El salvador Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in el salvador, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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eCommerce
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General Overview

 The use of eCommerce has significantly increased, and medium and small companies are adapting to the demands of digital development. According to a report by Statista, 92% of digital revenues is concentrated in the eCommerce sector, with 6.7% in digital media, .7% in eServices, and .5% in eHealth. Local companies that have strong eCommerce strategies include: Cupon Club, PagaPoco, Avianca, Cinepolis, Todo Ticket, Pizza Hut, Siman, La Curacao, Editoriales La Ceiba, Super Selectos and Premium Center.

El Salvador eCommerce Penetration
El Salvador eCommerce Revenues

 

​​El Salvador eCommerce User Penetration
El Salvador eCommerce User Penetration

Legal & Regulatory 

The Electronic Signature law was passed in 2015, facilitating business and commerce through internet-based transactions. Per the legislation, the certified electronic signature is equivalent to an ink signature. In August 2021, law reforms allowed a locked and secure e-signature format. The Ministry of Economy controls and monitors electronic certification providers and the storage of electronic documents and backups. 

On February 10, 2020, the Legislative Assembly approved the Electronic Commerce Law (Ley de Comercio Electronico). The law seeks to provide legal certainty to commercial and contractual relationships, carried out through digital means, between suppliers of goods and services.

In November 2021, the Law to Facilitate Non-Commercial Online Purchases was approved to promote and facilitate the importation of merchandise by Salvadoran individuals. The law provides an exception to import tariffs for purchases up to $300, but the 13% VAT still applies. Medicines under medical prescription as well as products specified in the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances do not benefit from this Law. 

In September 2021, El Salvador implemented the Bitcoin Law which introduced Bitcoin as a legal tender, in addition to the U.S. dollar. Consequently, all prices may be denominated in Bitcoin and even taxes can be paid in Bitcoin. According to Article 7 of the Bitcoin Law, every economic agent shall accept Bitcoin as a form of payment when it is offered by the person acquiring a good or service. 

Consumer Behavior

Salvadoran consumers use various platforms for their online purchases: Amazon, E-bay, AliExpress, Alibaba, and Mercado Libre, among others. Consumers typically pay using debit or credit card payments (Visa, MasterCard, and American Express), local bank accounts, deposits, and transfers. ApplePay is now available through credit cards issued by BAC Credomatic and Promerica Bank. Paypal is not commonly used.

Banks, businesses, and merchants of all sizes have been required to accept Bitcoin since September 2021, alongside the country’s other official currency, the U.S. dollar. However, a report published in April 2022 by the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research showed that only 20% of those who downloaded the Chivo wallet continued to use it after spending the $30 bonus the government gave to encourage adoption and use. A survey published in March 2022 by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of El Salvador found that 86% of businesses have never made a sale in bitcoin, and only 20% of businesses take bitcoin, despite the Law’s mandate that all merchants accept the cryptocurrency.

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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