E-Commerce Law 2025: What sellers need to know not only concerns online marketplaces but also affects selling through social media, livestreams, and affiliate marketing. According to published information, E-Commerce Law No. 122/2025/QH15 was enacted on December 10, 2025, and the E-Commerce Law takes effect on July 1, 2026. During the transition period, I recommend reviewing your processes, promotional content, and transaction records rather than waiting until the implementation date is imminent.
This article is a high-level practical checklist and does not replace legal advice for individual business models. You should cross-check the official legislation and any implementing decrees and circulars once they are issued.
What do sellers need to know about the 2025 E-Commerce Law?
The key feature of the new legal framework is its broader approach to e-commerce activities. Sellers should not understand “online business” as merely posting products on a marketplace. Selling through websites, apps, social media, platforms with livestreaming features, or affiliates may all give rise to corresponding obligations.
1. Identify your role correctly
First, map out your business model and determine whether you are a seller, website or app owner, platform operator, livestreamer, or product promoter. An individual may hold several roles at the same time. Each role may entail different requirements concerning information disclosure, content management, complaint handling, and cooperation with regulatory authorities.
- Clearly state the selling entity, contact address, and appropriate registration information.
- Determine who is responsible for pricing, inventory, delivery, returns, and warranties.
- Keep agreements with platforms, brands, delivery providers, and affiliate partners.
- Distinguish products you sell yourself from products you merely promote or earn commissions on.
2. Standardize product and transaction information
Pre-transaction information must be clear, easily accessible, and not misleading. Depending on the type of goods, you should disclose the product name, characteristics, origin, price, applicable fees, payment and delivery methods, return conditions, and warranty. Advertising content must be consistent with the actual goods; do not use absolute claims or claim benefits beyond the supporting documentation.
Keep versions of posted content, images, videos, livestream scripts, price lists, and promotional notices. These records will help you explain the source of information if a complaint or inspection request arises.
Compliance checklist for livestreaming and affiliate marketing
3. Process for livestream selling
Livestream selling regulations should be turned into a specific process rather than simply telling the host to “speak accurately.” Before the broadcast, the seller should verify documents, product origins, listed prices, promotional terms, and advertising restrictions applicable to particular categories of goods.
- Preparation: prepare a list of products, required information, selling prices, and transaction policies.
- Script review: remove unsupported claims, guaranteed-result promises, or content that could easily cause confusion.
- Disclose the responsible entity: tell viewers who is selling the goods, how to make contact, and how to place an order.
- Comment management: address false information, unapproved promises, and impersonation of employees.
- Preserve evidence: save recordings, pinned content, product codes, orders, and price changes.
Livestreamers should not change prices, add product benefits, or claim that a product is suitable for everyone without supporting grounds. If a livestream uses celebrities or affiliates, the contract should clearly specify the scope of statements, the content approval process, and responsibility for violating information.
4. Vietnam affiliate marketing checklist
For affiliate marketing in Vietnam, you should distinguish three layers of responsibility: the brand or seller providing the product; the platform or network tracking conversions; and the content creator promoting the product. Commission recipients must transparently disclose the commercial nature of the content as required by law and the applicable platform rules.
- Clearly disclose when a link or piece of content may generate a commission.
- Only promote products based on information provided and capable of verification.
- Do not create fake reviews or fake purchases, or make recommendations as personal experiences if you have not used the product.
- Do not conceal important conditions such as price changes, shipping fees, or eligibility requirements for promotions.
- Keep contracts, briefs, approved content, affiliate links, and payment reports.
Sellers must also control their affiliate networks by providing speaking guidelines, a list of prohibited terms, a violation-reporting mechanism, and the right to suspend accounts. Hiring a third party for promotion does not automatically eliminate the seller’s responsibility to exercise reasonable oversight.
Online seller responsibility checklist before July 1, 2026
5. Data, complaints, and recalls
Online seller responsibilities do not end when a customer clicks “Place order.” You need procedures for receiving and processing requests, confirming orders, delivery, returns, refunds, and complaint resolution. Restrict access to customer data, determine the necessary retention period, and do not use the information for purposes beyond the disclosed scope without an appropriate legal basis.
For products that may be defective or unsafe, you need a plan to trace orders, notify customers, conduct recalls, and coordinate with manufacturers, distributors, or relevant authorities. Do not mechanically delete complaint comments; preserve the records and route them into the complaint-handling process.
6. 90-day plan
- Days 1–30: catalogue your sales channels, products, partners, and data currently being processed; review legal information on each channel.
- Days 31–60: standardize transaction terms, return policies, livestream scripts, affiliate rules, and complaint-response templates.
- Days 61–90: train personnel, test record-keeping, check data-access permissions, and conduct random reviews of posted content.
Finally, appoint a compliance lead, schedule periodic reviews, and monitor new implementing guidance. If your revenue, product volume, or level of data collection is substantial, you should ask a lawyer to review your specific business model.
In summary: The E-Commerce Law’s effective date of July 1, 2026, is a milestone for businesses and individuals selling goods to prepare systematically. Start by identifying your role, disclosing information, controlling livestreams and affiliate marketing, retaining transaction records, protecting data, and handling complaints. Early preparation helps reduce risk and create a more trustworthy customer experience.
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