New Consumer Protection Rules inSerbia: Key Obligations for Retailers in 2026

In 2026, Serbia adopted a new Law on Consumer Protection, along with amendments to the Law on Trade. These regulations introduce significant new obligations for companies doing business with individuals as consumers.

The most important provisions of the new Consumer Protection Law will come into effect on 2 August 2026, while the amendments to the Law on Trade (particularly those relating to sales promotions) are already in force.

Below, we highlight the key changes and outline recommended steps for compliance.

1. Obligation to publish and update price lists

Retailers are now required to publish a digital price list on their website for each individual point of sale.

In addition, retailers will be obliged to:

• regularly update price lists to ensure they are fully aligned with current prices at all times; and
• create an account on the National Open Data Portal and record each price change there without delay.

These obligations are not yet fully applicable, as the necessary implementing by-laws have not been adopted. However, companies should begin preparing for compliance without delay.

2. Organization of sales promotions

The amendments introduce more detailed rules on how prices must be displayed during sales promotions.

Retailers are still required to clearly indicate both the discounted price and the prior price when offering goods at a reduced price; however, the law now precisely defines what constitutes the prior price.

The prior price is defined as the lowest price at which the goods were offered in the 30-day period preceding the start of the promotion.

If, within the same promotion, the price is gradually reduced further without interruption, the prior price remains the lowest price applied during the 30 days preceding the initial discount.

In addition, the new law provides that promotional sales may not last longer than 60 days.

3. Consumer complaints

In addition to displaying information on how and where complaints can be submitted in a visible place at the business premises, retailers selling goods or services online are now required to make this information clearly and easily accessible on their website as well.

An improperly organized complaints handling process is one of the most common triggers for inspections, meaning this is an area that retailers should prioritize when aligning their operations.

4. Alternative dispute resolution

The new Consumer Protection Law further strengthens the system of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) for consumer disputes.

It is expressly stipulated that retailers engaged in online sales are required to inform consumers in advance about the possibility of using this mechanism.

In the event that an ADR procedure is initiated, retailers are also obliged to participate in it.

5. Personalized pricing

Where the price of a product or service is tailored to a specific consumer on the basis of automated data processing, retailers are now required to clearly inform the consumer of this fact prior to the sale.

6. Product information in online sales

Information contained in product declarations must be made available to consumers prior to purchase in a clear and easily accessible manner (on the website, as part of the purchasing process).

7. Record-keeping of turnover in distance (online) trade

The amendments to the Law on Trade provide that, where goods sold through distance (online) trade are delivered from a physical point of sale, turnover records may be maintained on a consolidated basis at the level of that sales location.

This allows retailers to simplify the recording of turnover in cases where online orders are fulfilled from existing retail outlets.

8. Commercial guarantee

The new law defines the concept of a commercial guarantee, which includes any undertaking by the retailer to refund the price paid, replace the product, or carry out repairs, under the conditions specified in the guarantee statement.

Retailers are bound by all representations made in relation to a commercial guarantee through advertisements, promotional materials, and other forms of marketing that were available to the consumer prior to or at the time of contract conclusion. This means that a retailer cannot avoid liability by relying on different or more restrictive terms if more favorable rights or benefits were presented to the consumer in its advertising.

9. Expanded scope of misleading commercial practices

The law further expands the concept of misleading commercial practices, making it necessary to reassess advertising and consumer communication practices.

The following are now explicitly recognized as misleading practices:

• placing goods on the Serbian market while claiming they are identical to those sold in the EU market, even though they differ in composition or other material characteristics;
• presenting paid advertising or paid preferential ranking of products in search results without clearly informing the consumer;
• claiming that product reviews have been submitted by real customers or users without taking reasonable and proportionate steps to verify their authenticity;
• publishing false reviews or endorsements, engaging third parties to do so, or otherwise misrepresenting reviews for the purpose of promoting products.
  

10. Consequences

Failure to comply with the obligations under the new legal framework continues to give rise to misdemeanor liability, with fines increased for certain offences.

Higher fines are prescribed for a range of infringements, including failure to display the selling and unit price; failure to prepare price lists; failure to provide consumers with mandatory pre-contractual information; misuse of the term “commercial guarantee”; failure to display information on complaint handling procedures; as well as other breaches of retailers’ obligations towards consumers as provided under both the new and the previous legal framework.