Terms and conditions for e-commerce - what you need to know
Setting up terms and conditions can be difficult, especially if you've never run an e-commerce business before or are unfamiliar with the rules. However, at PostNord we want to make it easier for more people to start a business and run an online shop. Below, we've put together a guide to what you as a business owner need to know about terms and conditions.
What are terms of purchase?
Purchase terms are an important aspect to keep in mind for business owners, especially if you are just starting your own e-commerce. In the terms and conditions, you set out what applies to payments, delivery methods, shipping costs and returns, among other things - as well as what responsibilities you as a seller assume when a customer shops in your store.
Purchase conditions for your and your customer's security
The main purpose of the General Terms and Conditions is to clarify the obligations that you, as the owner of an e-commerce business, have towards your customers. As e-commerce is conducted at a distance, these conditions are an important reassurance for those who buy from you as well as for yourself.
Without terms and conditions, the sales contract concluded between seller and buyer in e-commerce is unclear. In the absence of written information on the obligations of an e-retailer towards its customers, it becomes difficult for a customer to claim responsibility if a purchase goes wrong or if a product does not meet expectations.
When a customer places an order in your online store, they also confirm that they accept your terms and conditions. Should the customer subsequently require something that is not covered by your terms and conditions - and which is not supported by the E-commerce Act - you always have the customer's approval of the terms and conditions to refer to.
General terms and conditions - standard terms and conditions for e-commerce
The terms of purchase should always be tailored to the products and/or services you sell in your online store, but there are also some general terms you are obliged to include. The General Terms and Conditions are the standard terms and conditions of purchase for the contract concluded between you as a seller and your customers when they buy something from your e-shop. These conditions should include, for example:
- Specific characteristics of each product/service
- Company information - name, contact details and company number
- Full price - including tax and possible freight charges
- Payment methods and payment deadline
- How and by which actor payments are handled
- Guarantees, right of withdrawal and complaints
- Delivery time and possible delivery methods
For your own sake, it is recommended that you include a requirement for customers to confirm that they have read and agree to your terms and conditions before making a purchase - for example, by ticking a box. In this way, you fulfil your obligations as a seller and are legally protected should a customer claim that they did not know what was in effect when the purchase was made.
Templates can facilitate the development of purchase conditions
Today, there are several standardised templates to use when writing terms and conditions for your e-commerce. There are also various checklists to help you along the way. While they give you a clear framework to work from, it is important that you do not copy the templates or checklists off the top of your head, as the conditions need to be adapted to your business. You need to check how well they match your particular e-commerce.
Watch out for the three most common legal mistakes when writing terms of sale
Writing terms and conditions for an e-commerce business doesn't have to be complicated, but the law can be tricky and it's easy to get some details wrong. Here are three common legal mistakes to watch out for when writing terms and conditions for your online store:
- The terms are not adapted to the products or services you sell
- You do not specify how and when the actual purchase agreement is concluded
- No clear information on the right of withdrawal
Improve your e-commerce with PostNord's business services
PostNord offers several smart business services designed to make it easier and smoother to run an e-commerce business. With a user account in PostNord Portal Business, you can, for example, use functions such as:
Integration solutions
By integrating your e-commerce system with our services, you gain access to automatic freight purchases and a number of APIs for tracking and weekend delivery, for example. Read more about our integrations.
Skicka Direkt Business
With Skicka Direkt Business you can buy traceable shipping online for both domestic and international shipments. You pay no delivery charge and can easily request pick-up of outgoing parcels. Learn more about Skicka Direkt Business.
Read more about e-commerce
If you want to learn more about the subject, visit the e-commerce collection page. All e-commerce items are in one place.
