Top 7 legal requirements to sell online

In this post, we’ll highlight some of the most legal requirements needed for legal practices by online stores (legal requirements to sell online for online stores).

First: Terms & conditions

Your transactions should be legally straightforward.

In this regard, a standard set of terms and conditions should cover the vast majority of your transactions.

Thus, you need to Build a legal relationship between you and your customers.

Terms and conditions are essential for protecting your business, and possibly your personal, interests when selling online.

ecommerce guide

However, Store’s Buyers must know that they are entering into a binding contract.

The contract, (Terms and Conditions), should outline the following terms:

  • selling,
  • delivery,
  • shipping,
  • refunds and payments,
  • exclusions of liability, and
  • the choice of law and jurisdiction.

Second: Licenses and Permits

One of the main legal requirements to sell online is to Make sure you have the necessary permits and licenses to sell the products and services you provide to consumers through your online store.

Note: you need to examine the enforced laws and regulations, where this requirement varies based on the country in which you’re located.

So remember this: Do not sell any product that you do not own without first obtaining a permit or license to do so.

Third: IP Rights (Copyright, Trademarks and Patents)

Online stores should, at least, check to make sure that they’re not infringing on other patents or trademarks with their products or business.

make sure to research with the appropriate copyright, patent and trademark organization.

Katey Ferenzi, from bigcommerce website

Fourth: Shipping and Delivery Policy

It is a must for Online stores to have a shipping and delivery policy, the reason of which can be summarized by the following:

  • clarity: by specifying the expected delivery time-frames and costs, and how their packages will be delivered. and
  • protection: where online stores should try to prevent any problems from arising with unhappy customers.

Fifth: Refunds Policy

The purpose of defining a return policy is to increase confidence between the online store and its customers.

Moreover, It also aims to clarify and define the store’s responsibilities in terms of the return mechanism and its costs, and thus avoid any legal obstacles in this regard.

Sixth: Protection Policies

Online stores must work hard on securing and protecting their customers data, in addition to protecting consumers privacy.

Moreover, online stores must comply with online advertising regulations.

Seventh: Age restriction

E-stores must determine the legal eligibility age for consumers who are able to contract with them.

Furthermore, It is always advisable that the nature of the sold goods match the customer’s age.

However, Electronic stores should not collect, in any way, for any reason whatsoever, any information about children under 13.