not sure which platform and payment setup fits your store? Share your product range and payment needs with the YHHITS team, and we will outline a realistic scope before you commit to anything.

Ecommerce Website Design in Nepal

Good ecommerce design is not just about looking attractive. The real test is whether it helps a customer move through four steps without friction:

Find → Understand → Trust → Buy

A site can be visually polished and still fail at this if navigation is confusing, product information is incomplete, or trust signals are missing. Because most Nepali shoppers buy on their phones, every part of this journey should be designed for a phone screen first, with the desktop version built around it.

Product Discovery

Customers need to actually find what they are looking for. This depends on clear navigation, sensible categories, working search, and filters that match how customers think about the product range (by size, price, type, or use).

Product Page Design

A strong product page combines:

• Clear images

• Visible pricing

• Variant options where relevant (size, color)

• Stock availability

• A useful description

• Delivery information

• Reviews

• A clear, unmissable purchase action

Trust and Transparency

For a first-time buyer who has never ordered from the business before, trust signals carry real weight: clear pricing, honest delivery information, an easy-to-find return and refund policy, visible contact information, and clear indicators that payment is handled securely.

SEO-Friendly Ecommerce Website Development

SEO should be considered during ecommerce development, but development and ongoing ecommerce SEO are not the same thing. The development team's job is to create a technical foundation that allows search engines to crawl, understand, and index the store properly.

Site Structure

An ecommerce website should have a logical relationship between its main pages:

Homepage → Categories → Subcategories → Product Pages

Products should be placed in relevant categories, URLs should be clean and readable, and internal links should help both customers and search engines move between related pages.

Technical Foundation

Important development decisions include:

• Mobile-responsive design

• Fast page loading and good Core Web Vitals

• Crawlable and indexable important pages

• XML sitemap and correctly configured robots.txt

• Canonical URLs where duplicate or similar URLs can occur

• Proper handling of pagination and product variations where required

Ecommerce Page Data

Product and category pages should provide clear information for search engines and users: descriptive page titles and metadata, useful product information, descriptive image alt text, and structured data such as Product and Breadcrumb markup where applicable.

The goal is not to turn the development process into a complete SEO campaign. Keyword research, content strategy, link building, and ongoing search optimization belong to the broader ecommerce SEO process after and alongside development.

Security for Online Stores

An online store handles customer data and payments, so a few security points are specific to ecommerce:

• Payment data: let the payment gateway handle sensitive card details, and avoid storing them on your own server

• Gateway and shipping APIs: use secure, verified connections, and confirm every payment on the backend before marking an order as paid

• Customer data: protect names, phone numbers, addresses, and order history

• COD abuse: flag suspicious or repeat-refusal orders before dispatch

• Staff access: give each staff member only the admin access their role needs

The general basics still apply: HTTPS across the whole site, regular updates, tested backups, and monitoring. No website is completely immune to security risks, so treat security as an ongoing practice, not a one-time setup step. Our guide to website maintenance, security, and performance in Nepal covers those practices in detail.

How an Ecommerce Build Differs From a Standard Website Project

An ecommerce project follows the same broad stages as any website: requirements, design, development, testing, and launch. Our website development process in Nepal guide explains those stages step by step. What an online store adds is a set of steps a normal business website does not have:

1. Catalogue and information architecture: deciding categories, products, variants, and SKUs before design starts

2. Payment and shipping integration: connecting gateways, payment verification, COD rules, shipping charges, and delivery areas

3. Product and inventory setup: loading real product and stock data, not placeholder content

4. Order-flow testing: checking cart, checkout, payment success and failure, COD orders, inventory updates, order status, and notifications on mobile

5. Post-launch operations: ongoing updates as products change, traffic grows, and new requirements come up

Development does not end at launch. A live store needs continued attention in a way a static business website does not.

What Affects the Cost of an Ecommerce Website?

Ecommerce cost is driven more by scope and complexity than by the number of pages or products. A store with 50 products can cost more than a store with 500 if it requires custom pricing rules, multiple payment gateways, ERP integration, advanced inventory management, or a highly customized checkout.

A useful way to think about the relationship is:

Business requirements → Features → Integrations → Development complexity → Project cost

The factors that move an ecommerce quote most are:

• The platform chosen and how much custom design is needed

• The number of payment gateways and how COD is handled

• Shipping rules, delivery zones, and any logistics integrations

• Catalogue size and variant complexity, and who uploads the products

• Third-party integrations such as ERP, CRM, or accounting software

• Ongoing costs: hosting, maintenance, premium plugins or apps, and payment processing fees

When comparing quotes, check which of these each one actually includes. A lower quote that leaves out payment integration, testing, or product upload often costs more once those gaps are filled in later.

This guide does not quote NPR figures, because a 20-product WooCommerce store and a 2,000-product custom platform are not comparable numbers. For price ranges and what a quote should cover, see our guide to website development cost in Nepal.

Legal and Business Considerations for Ecommerce in Nepal

This section provides general information, not personalized legal advice. Exact requirements can vary based on your business structure, products, turnover, and other circumstances. Confirm current requirements with the relevant government authority or a qualified professional before launching.

Business Registration and Tax

An e-commerce business still needs to meet the normal business and tax requirements that apply to its structure. Depending on the business, this can involve:

• Business registration

• Permanent Account Number (PAN)

• VAT registration, where applicable

• Income tax obligations

• Tax-compliant invoicing and records

The Inland Revenue Department administers taxes, while Nepal's applicable tax laws govern specific VAT requirements.

E-commerce Registration

Nepal's E-commerce Act, 2081 (2025) introduced a specific regulatory framework for businesses selling goods or services online.

Online businesses should check their obligations with the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection, including whether their website, social media selling activity, or other online sales channel needs registration under the current rules.

The law also introduced penalties for operating without the required registration. Because requirements can change and enforcement details may develop, verify your current status directly with the relevant authority rather than relying on an old checklist or blog post.

Customer Protection and Store Policies

An ecommerce website should make important customer information easy to find. Depending on the business, this may include:

• Terms and conditions

• Privacy policy

• Return and refund policy

• Cancellation rules

• Delivery information

• Customer support details

• Clear pricing and applicable charges

• Proper invoices or receipts

These policies are not just legal documents. They also help customers understand what happens after they place an order, pay for it, receive it, cancel it, or return it.

Product-Specific Requirements

Some products have additional regulatory requirements beyond the general ecommerce rules. Check whether your product category has additional licensing, labeling, safety, tax, or consumer-protection requirements.

Ecommerce Website Launch Checklist

Before going live, work through this checklist. Treat the compliance items as a starting point rather than a complete legal reference.

Compliance

• Business registration is in place

• PAN/VAT requirements have been checked

• E-commerce registration requirements have been checked

• Tax and invoicing requirements are understood

• Terms, privacy policy, and return and refund rules are published

• Product-specific requirements have been checked

Products

• Product information is complete

• Images are optimized

• Prices are correct

• Variants and stock are configured

Payments

• Payment gateways are connected

• Test transactions work (success and failure)

• COD rules are configured

Website

• Contact information is correct

• Mobile experience works

• Navigation and search work

• Checkout works end to end

Technical

• HTTPS is enabled

• Sitemap is available and submitted

• Robots.txt is configured

• Analytics is installed

• Backups are configured

Testing

• Test orders completed

• Order and payment notification emails tested

• Delivery information verified against real capability

How to Choose an Ecommerce Website Development Company in Nepal

Once you understand what you need, choosing the right development partner comes down to a few practical checks.

• Check their ecommerce portfolio. Look for genuine ecommerce experience, not just general website work.

• Check their technical expertise. Understand what platforms and technologies they actually work with, and how deep that experience goes.

• Ask about payment integration. Have they integrated eSewa, Khalti, or similar gateways before, and do they understand COD workflows?

• Review their UI/UX process. Do they design around the customer journey, or just hand over a template?

• Ask about SEO-friendly development. Is the technical SEO foundation covered in the build itself?

• Understand their security practices. What do they do by default, and what is left to you?

• Ask about scalability. Can the site handle growth in products, traffic, and orders without a rebuild?

• Clarify code and data ownership. Who owns the source code and the customer data once the project is delivered?

• Understand hosting and maintenance. What is included, what costs extra, and for how long?

• Check communication and support. How do they communicate during the project, and what does support look like after launch?

The cheapest quote is not automatically the best value. A low price that skips testing, documentation, or post-launch support often costs more in the long run through bugs, downtime, or the inability to make changes later.

Before committing, ask directly:

1. What exactly is included in the quote?

2. Who owns the website and source code?

3. What happens after launch?

4. Can the website scale as my business grows?

5. How are payment failures handled?

6. Can I add new features later?

A development company that answers these clearly is generally a safer choice than one that avoids specifics.

Why Choose YHHITS for Ecommerce Website Development?

YHHITS approaches ecommerce development from a perspective that goes beyond writing code: understanding how product discovery, navigation, checkout, and order management connect to how a real business operates day to day. A checkout that looks fine in a demo can fail in practice if it does not match how a business actually confirms COD orders, manages delivery zones, or handles returns.

Our team has worked on ecommerce projects including Yes Helping Hand, a Pokhara-based social enterprise that sells handmade cashmere products, painting, cushions, rugs, and wall hangings, and Gifty Point, a product-based ecommerce store. Working on stores like these means dealing directly with the practical realities covered in this guide: organizing a real product catalogue, setting up local payment options, planning for COD, and building an admin experience that a non-technical business owner can manage without needing a developer for every small change.

We do not claim to be the biggest or cheapest ecommerce developer in Nepal. What we bring is a grounded understanding of ecommerce from both the development side and the operational side of running an online store. If you are evaluating whether to build an ecommerce website, which platform fits your business, or what a realistic project scope looks like, our team is available to walk through your requirements and put together a clear, honest proposal

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Should I sell on Daraz or build my own ecommerce website?
They don’t exclude each other. A marketplace gives you existing traffic but controls fees, rules, and the customer relationship. Your own store gives you branding and customer data, but you bring the traffic. Many sellers test demand on a marketplace, then build their own store for repeat customers.

2. Is a Facebook or Instagram page enough to sell online?
It’s fine for starting. Once orders in DMs get lost, stock stops matching, or customers want to pay upfront, you need a website. It gives you your own checkout, customer data, and search visibility, which social platforms don’t.

3. Can I sell internationally from a Nepal-based ecommerce website?
Yes, but check three things first: which payment gateways your business qualifies for, your shipping options, and customs and export rules for your product. Confirm these with the gateway and courier before the build, not after launch.

4. Can my online store support Nepali and English?
Yes, but plan it from the start. Language versions affect URLs, product content, checkout text, and SEO setup. Adding a second language to a finished store usually costs more than building it in.

5. Can I upload many products at once?
Most platforms support bulk import through CSV or spreadsheet files. On custom builds, it depends on what was developed, so include bulk upload in your requirements if you have a large or frequently changing catalogue.

6. Can I manage the store myself without a developer?
For daily tasks, yes: adding products, changing prices, processing orders, and updating stock. Ask for an admin walkthrough at handover. Structural changes and new features still need a developer.

7. How do I reduce fake or refused Cash on Delivery orders?
Confirm each COD order by call or message before dispatch. Limit COD on high-value orders or for customers with past refusals, and offer a small incentive for prepaid orders. Your store can flag repeat refusals before dispatch.

8. What happens if a customer pays but the order doesn’t go through?
A properly built store verifies every payment on the backend and matches it to the gateway’s transaction record. If a payment succeeds but the order fails, you can find it in the records and either complete the order or refund it. Ask your developer how this is handled.

9. Can I connect my Facebook or Instagram shop to my website?
Often yes, through product catalogue or feed integrations, but the setup depends on your platform and Meta’s current requirements. Confirm before committing. A good setup keeps social media for traffic and your website for orders and stock.

10. Can my website stock stay in sync with my physical shop or a marketplace?
It’s possible through integrations or custom development, depending on your tools. Without syncing, you risk overselling items that are already sold elsewhere. Tell your developer about every channel you sell on during planning.

11. Who owns the website, source code, and customer data?
It depends on your contract, so settle it before you start. Ask who owns the source code, hosting account, domain, and customer database, and what you receive if you change developers later.