Short answer
The Consumer Act of the Philippines (Republic Act 7394) is the country’s principal consumer protection law. It covers product quality and safety, labelling and price tags, warranties, consumer credit, and deceptive, unfair or unconscionable sales practices. The Department of Trade and Industry enforces most of it and handles consumer complaints.
Also called: RA 7394, Philippine consumer protection law
For anyone selling online, the provisions on deceptive and unfair sales acts are the ones that bite. Claims about what a product is, what it does, where it came from, or a discount from a price never actually charged are the standard examples. The rule is simple to state and easy to break by accident: the marketing has to describe what the customer will actually receive.
The Act predates online retail, and the Internet Transactions Act passed in 2023 extended oversight specifically to e-commerce, including online merchants and marketplace platforms. Read together they point at the same checklist for a shop: accurate product information and prices, published terms covering delivery, returns and refunds, a working route for customers to raise a complaint, and a business identity a buyer can verify. Which specific obligations apply to a given seller is a question for counsel rather than for a glossary.
Common questions
What does an e-commerce site in the Philippines need to disclose?
Consumer protection rules turn on accuracy and disclosure: product descriptions and prices that match what is delivered, clear terms for delivery, returns and refunds, and an identifiable seller a buyer can contact. Further obligations may apply depending on what you sell and how you sell it. Treat this as general information and confirm your own requirements with a professional.
Where this comes up in our work
Related terms
E-Commerce Act (RA 8792)
The Electronic Commerce Act of 2000 (Republic Act 8792) is the Philippine law that gives electronic documents, data messages and electronic signatures the same legal recognition as their paper equivalents.
Payment Gateway
A payment gateway is the service that carries a customer’s payment details from a checkout to the institutions that authorise and settle the money — card networks, banks, e-wallets.
Data Privacy Act of 2012 (RA 10173)
The Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act 10173) is the Philippine law governing how organisations collect, store, use and share personal information.
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