Vietnam New E Commerce Law for Online Sellers Livestream Hosts and Affiliates

Updated: 23 September 2026

Selling on social media, presenting products in livestreams or sharing affiliate links can all create legal duties. However, sellers, hosts, affiliate marketers and platform operators do not have identical responsibilities.

The new E-Commerce Law requires correct identification of each party's role in online business. Businesses and individuals can use this as a basis to review verification, product information, promotional content and complaint handling.

This article focuses on key points under E-Commerce Law No. 122/2025/QH15 and Decree No. 248/2026/ND-CP.

1 When the new E Commerce Law takes effect

The two main instruments discussed are:

The instruments are published on the Government Information Portal: Law No. 122/2025/QH15 dated 10 December 2025 and Decree No. 248/2026/ND-CP dated 30 June 2026.

A separate milestone is 1 January 2027: under Article 52(2) of Decree No. 248/2026/ND-CP, platform operators must electronically verify sellers' and sales livestream hosts' identities from that date. See Article 52 of the Decree.

2 Do online sellers livestream hosts and affiliates have the same duties

Do not call everyone involved in e-commerce a seller. Legal reviews should distinguish:

Sellers: directly sell goods or supply services.

Sales livestream hosts: introduce and sell products through live broadcasts.

Affiliate marketers: promote goods or services using links, referral codes or similar methods.

Platform operators: manage the environment in which these activities occur.

The Law sets seller responsibilities in Article 21, host responsibilities in Article 24 and affiliate responsibilities in Article 26. One person may hold several roles. See the relevant provisions of the E-Commerce Law.

For example, a shop owner livestreaming their products should review both sales and broadcast content. Someone merely sharing commission-earning links should identify affiliate marketer duties.

Assessment should therefore go beyond labels such as small shop, personal page or content creator. Examine actual activities, products and platform functions.

3 Preparing for identity verification

Identity verification should be part of seller and host onboarding. Participants should prepare accurate information consistent with their records and accounts.

Businesses should organise the following steps:

Check the named sales account holder's details.

Assign responsibility for supplying and updating records.

Follow the platform's verification guidance.

Plan for information changes or rejected documents.

The 1 January 2027 milestone concerns platform duties towards sellers and hosts. Do not automatically apply it to every verification duty in the e-commerce ecosystem.

4 How platform responsibilities are determined

Assess actual platform functions: online ordering, livestream support and integration with other platforms.

Review disclosure of transaction terms, product information management, data retention, complaints and cooperation with authorities. Duties vary by platform model.

Article 17(2)(k) also provides that intermediary platforms with online ordering may have to compensate or jointly compensate buyers where failure to fulfil duties causes loss. See Article 17 of the Law.

Platform businesses can list each supplied function and map the corresponding duties. General terms of use do not replace concrete implementation processes.

5 Content controls for livestream selling and affiliate marketing

For sellers and livestream hosts

Sellers should prepare product information and records that support hosts' presentations. Hosts should check content before broadcasting, particularly benefits, origin, quality, prices and warranty policies.

Article 24 requires hosts to refuse cooperation where prescribed documents are missing and prohibits false or misleading information. See Articles 23–24 of the Law.

Businesses should prepare verified product information, agree permitted statements and establish correction procedures. Script approval also reduces unsupported interpretations of benefits intended to make promotions more persuasive.

For affiliate marketers

Check products, sellers and link destinations before publishing. Promotional content should accurately reflect verifiable information.

Article 26 also requires removal of links to unlawful goods or services or upon a competent authority's request. See Article 26 of the Law.

Maintain a list of published links, promoted products and partner contacts. When problems arise, this helps identify content requiring amendment or removal promptly.

6 Must foreign platforms deposit VND 20 billion

Not every foreign platform has the same deposit obligation.

The Law uses criteria such as a Vietnamese language option, a .vn domain or transaction thresholds to identify foreign platforms conducting e-commerce in Vietnam, with the scope and exceptions in Article 27.

Article 34(2) of Decree No. 248/2026/ND-CP sets a minimum VND 20 billion deposit for cases under Article 27(5) of the Law: certain platforms exempt from establishing a legal entity under treaty commitments and instead using an authorised legal entity appointment mechanism. See Article 34 of the Decree.

Foreign businesses should therefore identify their model and applicable grounds before choosing a presence arrangement in Vietnam.

7 What online selling businesses and individuals should review

To turn legal requirements into practical tasks, begin with the following five areas:

These are suggestions for organising internal work. Specific duties still require assessment of roles, business models and goods or services.

Identify responsible contacts when designing sales processes rather than wait for a complaint. Clear information and responsibilities support compliance and help customers know whom to contact when an issue arises.