What Your Website Must Disclose Under DTI's Online Selling Rules

Last verified: September 1, 2026. DTI procedures, including Online Business Database registration, may change. This article is general information, not legal advice.

Selling online in the Philippines now comes with a specific legal expectation: if you sell directly to customers through your own website, webpage, or app, that site has to disclose who's behind it. The Internet Transactions Act of 2023 (Republic Act No. 11967), fully enforced by the DTI since June 2025, sets homepage disclosure rules for e-retailers — sellers doing business directly through a site they control. A purely informational website doesn't by itself trigger these rules.

The rules aren't the same for everyone. An e-retailer selling through its own website has different duties than a seller who only lists on an e-marketplace like Shopee, Lazada, or TikTok Shop, or who sells through a platform like Facebook or Instagram that doesn't manage the transaction. For mixed models — a contact form or booking page — how the sale is actually completed determines which rules apply, so check current DTI guidance if unsure. This guide focuses on what applies if you sell directly through your own website.

Who This Law Applies To

The Internet Transactions Act splits online sellers into groups, each with different disclosure duties. See the DTI's Internet Transactions Act overview for details.

If You Sell Through Your Own Website

If customers can buy directly from a website, webpage, or app you control — not a marketplace listing — the law treats you as an e-retailer: someone selling directly to consumers through its own site, such as a store on your own domain name or a booking page that takes payment. A contact form or "message us to order" button doesn't automatically qualify you; it depends on whether the sale is actually completed there. E-retailers carry the fullest duties, since no marketplace operator manages trust and safety for them. If mixed, check current DTI guidance.

If You Sell Through Marketplaces or Social Media

E-marketplaces such as Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop manage the sale and retain oversight over the transaction. They must require sellers to submit their name, address, and contact details before listing, and keep each listing accurate: name, brand, price, description, and condition. That information isn't automatically shown publicly in the listing; the marketplace mainly needs a way for buyers to reach the seller, such as in-app messaging or a link to DTI's Online Business Database.

Other digital platforms that don't manage the transaction — a Facebook or Instagram page where you take orders by direct message, for example — carry a related but separate obligation. Sellers must include, directly in the product listing, the item's name, brand, price, description, condition, and their own contact information, since the platform isn't handling payment or fulfillment.

Neither case requires a formal homepage notice. If you run both — a Shopee shop and a separate selling website — the website portion follows the fuller e-retailer rules above.

What Your Homepage Must Show

Under the law's obligations for e-retailers, the following needs to be published on your homepage, not buried inside a terms-and-conditions page:

• Your business's registered or trade name
• The address of your physical shop or place of business
• A working contact number (mobile or landline) and a valid email address
• If you offer a regulated professional service, such as a licensed real estate practice or a clinic, your professional registration details

These aren't meant to replace your About page — they specifically need to be visible starting from the homepage, since that's most customers' point of first contact. A short footer block with your business name, address, and contact details satisfies this in practice for most small sites, including those built on WordPress Hosting, where it can be added once as a footer widget and it will show on every page.

Receipts, Complaints, and DTI Registration

Publishing your business details on your homepage is only part of the requirement. Under the same law, e-retailers also need to:

• Issue a paper or electronic receipt or invoice for every sale
• Provide an accessible and efficient way for customers to raise a complaint or concern, and respond to it
• Submit their business name, address, contact details, and a valid ID or registration document to the DTI, as required by law

The submission duty is set out in the law. DTI describes Trustmark application as voluntary, and its guidelines state that approved holders are automatically listed in the Online Business Database. DTI separately notes that QR verification for the OBD is still under development. If you're not applying for a Trustmark, check the DTI's current Implementing Rules and Regulations or contact the DTI E-Commerce Bureau.

If an order arrives damaged, doesn't match what was advertised, or simply doesn't show up, the same law gives customers the right to ask for repair, replacement, or a refund under the Consumer Act of the Philippines. It helps to have a simple return or refund process on your site.

A Website Disclosure Checklist: A Practical Starting Point

You don't need a redesign to add this. Most of it fits into your footer or a linked About or Contact page. This is a website disclosure checklist, not a complete Internet Transactions Act compliance checklist — the law also covers data privacy, product information, delivery, receipts, complaint handling, and rules for regulated goods. Use this as a practical starting point:

• Business or trade name displayed on the homepage
• Physical address of your shop or place of business
• Working phone number and email address
• Professional registration details, if applicable
• A receipt or invoice sent for every completed sale
• A visible way for customers to reach you with a complaint or concern
• Your details submitted to the DTI as required (check current guidance for the process)

What Happens If You Skip This

The DTI can issue a compliance order asking a business to fix a gap, along with administrative fines that scale up for repeat or more serious violations. In more serious cases involving deceptive practices or dangerous goods, the DTI can also order a listing or page taken down.

Whether the law applies depends on your transaction model and the statutory definitions in the Internet Transactions Act, not on business size. The law doesn't carve out a general exemption for small businesses, freelancers, or home-based sellers; actual consequences depend on the facts and applicable DTI procedures. Adding the disclosures takes only minutes, and doing so also helps earn a new customer's trust.

Frequently Asked Questions

The disclosure requirements under the Internet Transactions Act aren't complicated, but they are specific: if you're an e-retailer selling directly through your own website, customers need to see your business name, address, and contact details from the moment they land on your homepage, plus a receipt for every sale and a way to raise concerns. None of this requires a redesign — a clear footer and a short support line usually cover it.

Getting these basics right does double duty. It helps meet the website disclosure part of the law, and it's one of the fastest ways to earn a new visitor's trust. If your website is overdue for this update, now's a good time to make the change.