UK law asks every online shop to say who’s behind it, so buyers know who they’re dealing with. Your shop shows it in a “Who you’re buying from” box, in the small print at the bottom of every page, and on your contact page.
Adding your detailsLink to Adding your details
In your back office: Returns and legal- Step 1: In Settings, Shop details, under How people reach you, add a Support email you read and your full postal Address: a house or unit number, street, town and postcode, not just a town. A Phone number is optional.
- Step 2: In Settings, Returns and legal, choose How do you trade?: Sole trader, Partnership and Limited company.
- Step 3: Give the name it asks for. Sole traders show their own full name, even when the shop has another one.
- Step 4: Add a Trading name if you sell under a name that isn’t your shop’s.
- Step 5: For a limited company, add the Company number, where it’s Registered in and, if it’s different, the Registered office.
- Step 6: Press Save changes. Footer small print shows how it will look before you do.
The Show who’s selling step on your dashboard ticks itself once your address and email are in. Your receipts use these details too.
If you’re VAT registered, add your VAT number. It only appears in your small print and on receipts, which then say they aren’t VAT invoices. Nothing is added to your prices, and no VAT is worked out on orders.
Outside your shopLink to Outside your shop
- Most businesses that keep customers’ details on a computer pay the ICO’s data protection fee. Some small businesses don’t need to: the self-assessment on ico.org.uk tells you.
- What you sell must be safe. Some things have their own rules and labels, like cosmetics, candles, toys and anything for children.
- Tell HMRC about your income from selling.
This is general information, not legal advice.