Notification vs registration of a website with the Ministry of Industry and Trade

The words “notification” and “registration” sound alike, but doing the wrong one gets your file returned, and you can even be fined for missing the right procedure. The difference between notifying and registering a website with the Ministry of Industry and Trade is the first thing you need to do, before touching any form. MONA Media separates these two concepts clearly under the rules currently in force.

Why mixing up notification and registration is risky

Many site owners think the two procedures are the same, pick one at random and feel safe. That is an expensive mistake.

Choosing the wrong category at the start is why so many files get returned. You spend time preparing, submit, get a rejection, and have to start over.

Worse, some people file a notification when their website actually has to register. That means a mandatory procedure is still missing and you are still exposed to fines while thinking you are done.

Telling them apart correctly from the start lets you do it once, with no extra rounds.

What notifying the Ministry of Industry and Trade about a website means

Notification applies to e-commerce websites that sell goods. This is a website you set up to sell your own products or services, with online ordering.

The key trait is that you sell your own goods and do not create a space for others to transact. Visitors browse, look at products and place an order right there.

The notification procedure is light, with a short file, and is done online on the online.gov.vn portal. Most online retail businesses fall into this category.

An important change since 2022:

Theo Decree 85/2021/ND-CP, from January 1, 2022 only sales websites with online ordering have to notify. A website that only displays and presents products without online ordering is no longer required to.

Many older articles have not caught up with this change, so site owners do unnecessary work. We stress it so you do not waste effort. Details of the change are in the article Decree 85/2021/ND-CP on e-commerce.

What registering a website with the Ministry of Industry and Trade means

Registration applies to websites that provide e-commerce services. This is a website where you create an environment for other organizations and individuals to buy, sell and transact.

This group covers three main types:

• E-commerce marketplaces: let other parties open storefronts, post listings and trade on your platform.
• Online auction websites: where parties hold auctions for products.
• Online promotion websites: run promotions for other parties' products and services.

The registration procedure is much heavier. The file needs extra items: a service provision plan, an operating management regulation and sample contracts with participating parties. Review also takes longer.

Quick comparison of notification and registration

Identify the right category before you start

Once you can tell them apart, your next step is to determine for certain which category your website belongs to, then prepare the right file for it. We walk through the full procedure step by step in the article the procedure for registering a website with the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

If you are still unsure whether your website needs notification or registration, do not guess. A wrong guess means going back and redoing it.

Business owners hand this to a dedicated team to classify correctly from the start. MONA Media has built websites since 2016 and worked with over 14,000 customers, so we can tell at a glance which category you fall into and what to do.

We classify, prepare the file and submit it ourselves. You do not have to guess or redo anything. Sit back and we handle it all.

If you want us to classify and handle it end to end, see your Ministry of Industry and Trade website registration end to end from MONA, or call 1900 636 648. To understand why this procedure matters, also read why you must register your website with the Ministry of Industry and Trade.