Consumer Rights Act 2015
Do not suggest on the site or in terms that customers lose their statutory rights; describe services and goods accurately.
Source: Consumer Rights Act 2015
What your website and marketing must show to stay compliant in retail and e-commerce
The rules that apply to a UK retail and e-commerce business, turned into what your site, ads and social posts must show, or must not say. Each point links to the regulator or the legislation it comes from.
General guidance, not legal advice. Rules change and depend on your circumstances; check the linked source or take advice from a qualified adviser before relying on any point.
Retail and e-commerce rules
Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 distance selling
For online or distance sales, show who you are, the total price, delivery terms and the 14-day cancellation right before the customer commits.
PCI DSS card payments
Take card details only through a compliant payment provider; never ask for card numbers by email or a plain web form.
Source: PCI DSS (card payments)
GDPR customer data and marketing consent
Publish a privacy notice that names who you are, what you collect on every form, why, how long you keep it and how people use their rights; link it from every form.
PECR email marketing
Ask for consent before non-essential cookies or analytics run, and before emailing or texting individuals for marketing; give an unsubscribe in every message.
Trading Standards pricing and labelling
Prices you do display must be clear, include VAT where you sell to consumers, and match what is charged.
Weights and Measures where applicable
Quantities stated on product pages must use the legal units and be accurate.
Source: Weights and measures law
ICO registration
Pay the data protection fee if it applies to you, and name the controller (legal entity) in the privacy notice.
Packaging and WEEE where applicable
If you sell electrical goods, tell customers how they can return old items for free take-back where the duty applies.
DMCC Act 2024 fake reviews and drip pricing bans from 6 April 2025
Do not publish fake or incentivised reviews without disclosure, and show the full price, including unavoidable fees, up front (no drip pricing).
General Product Safety Regulations 2005
Product pages should carry the safety warnings and instructions the product needs, and you must be able to trace who supplied it.
Every UK business site
Whatever the sector, these apply to almost every business website.
Company and trading details
A limited company's site must show its registered name, company number, place of registration and registered office address.
Source: Company and trading details
Privacy notice
Say who you are, what each form collects, why, how long you keep it and how people use their rights.
Source: Privacy notice
Cookie consent
Non-essential cookies and analytics wait for consent, and refusing is as easy as accepting.
Source: Cookie consent
Honest claims
Every claim, review and comparison is true, evidenced and not misleading (CAP Code).
Source: Honest claims
Genuine reviews
No fake, bought or selectively hidden reviews (DMCC Act 2024).
Source: Genuine reviews
See how your site measures up
The free grader checks your site against the visible signals buyers, search engines and AI assistants look for, including several of the points above.
Grade my website Retail and e-commerce websites