The Commercial Contracts a Canadian E-Commerce Brand Actually Needs

Key takeaways: An online store's legal exposure rarely comes from its own storefront — the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy are usually in place. It comes from the paper a supplier, manufacturer or platform hands over, which the business signs without a lawyer ever reading it.

E-commerce founders often treat the legal side as "set up the website pages once and done." That covers the baseline, but a growing store also deals with manufacturers, freelancers and platform contracts it didn't write — and that's where the real risk sits.

The baseline every online store needs

• Terms of Service. Governs every customer purchase — returns, liability, dispute resolution.
• Privacy Policy. Required under PIPEDA the moment the store collects customer data — which is immediately, at checkout.
• Cookie Policy. Covers analytics and ad-tracking pixels running on the storefront.

Before you share anything with a manufacturer or supplier

• Non-Disclosure Agreement. Covers product specs, pricing, or supplier relationships shared before a manufacturing or wholesale deal is finalized.

When a supplier or platform sends you their contract

• Contract Review. A flat-fee, lawyer-reviewed second opinion on paper someone else drafted — a manufacturer's terms, a 3PL or fulfillment agreement, a wholesale contract. This is the one most e-commerce founders skip, usually because they assume a lawyer review means an hourly bill.

If you use freelance designers or photographers

• IP Assignment or IP Licensing Agreement. Confirms the store actually owns (or has a licence to use) the product photography, packaging design or brand assets a freelancer created — without it, the freelancer technically retains the rights.

What this costs at Ruby

Ruby drafts and reviews these as flat fees reviewed by a licensed Canadian lawyer: Terms of Service and Privacy Policy are each $499, Cookie Policy is $299, a mutual NDA is $299, Contract Review starts at $499, and an IP Assignment Agreement is $499 (IP Licensing is $799).

This article is general information about commercial contracts for e-commerce businesses and is not legal advice for your specific situation. Contact us to talk through your contracts.