Legal notice, terms and conditions & data protection - what you need to sell legally in Germany

If you offer a product or service online in Germany - whether via your own store, Etsy, Amazon or Instagram - you need a few legal basics. The good news: as soon as you know what's involved, it's not so bad.

1. Imprint - Who is behind the store?

An imprint is mandatory as soon as you do business on the Internet. Even on social media!
It must contain the following information:

• Your full name or the company name

• Your address (no P.O. Box!)

• Contact options (e-mail, telephone)

• For companies: Commercial register number and VAT ID

• If you are a freelancer: simply submit your tax number to the tax office

Tip: There are many imprint generators online - but make sure that they are up-to-date and legally compliant.

2. AGB - General Terms and Conditions

AGB are not mandatory - but they protect you!
For example, you specify in your GTC:

• How the contract is concluded

• How shipping works

• What applies to returns or revocations

• Which payment methods you accept

• Who pays for return costs

If you have no GTCthe statutory regulations automatically apply - and these are sometimes more consumer-friendly than seller-friendly 😉

Attention: Simply copying terms and conditions from somewhere is not an option - it can be expensive. It's better to get professional help or use a T&C generator for your store system.

3. Privacy policy - DSGVO sends its regards

Since the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), you have to be very clear, what happens to your customers' data.
For example:

• What data you store (name, address, e-mail, IP address, etc.)

• What you need the data for (e.g. shipping, newsletter, analysis)

• Whether third parties are involved (e.g. payment providers such as PayPal or Stripe)

Important: You need a own data protection page (separate from the legal notice!) and preferably also a cookie banner if you use tools such as Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel.