Commerce Ministry urges consumers to verify online store reliability before purchase

The Ministry of Commerce has called on consumers to verify the reliability of online stores before completing purchases, in order to protect their rights and avoid falling victim to fraud.

The ministry explained on X that consumers can check the status of certified online stores through the "Business Platform" at the following link: here.

The ministry has also provided a guide detailing the steps to access this service, available at: https://mc.gov.sa/DOC/Mcsbc10.pdf.

Discount season launch

The Ministry of Commerce has announced the launch of the "2026 Discount Season" starting August 1, 2026 (18 Safar 1448 AH), and running until October 31, 2026 (20 Jumada Al-Akhirah 1448 AH), for a period of three months.

The ministry stated that commercial establishments and online stores can obtain discount licenses electronically through its dedicated platform, without affecting their annual quota of discount days.

The new electronic system aims to simplify the process for businesses and online stores to obtain licenses, allowing them to print and display them for consumers. This provides shoppers with more options to compare prices and make informed purchasing decisions.

The ministry confirmed that consumers can verify the legitimacy and accuracy of discounts by scanning the barcode on the discount license using their mobile phone camera, which will display all relevant details, including the type, percentage, and duration of the discounts, as well as the basic information of the business.