SAL and SOL badges on your website: what they are, where to place them, and why Romania's ANPC asks online shops for them

You got a notice of an ANPC inspection, or you just want peace of mind, and you keep running into two labels: SAL and SOL. You see them on other stores, in the footer or in the terms and conditions, but nobody clearly explains what they are, whether they are mandatory, and exactly where they belong. For an online shop owner that is a real source of stress, especially when your plate is already full.

The good news is that this is much simpler than it looks. You do not have to buy any product and there is no hidden fee. At its core it is an information duty: you must tell your customer that if they have a dispute with you, they can resolve it in a way other than going to court. In this article I explain in plain terms what SAL and SOL mean, where to place them on your site, and what has recently changed, so you are not left with outdated information.

What SAL and SOL actually are

They are two mechanisms for resolving disputes between you (the trader) and an unhappy customer, without a court trial.

• SAL stands for Alternative Dispute Resolution (Solutionarea Alternativa a Litigiilor in Romanian). It is a way for a consumer to ask a specialized body to mediate the conflict. In Romania the main body operates within ANPC (the consumer protection authority). The legal basis is a government ordinance that transposes an EU directive on alternative dispute resolution.

• SOL stands for Online Dispute Resolution (ODR in English). It was an online platform run by the European Commission, where a customer buying online could file a complaint, found at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.

In short: SAL is the national mechanism through ANPC, while SOL was the EU-level online option for online purchases.

Why ANPC asks for them (and what it actually checks)

Many owners think they have to "install" something or pay for a service. That is not the case. It is simply an information duty.

As an online shop you must inform your customer, clearly and in an easy-to-find place, that alternative dispute resolution exists and which SAL body is competent (ANPC). In practice the customer should learn about this option from your site, not have to hunt for it.

When an inspection happens, the ANPC inspector is not looking for a pretty badge; they check whether the information is present and accessible. Missing it, along with other gaps (terms, return policy, company details), can lead to penalties. So it is not about a logo, it is about transparency.

Where to place them on your site

The form matters less (button, text or logo) than being visible and permanent. The practical recommendation:

• In the footer, the bottom strip that appears on every page. Everyone sees it there, no matter where they landed.
• On a dedicated page, such as "Dispute Resolution", or inside your "Terms and Conditions" / "Consumer Protection" page.
• Ideally, a mention in the order confirmation email as well.

What to write there: the name of the competent SAL body (ANPC), a link to the official site anpc.ro, and your real contact details (company name, tax ID, address, email). You do not need fancy graphics. A clear, correctly written paragraph with a working link does the job better than a colorful button that leads nowhere.

Heads up: the old SOL button can now hurt you

This is the part few people know, and one I often see on sites built a few years ago.

The European SOL / ODR platform (the one at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr) was shut down in 2025. It stopped accepting complaints, and the EU regulation that required it was repealed. In other words, the classic "Online Dispute Resolution" button that pointed to that address now, in many cases, leads to a page that no longer works.

What to do in practice:

• If you have an old link to the SOL/ODR platform, check it. If it leads to a dead page, remove or update it.
• Keep the information about SAL through ANPC, which remains valid.

Because rules can change, always check the current status on anpc.ro before you change anything important.

A short checklist to stay calm during an inspection

So you are not left wondering whether you forgot something, here is the short list worth ticking off on your store:

• A clear, complete Terms and Conditions page
• A return policy (the 14-day right of withdrawal for online orders)
• Visible company details: name, tax ID, address, email, phone
• The information about SAL / ANPC in the footer
• No dead link to the old SOL platform
• A privacy policy (GDPR) and cookie notice

If you look at that list and are not sure you have all of it, that is a sign it is worth a check. At MPO Web Studio we build stores that come with these pages included from the start, and we work entirely remotely, anywhere in the country. If you want us to look over your site together, message us on WhatsApp and we will honestly tell you what is missing, without pushing you to buy anything.