Since 2 August 2026, web shops in Serbia have operated under the new Consumer Protection Act (Official Gazette RS, no. 35/2026), and most of the terms of sale you see on Serbian sites today were written under a law that no longer applies. If you copied your terms from another site before 2026, they very likely contain at least one clause that is void or expressly prohibited.
Here are two free templates: short terms of use for informational websites and full terms of sale for web shops. Each mandatory clause is tagged with the legal article it comes from, so you know what you may drop and what you may not. We also added the withdrawal form in Latin script, a table of clauses to delete, and a checkout checklist.
A 60-second check. Open your terms of sale and search for: “88/2021”, “court in Belgrade”, “only in the original packaging”, “sale items cannot be returned”, “we reserve the right to change these terms at any time”. If you find even one, the terms need changing. If your order button only says “Order”, it needs changing too.
Which document do you actually need
| Type of site | What you need | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Informational site (company, services, portfolio) | Terms of use and a privacy policy | You regulate the use of content and liability; there is no sales contract |
| Web shop | Terms of sale, a notice of the right of withdrawal with the form, how complaints are lodged, a privacy policy | Every order is a distance contract and the law sets what the buyer must know before buying |
| Selling on Instagram or Facebook | The same as a web shop, on one page linked from the profile bio | An order placed through messages is also a distance contract |
For selling on social media, see also our guide to selling on Instagram in Serbia.
What the law requires the buyer to know before ordering
This information becomes part of the contract, and in a dispute the seller must prove it was given (Article 27 of the Consumer Protection Act, ZZP).
| Required information | Regulation | Where you put it |
|---|---|---|
| Business name, registration number, tax ID, registered address, phone and email | ZZP Art. 12 and 27, Electronic Commerce Act (ZET) Art. 6 | Terms of sale and the site footer |
| Business register details (APR) and VAT number if VAT-registered | ZET Art. 6 | Terms of sale |
| Total price with taxes and delivery costs | ZZP Art. 12, ZET Art. 6 | Product page and cart |
| Price in dinars, shown first to visitors from Serbia | Trade Act Art. 35 | Product page |
| Payment methods and delivery restrictions | ZZP Art. 32 | At the latest at the start of ordering |
| Delivery time and method | ZZP Art. 12 and 33 | Terms of sale and cart |
| Right of withdrawal, deadline, procedure and form | ZZP Art. 27 and 29 | Terms of sale and confirmation emails |
| Who bears return costs after a withdrawal | ZZP Art. 27 and 36 | Terms of sale |
| How and where complaints are lodged | ZZP Art. 63 | Terms of sale, displayed on the site |
| The postal operator through which the buyer sends goods for a complaint at your cost | ZZP Art. 27 | Terms of sale |
| Notice of out-of-court dispute resolution | ZZP Art. 27 and 173 | Displayed on the site |
Template 1: Website terms of use
For sites that do not sell online. Replace everything in square brackets. If your site is aimed at visitors in Serbia, publish the Serbian version; the Serbian text of this template is in the Serbian edition of this article.
WEBSITE TERMS OF USE
Last updated: [date]
1. About the site. The website [site address] belongs to [business name], [address], registration number [MB], tax ID [PIB], email [email]. By using the site you acknowledge these terms.
2. Content and copyright. Texts, photographs, logos and other content on the site belong to [business name] or are used with the rights holders’ permission. You may share content with attribution and a link to the site. Any other use, especially commercial, requires our written consent.
3. Accuracy of information. We try to keep the information on the site accurate and up to date. Prices and offers on the site are for information and are not an offer to conclude a contract, unless expressly stated otherwise.
4. Links to other sites. The site may contain links to third-party websites. Their owners are responsible for their content and privacy rules.
5. Privacy. How we process personal data is described in our Privacy Policy [link].
6. Changes. We may change these terms because of changes in regulations or in how the site works. The current version is always published on this page, with the date of the last change.
7. Governing law. These terms are governed by the law of the Republic of Serbia.
8. Contact. For questions about these terms, write to [email].
Template 2: Terms of sale for a web shop
Fill in the square brackets, and delete the article references in brackets at the end of each clause before publishing. They are there so you can see why each clause exists.
TERMS OF SALE
Last updated: [date]
1. Seller. [Business name], [registered address], registration number [MB], tax ID [PIB], [VAT number, if VAT-registered], registered with the Serbian Business Registers Agency. Email: [email], phone: [phone]. Address for complaints and returns: [address, if different]. (ZZP Art. 12 and 27, ZET Art. 6)
2. Scope. These terms apply to purchases through [site address]. With every order confirmation we email you the terms in force at the time of the order, the notice of the right of withdrawal and the withdrawal form, so you can save and print them. (ZET Art. 13, ZZP Art. 32)
3. Prices. All prices are in dinars and include VAT [or: the seller is not VAT-registered]. Delivery costs are shown in the cart before you confirm the order. (Trade Act Art. 35, ZET Art. 6, ZZP Art. 12)
4. Ordering. You add products to the cart, enter delivery details and choose a payment method. Before sending the order you see a summary with the total price and can correct any input error. You send the order by clicking the button “Order with obligation to pay”. We confirm receipt of the order by email without delay. (ZET Art. 12 and 14, ZZP Art. 32)
5. Payment. We accept: [cash on delivery / bank transfer / payment cards]. Payment and delivery restrictions are shown at the start of ordering. (ZZP Art. 32)
6. Delivery. We deliver within [the Republic of Serbia] through [courier], within [X] working days of confirming the order and at the latest within 30 days. The goods are delivered when they are handed to you or to a person you named. Leaving a parcel at the door does not count as delivery. (ZZP Art. 33 and 48)
7. Right of withdrawal. You may withdraw from the contract within 14 days of the day the goods were handed to you, without giving reasons. For an order delivered in several parcels, the period runs from the last one. You withdraw by sending the withdrawal form or any unambiguous statement to [email]. You return the goods to [address] within 14 days of sending the statement. The direct cost of returning the goods is borne by [the buyer / the seller]. We refund the amount you paid, including standard delivery, at the latest within 14 days of receiving your statement, using the same payment method, and we may hold the refund until we receive the goods or proof that you sent them. You are liable only for a loss of value caused by handling beyond what is needed to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods. There is no right of withdrawal for [list the exceptions that apply to your goods, for example: goods made to your specification, sealed goods that were opened and cannot be returned for hygiene reasons]. (ZZP Art. 29 to 38)
8. Conformity and complaints. We are liable for any lack of conformity that appears within 2 years of delivery, and a lack of conformity that appears within one year is presumed to have existed at delivery. You can lodge a complaint at [email], by phone at [phone] or in person at [address], with the receipt or other proof of purchase. You send goods for a complaint through [postal operator or courier] at our cost. We confirm receipt of a complaint without delay, reply within 8 days, and resolve it within 15 days, or 30 days for technical goods and furniture. Missing original packaging is not a reason to refuse a complaint. (ZZP Art. 27, 59 and 63)
9. Out-of-court dispute resolution. The seller is obliged to take part in out-of-court consumer dispute resolution. A list of dispute resolution bodies is available at vansudsko.must.gov.rs. (ZZP Art. 27 and 173)
10. Personal data. We process the data you enter when ordering in accordance with our Privacy Policy [link].
11. Governing law. The contract is governed by the law of the Republic of Serbia. In disputes with consumers, the court of the consumer’s place of residence has jurisdiction. (ZZP Art. 46)
12. Changes to these terms. Each order is governed by the terms you accepted when ordering. Changes to the terms do not affect orders sent before the change. (ZZP Art. 47)
The template is a condensed version of the structure we use in RXN Legal Kit. You can see published terms on our own terms of use page.
The withdrawal form in Latin script
The law requires you to give the buyer the form at the latest on delivery, on a durable medium (Article 32), which in practice means in the order confirmation email or as a PDF. The valid form is still set by the 2022 Rulebook (Official Gazette RS, no. 21/2022), because the new implementing regulations have not yet been adopted (Article 217 of the new Act). Below are all the fields the Rulebook requires, in English for reference; on a Serbian site, use the Serbian version from the Serbian edition of this article.
FORM FOR WITHDRAWAL FROM A DISTANCE CONTRACT
(complete and return this form only if you wish to withdraw from the contract)
Trader: [business name], [address], [phone], [email]
I hereby withdraw from the contract for the sale of the following goods: ____________________
Date of the contract: __________ Date the goods were received: __________
Reasons for withdrawal (optional): ____________________
Consumer’s name: ____________________ Consumer’s address: ____________________
Consumer’s signature (only if the form is sent on paper): __________
Date: __________
If you let the buyer fill in and send the form through your site, you must confirm receipt without delay on a durable medium, for example by email (Article 29). We explained how withdrawal looks from the buyer’s side, with a deadline calculator, in our guide to returning goods bought online in Serbia.
Clauses to delete
These sentences have been copied from site to site for years. Unfair terms are void (Article 45), so they do not protect you, and they show buyers and inspectors that your terms are out of line.
| Clause | Why it does not hold |
|---|---|
| “The court in Belgrade has jurisdiction over disputes” | A term setting jurisdiction outside the consumer’s residence is always unfair (Art. 46) |
| “We reserve the right to change these terms at any time” | Unilateral changes to terms are presumed unfair (Art. 47) |
| “Complaints accepted only in the original packaging” | Missing packaging cannot be a reason to refuse a complaint (Art. 63). The full procedure is in our guide to product complaints in Serbia |
| “Sale and discounted items cannot be returned” | Discounted goods are not an exception to the right of withdrawal (Art. 38). Sale rules are in our guide to Black Friday and the lowest price rule |
| “A parcel left at the door counts as delivered” | That is not delivery; the risk stays with the seller (Art. 48 and 52) |
| “The withdrawal period is 7 (or 8) days” | The period is 14 days and cannot be shortened (Art. 29) |
| “Refunds are issued as vouchers” | Refunds use the same payment method unless the buyer expressly agrees otherwise (Art. 35) |
| “The buyer always pays shipping costs” | For complaints, the seller bears the costs (Art. 27, 57 and 63) |
| A pre-ticked “I agree to the terms” box | A term the buyer accepts by silence does not bind them (Art. 43) |
| “In accordance with the Consumer Protection Act (Official Gazette RS, no. 88/2021)” | That Act ceased to apply on 2 August 2026 (Art. 219) |
Checkout and confirmation email checklist
The terms are only half the job. The rest is how the site works:
- The order button must make clear that the buyer takes on an obligation to pay, for example “Order with obligation to pay”. If that is not clear, the order does not bind the buyer (Article 32). The default WooCommerce “Place order” button should be changed.
- Delivery restrictions and payment methods are visible at the latest at the start of ordering, not only on the last step.
- The box for accepting the terms is not pre-ticked, and the terms are linked next to it.
- Prices are in dinars, and for visitors from Serbia dinars come first, even if the site offers another currency.
- The order confirmation email contains the terms of sale in force at the time, the notice of the right of withdrawal and the withdrawal form, as an attachment or in the text.
- How complaints are lodged and the notice on out-of-court dispute resolution are displayed on the site, not just buried in the terms.
- A complaints register is kept for at least 2 years, in a book or electronically.
All deadlines in one place
| Deadline | Length | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer’s withdrawal | 14 days from receipt of the goods | 29 and 30 |
| Withdrawal if the buyer was not informed of that right | An extra 12 months | 30 |
| Refund after withdrawal | At most 14 days from receiving the statement | 35 |
| Buyer returning the goods | 14 days from sending the statement | 36 |
| Delivery | At most 30 days, unless agreed otherwise | 33 and 48 |
| Reply to a complaint | 8 days | 63 |
| Resolving a complaint | 15 days, 30 for technical goods and furniture | 63 |
| Buyer’s reply to the proposed solution | 3 days | 63 |
| Liability for lack of conformity | 2 years, with a presumption in the buyer’s favour for the first year | 59 |
| Keeping the complaints register | At least 2 years | 63 |
What does not apply to small web shops
A few wrong claims circulate about the new law:
- Publishing price lists in machine-readable form (Rulebook, Official Gazette RS, no. 76/2026) applies only to traders with more than 3 billion dinars of revenue in the previous year that sell food, cleaning and hygiene products. A small web shop does not have to do it.
- A “withdrawal button” that you must add to your site is an obligation under Croatian and EU rules. Serbian law does not require it. Do not apply articles and plugins written for Croatia to a Serbian site.
Fines
The Consumer Protection Act (Article 210) sets fines of 200,000 dinars for a company, 50,000 dinars for the responsible person and 100,000 dinars for a sole proprietor, among other things for missing pre-contract information, a defective form or order confirmation, late delivery or refunds, and breaches of the complaint rules. The Electronic Commerce Act (Article 22) separately penalises failures to inform users, up to 1,500,000 dinars.
When a template is not enough
The template covers a typical web shop. The harder part is everything else: making sure every order keeps the exact version of the terms the buyer accepted, that complaint deadlines are not missed, and that the register is complete when an inspector asks for it.
On our clients’ WordPress shops this is handled by RXN Legal Kit: legal pages from a single set of settings, withdrawal from the customer account, a complaint workflow with deadlines and an electronic register. If you are only planning a shop, indicative prices are in our guide to online shop development costs, and bringing an existing site into line is part of our website maintenance.
Note: This article is a practical guide, not legal advice. The templates cover a typical website and web shop; digital content, subscriptions, cross-border sales or off-premises services need additional clauses. The regulations were checked on 9 October 2026.
FAQ: terms of use and terms of sale in Serbia
Does every website need terms of use?
For an informational site, terms of use are not a legal requirement, but they are useful because they regulate the use of content and liability. A web shop must give buyers the information required by the Consumer Protection Act and the Electronic Commerce Act before the purchase, and terms of sale are the simplest way to do that.
What is the difference between terms of use and terms of sale?
Terms of use regulate the use of the site and its content. Terms of sale regulate the sales contract: prices, payment, delivery, the right of withdrawal and complaints. A web shop needs both; an informational site needs only the first.
Can I copy terms of sale from another web shop?
You can use another shop’s structure, but not its text without checking it. Most terms on Serbian sites were written before 2 August 2026, cite the repealed law and contain clauses that are void under the new one.
What must the order button say?
It must make clear that by sending the order the buyer takes on an obligation to pay, for example “Order with obligation to pay”. If that is not clearly indicated, the order does not bind the buyer.
Where can I find the withdrawal form for distance contracts?
Its fields are set by the 2022 Rulebook (Official Gazette RS, no. 21/2022), which applies until a new one is adopted. The form with all the fields is in this article, and you send it to the buyer with the order confirmation or at the latest on delivery.
Do I have to offer free returns?
No. For a withdrawal, the buyer bears the direct cost of returning the goods, provided you told them in advance. For a complaint, the seller always bears the costs.
Sources (in Serbian): Consumer Protection Act (Official Gazette RS, no. 35/2026), Electronic Commerce Act, Trade Act, Rulebook on the withdrawal form, Out-of-court consumer dispute platform.
