Know whether you sell to consumers or businesses

Why the distinction matters

A consumer is generally an individual acting mainly outside their trade, business, craft or profession. A business customer is buying for business purposes. The label on a form is not always decisive; look at the real transaction.

Do this now

1. List each sales route: website, marketplace, telephone, premises, quotation or recurring subscription.
2. Identify whether consumers, businesses or both can use each route.
3. Check what information must be provided before commitment, how acceptance is recorded and which cancellation rights apply.
4. Make pricing, delivery, returns, complaints and renewal wording match the customer type and route.
5. Ensure claims are accurate and important limitations are prominent.
6. Train anyone selling or responding to complaints so the written policy is followed in practice.

What good looks like

The customer can understand the total price, product or service, delivery, cancellation and complaint route before buying. The business can prove which information and terms were shown and accepted.

Common mistakes

• Assuming an invoice to a company name always makes the buyer a business customer.
• Using business-to-business terms for consumer sales.
• Adding cancellation information only after checkout.
• Making a marketing promise that the operational team cannot fulfil.
• Describing statutory rights as an optional goodwill policy.

When to get professional help

Get legal advice for subscriptions, digital content, marketplaces, mixed personal and business use, finance, regulated products, age restrictions or cross-border sales.

Keep in your roadmap

Record the expected customer type for each offer, the sales route, applicable terms and who owns complaints and refunds.