What an Online Store Must Legally Disclose in India (E-Commerce Rules 2020) and How to Check

Short answer: under the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, an online store must show its legal name, the principal address of its headquarters and all branches, its website details, and customer-care and grievance-officer contact details (Rule 4(2)); must name a grievance officer who acknowledges complaints within 48 hours and resolves them within one month (Rules 4(4) and 4(5)); must state its return, refund, exchange, warranty, delivery and payment terms; and must show the price as one figure with every charge itemised. Packaged goods must also carry their Legal Metrology declarations on the product page. You can check most of this in five minutes by reading the footer, the policy pages and the checkout screen, and by testing the GSTIN, the address and the payee name.

General consumer information, not legal advice. The 2020 Rules were checked against the Gazette text published by the Department of Consumer Affairs on 20 October 2026. The 2026 amendment and the Legal Metrology provisions were checked against the secondary sources named in the text, and where the gazette text of those was not read directly, the text says so.

What must an online store show, and under which rule?

The table lists each disclosure, the rule that requires it, and who it applies to. “Inventory entity” means an e-commerce entity that owns the stock it sells and sells directly to consumers (Rule 3(1)(f)); “marketplace” means a platform that facilitates transactions between buyers and sellers (Rule 3(1)(g)).

Two features of the table matter. First, the duties differ by model: a store that sells its own stock owes the Rule 7 list, while a marketplace owes the Rule 5 list and makes its sellers supply the Rule 6(5) information. Second, a store that hides its legal name and address is not following Rule 4(2), and a breach of the Rules can be raised under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, because Rule 8 says the provisions of the Act apply to any violation.

Which stores do these Rules cover?

The Rules cover all goods and services bought or sold over a digital or electronic network, in every e-commerce model, and also an entity not established in India that systematically offers goods or services to Indian consumers (Rule 2(1) and 2(2)). The one exemption is for a natural person acting in a personal capacity who is not carrying on professional or commercial activity on a regular or systematic basis. A shop that sells regularly through its own website is therefore covered.

Whether a seller who takes orders only through Instagram or WhatsApp messages is an “e-commerce entity”, defined as a person who owns, operates or manages a digital or electronic platform for e-commerce (Rule 3(1)(b)), has not been settled by any official statement I could find. Commentary is divided, and the Rules themselves say nothing about social-media sellers or dropshipping. Regular commercial sale is not exempt on the text, and the Consumer Protection Act applies to such a sale in any case. See the guides on checking an Instagram or WhatsApp seller and dropshipping scam signs.

What must a product page show under Legal Metrology?

For pre-packaged goods, the product page must show the package declarations, except the month and year of manufacture. Rule 6(10) of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 requires an e-commerce entity to display on its platform the mandatory declarations in Rule 6(1), other than the month and year of manufacture or packing. Those declarations include the name and address of the manufacturer, packer or importer; the country of origin for imported products (clause (aa), substituted in 2017 with effect from 1 January 2018); the common or generic name; the net quantity; the best-before or use-by date where applicable; and the retail sale price, which must be stated as the maximum retail price inclusive of all taxes. The package itself must also carry a consumer-care contact. This comes from the Department of Consumer Affairs’ consolidated book of the Rules, which runs to about 2022.

Two limits apply. The provision covers pre-packaged commodities, not services or loose goods. And on a marketplace, responsibility for the declarations lies with the manufacturer, seller, dealer or importer where the platform is a mere intermediary, unless it abets or fails to act after notice. A newer rule, 6(10A), inserted in February 2026, requires an e-commerce entity selling imported products to provide a searchable, sortable country-of-origin filter. Its start date was moved from 1 July 2026 to 1 July 2027 by a notification of 27 April 2026, according to law-firm and advisory summaries; pages that still say 1 July 2026 are out of date. For overcharging above the printed MRP and the penalties, see the MRP and hidden fees guide.

What changes on 1 January 2027?

The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 789(E), 9 September 2026) come into force on 1 January 2027 and add several disclosure duties, without renumbering the existing rules. The Press Information Bureau announced the amendment on 10 September 2026; the rule-by-rule details below are from a TaxGuru reproduction of the Gazette text and law-firm notes, so check the Gazette wording before relying on any clause.

• Seller identification number (Rule 6(5)(j)): sellers on a marketplace must give an identification number issued by the Central Government, such as a GSTIN, and the MSME registration number, for display.
• Imported goods (Rule 4(6)): importer details, identification of the goods and the full name of the country of origin, as under the Packaged Commodities Rules.
• Seller details (Rule 5(3)(a)): a marketplace must show the seller’s website and email where available.
• Price cuts (Rule 4(13)): an announced price reduction must show the prior price, defined as the lowest price in the thirty days before the announcement.
• Sponsored listings (Rule 4(12)): must be distinctly identified.
• Invoice (Rule 4(14)): the seller’s name must appear in the same font size as the entity’s name.
• Dark patterns (Rule 4(15)): compliance with the 2023 guidelines, a yearly self-audit and a certificate shown prominently.
• National Consumer Helpline (Rule 4(7)): joining the convergence programme becomes mandatory.

The grievance officer’s 48-hour and one-month timelines are unchanged; the officer must now also give the complainant a copy of the complaint as recorded. None of the analyses I read says the amendment addresses dropshipping or social-media sellers, and it does not appear to require platforms to verify sellers: it requires sellers to supply and display an identification number. Until 1 January 2027, the 2020 text in the table is what applies.

How can you check a store has these in five minutes?

Read four places and test three details, because a disclosure is only useful if it is checkable. Do these in order.

1. Footer and “Contact” page: a full legal name (a company or LLP name, not just a brand), a street address and a landline or mobile number. A webmail address and a contact form alone do not satisfy Rule 4(2).
2. Grievance officer: a named person with a designation and contact details (Rule 4(4)). Send a short email and see whether it bounces.
3. Policy pages: return, refund and exchange terms in numbers (how many days, who pays return shipping, how the refund is paid and when), delivery timelines and payment terms. Vague wording is a gap in the information Rules 5(3)(c) and 7(1)(a) require.
4. Checkout: one total price with delivery and other charges itemised (Rule 7(1)(e)), and a clear statement of the payment methods and any fees (Rule 7(1)(c)).
5. GSTIN: if one is shown, search it under “Search Taxpayer” on the GST portal. The legal name, status, registration date and place of business should match the footer. A store selling goods below the registration threshold may have none, but one that ships across state lines generally has to register.
6. Address: search the street address on a map. A residential flat, an empty plot or a different country from the claim is a mismatch.
7. Payee name: start the payment and read the name at the confirmation screen; since NPCI’s circular of 24 April 2025, UPI apps must show the banking name fetched from address validation. It should match the legal name you found.

The 14-point legitimacy check adds domain age, photo checks and review patterns, and researching an Indian company shows how to confirm a company on the MCA records.

What should you do if a store does not show these details?

Treat it as a reason not to pay, and if you have already paid, record the gap and complain. Missing details are a breach of the Rules that the Consumer Protection Act can be applied to (Rule 8), but in practice the missing information is a warning of weak recourse, because without a name and address you cannot send a notice or file a complaint. If you have bought from a marketplace seller, write to the platform and ask for the seller’s details under Rule 5(3)(a), which must be given on a written request after purchase. Then use the National Consumer Helpline (1915, WhatsApp 8800001915, consumerhelpline.gov.in), and file on e-Jagriti, the portal that unified e-Daakhil and other case systems on 1 January 2025 according to a Lok Sabha reply of 4 February 2026. The complaint directory routes other problems.

Does a complete set of disclosures prove a store is honest?

No. A page can show a name, address and policy and still be copied from another business, so disclosures prove something only when they check out independently. A GSTIN whose registered name matches the footer and the payee name, an address that exists, a grievance officer who replies and a policy that gives numbers are strong together. Disclosures also say nothing about product quality; see the guide to trusting online reviews for that.

Frequently asked questions

What details must an online store show in India?

Its legal name, the principal address of its headquarters and all branches, its website details, and email and phone contact details for customer care and for the grievance officer (Rule 4(2)); the grievance officer’s name and designation (Rule 4(4)); and return, refund, exchange, warranty, delivery and payment information. The price must be a single figure with all charges itemised.

Is a grievance officer mandatory for an online shop?

Yes, for an e-commerce entity covered by the Rules. Rule 4(4) requires an adequate grievance mechanism and a grievance officer whose name, contact details and designation are displayed, and Rule 4(5) requires the officer to acknowledge a complaint within 48 hours and redress it within one month.

Does an online store have to show the country of origin?

Marketplace sellers must provide it under Rule 6(5)(d), and for pre-packaged goods the Legal Metrology Rules require the country of origin of imported products on the package (Rule 6(1)(aa)) and the package declarations on the platform (Rule 6(10)). From 1 January 2027 Rule 4(6) also requires the full name of the country of origin for imported goods.

Must an online seller have a GST number?

Not always. A goods-only seller does not need to register until turnover passes ₹40 lakh (₹20 lakh in ten states), but anyone making an inter-State taxable supply of goods must register regardless of turnover, with narrow exceptions. From 1 January 2027, marketplace sellers must provide a government identification number such as a GSTIN or MSME registration number for display.

Do these rules apply to Instagram and WhatsApp sellers?

The Rules apply to goods and services sold over any digital network, with an exemption only for a person acting in a personal capacity outside regular commercial activity. Whether a seller who deals only in direct messages is an “e-commerce entity” has not been settled officially. The Consumer Protection Act applies to such sales in any case.

Where do I complain if a store hides its details?

Write to the grievance officer if one is named, then call the National Consumer Helpline on 1915 or use consumerhelpline.gov.in. For a marketplace purchase, ask the platform for the seller’s details in writing. If you paid and the store cannot be traced, report to 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in, and consider a consumer complaint on e-Jagriti once you can identify the seller.