Procedure for registering the application of providing e-commerce services

Legal situation: Dear Lawyer, our company plans to register a mobile application called 'Travel.' Travel is a form of technology. The goal is to let users (tourists) connect with local Guides and vice versa. We request that legal counsel assist us with the registration procedure with the relevant state authorities for the application that delivers electronic commerce services. We are grateful for your support.

FDVN’s Opinion:

Thank you for your concern and for sending your question to the FDVN Law Firm (“FDVN”). After studying the relevant legal provisions, we would like to share our opinions as follows:

Electronic commerce activities through mobile device applications are detailed and guided by Decree No. 52/2013/ND-CP, Circular No. 59/2015/TT-BTC as amended and supplemented by Circular No. 21/2018/TT-BCT. The following regulations should be noted:

According to the provided information, ‘Travel’ is an application that allows users to upload products for promotional or commercial purposes. Hence, as per Clause 9, Article 3 of Decree No. 52/2013/ND-CP:

- An e–commerce trading floor is an e-commerce website permitting traders, organizations, and individuals who are not the website owner to conduct part or the whole of the process of buying and selling goods or services on that website.

Besides, according to Clause 1 and Clause 3 of Article  3 of Circular No. 59/2015/TT-BTC:

- Mobile application means an application installed on mobile equipment connected to a network that allows users to access the databases of traders, organizations, and individuals to purchase and sell goods and provide or use services. Mobile applications include goods sale applications and e-commerce service provision applications.

- An E-commerce service provision application is an e-commerce application on mobile equipment established by a trader or an organization to create an environment for other traders, organizations, and individuals to carry out trade activities. 

The trader - the owner of the e-commerce application - falls within the category of applications for registration of e-commerce services. As a result, your organization must undertake the following registration method for the e-commerce application:

Dossiers for application:

- Registration form for e-commerce service websites (according to Form TMĐT-1 in the Appendix enclosed with Circular No. 47/2014/TT-BTC).

- A copy made from the original document, an authorized copy, or a copy shown beside the original for comparison. Individuals or organizations directly performing administrative operations at the responsible authority or organization have the option of selecting one of these three types of copies.

- Plans to provide services.

- Statute of management of e-commerce service websites comprises:

• The organizational model of operation, includes service provision activities, promotional activities, and service marketing both online and offline.

• The structure, features, and key information sections on the service-providing website.

• Delineation of rights and responsibilities between the merchant, the e-commerce service provider, and the service users.

- Forms of service contract or cooperation agreement between traders and organizations that own e-commerce service websites and traders, organizations, and individuals who take part in the buying and selling of goods and services on such websites.

- General trading conditions applied to the buying and selling of goods and services on the website (if any)

Procedure for application:

According to Article 14, Article 15, Circular no. 47/2014/TT-BCT, your Company must carry out the procedure of “Registering the application of providing e-commerce services” at the E-commerce Management Portal of the Ministry of Industry and Trade at the address www.online.gov.vn as follows:

Step 1: Traders and organizations register for the account to access the system by providing the following information:

- Names of traders and organizations;

- Business Registration No. of traders or Establishment decision No. of organizations;

- Areas of business;

- Addresses of traders and organizations' head offices;

- Contact information

Step 2: Within three working days, traders, organizations, or individuals shall receive results from the Ministry of Industry and Trade via registered emails regarding one of the following subject matters:

- If registration information for an account is adequate, traders and organizations shall be granted an account and continue Step 3:

- If the registration is rejected or supplements are required, traders and organizations should carry out registration again or supplement the information as requested.

Step 3: After being granted an account for access to the system, traders and organizations shall carry out logging on, choose a feature “registration for e-commerce service websites, fill in the forms as instructed, and enclose registration documents.

Step 4: Within seven working days, traders and organizations shall receive responses from the Ministry of Industry and Trade via registered emails regarding one of the following subject matters:

- Confirmations that the documents are adequate and eligible and traders; requests for traders and organizations to do Step 5;

- Notice the documents are inadequate or requests for supplements. In this case, traders and organizations should return to Step 3 for declaration again or supplement the information as requested.

Step 5: After receipt of the notice confirming the adequacy and eligibility of the documents, traders, and organizations shall send to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Department of E-commerce and Information Technology) a complete registration dossier (hard copy) as Step 3.

FDVN's advising opinion on your request is based on our examination of the applicable legal laws. We hope that FDVN's advice will be useful to you.

Trần Thị Hạ – FDVN Law Firm

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