# Online pet store: pet food rules, subscriptions and delivery in the EU Start an online pet store in the EU: pet food registration, what the product page must show, vet medicines, food subscriptions and heavy parcels. Source: https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/pet-shop-online-store · CloudCart · 2026-11-06 An online pet store in the EU can sell dog and cat food once two things are in place: the product page shows the labelling particulars of Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 before the order, and your business is registered wherever your country requires it for pet food retail. Veterinary medicines are sold online only by authorised retailers. The profit comes from the repeat order: food subscriptions, heavy parcels priced by weight and loyalty. This guide is for pet shops moving online, new online pet stores and brands selling pet food, treats and accessories to consumers anywhere in the EU. The common rules come from EU regulations that apply directly in every member state. National law adds the registration procedure, the authority and the fines, so we use Bulgaria as a worked example. It is not legal advice: your national food and feed authority confirms what applies to you. The admin paths are from CloudCart. ## What an online pet store sells and which rules apply to each group An online pet store sells four groups of goods, and each has its own rules. Pet food is "feed" in EU law, veterinary medicines have a separate regulation and an authorisation, and accessories follow the general product safety rules. Live animals have their own rules and are not covered here. | Product group | EU rules | What you need before the first sale | | Dry and wet food, treats, supplements sold as feed | Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 (labelling and marketing of feed); national feed law | The label particulars on the product page; registration where your country requires it for pet food retail | | Veterinary medicinal products, including antiparasitics | Regulation (EU) 2019/6, Article 104; national law | An authorisation to supply veterinary medicines in your country, and the online sales requirements | | Accessories, toys, beds, carriers, grooming tools | General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988 (GPSR) | The manufacturer's details, a product identifier and warnings on the product page | | Everything sold online to consumers | Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU, VAT rules | A registered business, terms and conditions, the 14-day withdrawal information, VAT set up | Food and feed are outside the scope of the GPSR, so for accessories and toys the details are in [GPSR and the product page](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/gpsr-product-safety-online-sellers). ## Do you need to register to sell pet food online? It depends on the country where your business is established. At EU level, the Feed Hygiene Regulation (EC) No 183/2005 requires feed businesses to notify the competent authority of their establishments for registration (Article 9(2)), but Article 2(2)(e) of [Regulation (EC) No 183/2005](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32005R0183) excludes "the retailing of pet food" from its scope. Article 2(3) then lets each member state set its own rules for that activity, and several do. If you also make, mix, repack or import pet food, you are a feed business under the regulation and registration is required. Before you list the first bag of food, ask your national food and feed authority two questions: does retail of pet food need registration, and is selling at a distance (online, by phone, through social media) notified separately. The same applies to treats and supplements that are sold as feed. Human food follows different rules, explained in the guide to the [online food store](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/food-online-store). ### Example: registering an online pet store in Bulgaria in 5 steps Bulgaria is one of the countries that requires registration. Under Article 15(6) of the Bulgarian [Feed Act (in Bulgarian)](https://lex.bg/laws/ldoc/2135531693), retail of feed for animals not kept for food production, which covers dogs, cats, birds and rodents kept at home, takes place only in establishments registered by the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA). Article 23z(2) allows distance selling of feed only by a registered or approved operator, and Article 23i requires a notification of the channels you sell through. - Define the establishment. The place where you keep the food: a warehouse, a shop or the room you ship from. Each establishment has its own application. A seller without stock, whose goods ship from the supplier's warehouse, still registers, with a declaration under Article 22a(3). - Prepare the documents. The company number, proof of ownership or use of the premises, a declaration that the premises meet Regulation (EC) No 183/2005, the occupancy certificate and proof that the fee is paid. - Apply to the regional food safety directorate. According to the service description on the Bulgarian administration portal (in Bulgarian) , the application is filed online, at the counter, by email or by post. The fee listed for a feed trader, with or without a warehouse, is €86.92. - Wait up to 14 days. The directorate issues the registration within 14 days of the application or of the correction of any gaps. The registration has no expiry date. - Notify distance selling. State the store's website, email and phone, and list the operators you work with for distance sales, with their registration numbers. Important: in Bulgaria, a company that sells feed at a distance without the notification faces a fine of 3,000 to 5,000 BGN (€1,533.88 to €2,556.46) under Article 66d(2) of the Feed Act. Other countries set their own procedures and fines, so check with your authority before the first sale. ## What the pet food product page must show The product page of a pet food must show the mandatory label particulars before the customer orders. Article 11(3) of [Regulation (EC) No 767/2009](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02009R0767-20181226), which has applied since 1 September 2010, says that for distance selling the particulars appear on the material supporting the sale or are given by other appropriate means before the contract is concluded. For an online store, that material is the product page. Four particulars may be given at the latest on delivery: the operator responsible for the label, the batch number, the net quantity and the minimum storage life. Show the net quantity and the operator anyway, because shoppers choose by them. Under Article 14(1), the particulars are given in an official language of the member state where the food is sold, so a store selling in several countries needs the label text in each language. | Particular | Article of Regulation 767/2009 | Where it goes in the store | | Type of feed: complete or complementary feed | 15(a) | The product name or the first line of the description | | Name and address of the operator responsible for labelling (may be given on delivery) | 15(b) | The description or a "Manufacturer" property | | Net quantity, by mass for solids, by mass or volume for liquids (may be given on delivery) | 15(e) | The variant: 2 kg, 7 kg, 12 kg | | Feed additives, under the heading "additives" | 15(f) | The description, as a separate list | | Moisture content, where Annex I requires it | 15(g) | The table of analytical constituents | | Species or category of animal (puppy, senior cat) | 17(1)(a) | The description and the filters | | Instructions for use (daily feeding amounts) | 17(1)(b) | A table in the description | | Composition, in descending order by weight | 17(1)(e) | The description, under the heading "composition" | | Compulsory declarations (analytical constituents, Annex VII for pet food) | 17(1)(f) | The description, as a table | | A phone number at no charge to the caller, or another channel, for questions on additives and ingredients | 19 | The description or the contact page | | Batch number and minimum storage life | 15(d) and 17(1)(d) | On the pack, at the latest on delivery | Copy the data from the label or from your distributor's XML or CSV file. Text on the page is also what Google and AI assistants read when a shopper asks which food suits a puppy with a sensitive stomach. ## Can an online pet store sell veterinary medicines? Only a retailer authorised to supply veterinary medicinal products in its member state can sell them online. Under Article 104(1) of [Regulation (EU) 2019/6](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019R0006), which has applied since 28 January 2022, such a retailer may offer veterinary medicines online to people in the EU when they do not need a veterinary prescription. A pet store without that authorisation cannot sell them online, even when no prescription is needed. - Prescription medicines. A member state may allow online sales of prescription veterinary medicines on its own territory only, through a secure system (Article 104(2)). - The common logo. Each page offering veterinary medicines shows the common EU logo, which identifies the member state where the seller is established (Article 104(6)). - National website. Each member state runs a website on distance sales of veterinary medicines with the list of authorised retailers (Article 104(8)). - National conditions. Who may dispense, where the products are stored and shipped from, and whether antiparasitics have special rules are set nationally. In Bulgaria, for example, only a licensed veterinary pharmacy registered for distance selling sells them, and a veterinarian dispenses them. Some shampoos, spot-on treatments and drops are authorised as veterinary medicines, so check each product before you list it. ## How a pet food subscription works in an online store A pet food subscription is the strongest tool of an online pet store, because a bag of food runs out on a predictable schedule. The customer picks "every 4 weeks" on the product page, and the store creates a new order on schedule by itself. In CloudCart this is done by the Subscriptions app, and every renewal is an ordinary order with its invoice, shipping label and stock update. - Choose the payment method. In Apps → Subscriptions → Settings , in Payment methods, tick CloudCart Pay. It is included for subscriptions on every plan at no extra fee. Without a method that can charge a saved card, no plan shows on the product page at all. - Create a plan. Give it a name the customer sees, such as "Food subscription", and choose what it applies to: specific products, a category, a collection or a brand. A plan on the category "Dry dog food" also covers the new products you add to it. - Add the options. Each option has one period, "Deliver and charge every" (days, weeks, months or years), and a percentage discount. For example, "every 4 weeks, 5% off" and "every 8 weeks, 3% off". One payment covers one delivery. - Decide how it combines with discounts. Each option has a switch to combine it with other discounts, on by default. Turn it off and the subscription line gets only the option's discount. - Give the customer control. Four switches decide what customers do on their own from their account: skip a delivery, pause, cancel and change the address. After a skip, the subscription carries on with the next delivery. - Switch on the reminder. The upcoming renewal email goes out 0 to 30 days before the charge, as you choose. With 3 days, a customer who still has food skips the delivery instead of disputing the card payment. The arithmetic is simple. If a €48 bag is ordered every 4 weeks, one subscriber places 13 orders a year, or €624. With a 5% discount, that is €592.80 in revenue from one customer, without paying for a new ad for each order. The example is calculated. The other settings, memberships and members-only stores are covered in [subscriptions and memberships in CloudCart](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/subscriptions-memberships). > CloudCart Pay 0% transaction fee through Dec 31, 2026 Every renewal charges the card from the first payment. CloudCart Pay is included for subscriptions on every plan, and through Dec 31, 2026 the transaction fee is 0%. From Jan 1, 2027 it is 1.29% + €0.05 for consumer cards from the EEA and 2.69% + €0.05 for all other cards, excluding VAT. How CloudCart Pay works → ## How to ship heavy bags of pet food and bulky parcels Heavy parcels ship without losses when every product has an accurate weight and dimensions and the delivery price is calculated by weight. A 12 or 15 kg bag is an everyday order in a pet store. - Weight and dimensions on every variant. The shipping price follows the weight of the cart. A product without weight is counted at the courier app's default weight (100 g for BOX NOW unless you change it), and you pay the difference. - Lockers have a limit. BOX NOW lockers, available in countries such as Greece, Romania, Croatia, Cyprus and Bulgaria, take up to 20 kg in one compartment, the largest being 36 × 45 × 60 cm. At checkout the platform checks whether the whole cart fits one compartment and does not offer the locker if it does not. Two 12 kg bags are already over the limit. - The "Not for parcel lockers" switch. For a cat litter tray, a large cage or a dog bed, switch it on under Dimensions in the product editor: locker delivery disappears for every courier, even when the dimensions are empty. - Price by weight. In Settings → Shipping you can add your own Based on weight or Based on price and weight methods, alongside courier apps such as GLS and DHL. - Many couriers on one contract. Sendcloud connects several European couriers through one account, and each courier becomes its own shipping method at checkout. EuShipment handles larger and palletised shipments for bulk orders. A free shipping threshold works well in a pet store, because one bag often clears it alone. How to set the threshold without eating your margin is worked out in [the free shipping threshold and choosing a courier](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/free-shipping-threshold-couriers). > Shipping Weight, lockers and couriers in one place GLS, DHL and the couriers in Sendcloud price delivery by the weight of the cart, a locker is offered only when the parcel fits, and the shipping label is created from the order. How shipping works in CloudCart → ## How to keep the customers of an online pet store Pet store customers stay when the repeat purchase is rewarded and a reminder arrives when the food is running out. - A "Regulars" customer group. In Customers → Customer groups , create a group and give it a standing discount or free shipping from Marketing → Discounts . Customer groups start on Starter Pack: 3 on Starter Pack, 5 on CC Pro and 100 on CC Master, as listed on the plans page . - Cashback in the Virtual Wallet. From the customer's profile you add store credit in euros, for example 5% of the order, with an expiry date, and the customer spends it on the next order. The wallet is in beta and works for registered customers. It cannot pay a cart with a subscription. - A reminder for the next bag. A segment of customers who bought dry food and an automated campaign with a link to the same product a few weeks later bring the order back. Offer the subscription in the same email. - Search that understands the shopper. Shoppers misspell brand names and breeds. Aura Search understands typos and shows products while the shopper is still typing, from €9/month. The steps for a loyalty programme in the admin, cashback and the win-back emails are in the guide to [customer loyalty and repeat purchases](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/customer-loyalty-repeat-purchases). ## How to organise the catalogue of an online pet store The catalogue of a pet store is organised by animal first, then by product type, and the filters answer the questions an owner asks when choosing food. - Categories by animal. Dogs, cats, birds, small animals, fish, and under each: food, treats, accessories and hygiene. - Properties as filters. In Products → Properties , create properties for the categories: age, breed size, special needs (sensitive stomach, neutered cats, no grain). - Variants by pack size. One product with 2 kg, 7 kg and 12 kg variants, each with its own price, weight and stock. ## Selling pet food to other EU countries Pet food sold to consumers in other EU countries follows the same Regulation 767/2009 everywhere, but three things change with every country you ship to. - Label language. The particulars are given in an official language of each country where the food is sold (Article 14(1)), on the pack and on the product page. - VAT. Once your cross-border sales to consumers in other EU countries exceed €10,000 a year in total, you charge the VAT of the customer's country and declare it through the One-Stop Shop (OSS). The details are in OSS and EU VAT for cross-border sales . - A store per country. With the Multilang app, each language gets its own store linked to your main one, with its own language and currency: products are copied, texts can be translated with AI and prices adjusted with a multiplier. See multilingual and multi-currency stores . ## How to build an online pet store in CloudCart An online pet store in CloudCart is built with the tools already in the platform: subscriptions, couriers, weight-based shipping, properties and invoices, and CloudCart takes [0% commission on your sales](https://cloudcart.com/en/offer/zero-commission-ecommerce) on every plan. With one subscriber worth €592.80 a year, a platform charging 2% commission would take €11.86 from that customer alone. Plans and limits are on the [pricing page](https://cloudcart.com/en/pricing). When a customer can return an opened bag, and which deadlines apply across the EU, is covered in [returns and consumer rights for online stores](https://cloudcart.com/en/blog/returns-consumer-rights-online-store). > A store for €1 €1/month for the first 3 months While your authority handles the registration, you can build the catalogue, the subscription plans and the shipping methods. Subscriptions with CloudCart Pay, variants and weight-based shipping work from Baby Pack (€14 a month billed annually, excluding VAT), and the first 3 months cost €1/month. Create a store for €1 → ## Returns of pet food: what EU law allows In every EU country, a customer has 14 days to withdraw from an online purchase without giving a reason. Article 16 of the [Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02011L0083-20220528) lists the exceptions that matter to a pet store: goods liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly (point (d)), such as fresh or frozen raw food, and sealed goods unsealed after delivery that are not suitable for return for health protection or hygiene reasons (point (e)). The second exception only covers sealed goods, so it needs a visible seal on the pack. State the exceptions in your terms and on the product page. Dry food, accessories and toys in their original packaging are returned like any other goods, and a faulty or expired product is always covered by the legal guarantee. ## Mistakes that stop an online pet store - Selling before checking registration. In countries that require it, distance selling of pet food without registration or notification is fined. In Bulgaria the fine for a company starts at €1,533.88. - Antiparasitics in an ordinary pet store. Most are veterinary medicines and are sold online only by an authorised retailer. - Products without weight. The customer sees a lower delivery price, and you pay the difference for the 12 kg bag. - A subscription without a payment method. If CloudCart Pay is not ticked in the subscription settings, the plan does not show and there is no error message. ## Frequently asked questions **How do I start an online pet store?** Register your business, check with your national food and feed authority whether pet food retail and distance selling need registration, and gather the label data for every food. Then build the catalogue by animal, set up weight-based shipping, card payments and a food subscription. On CloudCart a new store costs €1/month for the first 3 months on any plan. **Do I need a licence to sell pet food online in the EU?** It depends on your country. EU feed hygiene rules exclude pet food retail from their scope but let each member state set its own rules, and some, such as Bulgaria, require registration and a notification of distance selling. If you make, repack or import pet food, registration as a feed business is required everywhere. **What must be on a pet food product page?** Before the order, the page shows the label particulars of Regulation 767/2009: type of feed, additives, the animal it is for, instructions for use, composition, analytical constituents and a contact channel. The operator, net quantity, batch and minimum storage life may be given at the latest on delivery. **Can a pet shop sell flea and tick treatments online?** Only if it is authorised to supply veterinary medicinal products, because most flea and tick treatments are veterinary medicines. Under Regulation (EU) 2019/6, an authorised retailer may sell non-prescription veterinary medicines online across the EU and shows the common EU logo on those pages. **How do I set up a dog food subscription in my online store?** In CloudCart, install the Subscriptions app, tick CloudCart Pay as the payment method and create a plan for the food category with an option such as "every 4 weeks, 5% off". The store creates each new order on schedule, and the customer can skip a delivery from their account. **How do I ship heavy bags of dog food?** By courier to the address or a pickup point, with the price based on the real weight. Lockers such as BOX NOW take up to 20 kg, and CloudCart does not offer a locker when the cart does not fit. For bulky orders, aggregators such as Sendcloud and EuShipment give you several couriers on one contract. **Can customers return pet food bought online?** Yes, within 14 days in the EU, with two exceptions: food that deteriorates rapidly, such as fresh or frozen raw food, and sealed goods unsealed after delivery that cannot be returned for hygiene reasons. State both in your terms and on the product page. Questions about subscriptions or shipping heavy parcels in your store? Write to us at [support@cloudcart.com](https://cloudcart.commailto:support@cloudcart.com). You can start your store today: [Create a store for €1](https://cloudcart.com/en/offer/online-store-for-1-euro).