Countries › Colombia › Guide › 13. Regulation › E-commerce and electronic signatures in Colombia: validity of data messages, electronic and digital signatures, certification entities, contract formation and online seller duties

E-commerce and electronic signatures in Colombia: validity of data messages, electronic and digital signatures, certification entities, contract formation and online seller duties

Last verified: 2026-10-27 · Status: Stable

Ley 527 de 1999 gives data messages the same legal effect as paper: written form, signature and original requirements are met electronically, contracts can be formed by data messages and electronic records are admissible evidence. Any reliable and appropriate electronic signature (codes, passwords, biometrics, keys) satisfies a signature requirement, while a digital signature backed by a certification entity accredited by ONAC carries a presumption that the signer intended to be bound. Online sales to consumers add the Estatuto del Consumidor duties: identity and full price disclosure, order summary, next day acknowledgment, 30 day default delivery, 5 business day withdrawal and payment reversal, with SIC fines of up to COP 2,809,520,000 (about US$889,700).

USD figures use the TRM (tasa representativa del mercado) of COP 3,157.94 per US dollar, valid 27 October 2026, from the official TRM series published by the Superintendencia Financiera on the national open data portal. Conversions are for orientation only.

Key facts

Consumer withdrawal right for online sales	5 business daysLey 1480 de 2011 art. 47, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Deadline to send the order acknowledgment after an online purchase	1 calendar daysLey 1480 de 2011 art. 50 lit. d, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Default delivery term for online orders if none was agreed	30 calendar daysLey 1480 de 2011 art. 50 lit. h (Ley 2439 de 2024 art. 4), as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Term for a consumer to request an online payment reversal	5 business daysLey 1480 de 2011 art. 51, as of 2026-10-27 · in force

The rule

1. The law applies to all information in the form of a data message (information generated, sent, received, stored or communicated by electronic, optical or similar means, including EDI, internet and email), except obligations under international treaties and written warnings that must legally be printed on certain risky products. Electronic commerce covers any commercial relationship, contractual or not, structured through data messages, including supply, distribution, agency, financial, construction, consulting, licensing and transport operations.Ley 527 de 1999, Art. 1 and art. 2, 1999-08-18 official text · verified 2026-10-27

2. Information may not be denied legal effect, validity or binding force solely because it is in the form of a data message. A legal requirement that information be in writing is met by an accessible data message; an original requirement is met if there is a reliable guarantee of integrity from creation and it can be shown when required; and a record keeping requirement is met if the message is accessible, kept in its format or one that reproduces it accurately, and with origin, destination, date and time data. Merchants' books and papers may be kept in any medium that ensures exact reproduction.Ley 527 de 1999, Art. 5, 6, 8 and 12, 1999-08-18 official text · verified 2026-10-27

3. When a rule requires a signature, a data message meets it if a method is used that identifies the originator and indicates approval of the content, and the method is as reliable as appropriate for the purpose. Unless otherwise agreed, an offer and its acceptance may be expressed by data messages and a contract is not invalid because data messages were used. Data messages are admissible evidence and are weighed under sound judgment considering the reliability of how they were generated, stored and communicated, integrity and identification of the originator.Ley 527 de 1999, Art. 7, 10, 11 and 14, 1999-08-18 official text · verified 2026-10-27

4. An electronic signature is any method, such as codes, passwords, biometric data or private cryptographic keys, that identifies a person in relation to a data message, provided it is reliable and appropriate for the purpose, considering all circumstances and any agreement. It is reliable if the signature creation data correspond exclusively to the signer and any unauthorized alteration after signing can be detected, and it has the same validity and legal effects as a handwritten signature if it meets those requirements. Technological neutrality applies, and signers must keep control of their creation data and give notice if compromised.Decreto 1074 de 2015 (compiling Decreto 2364 de 2012), Art. 2.2.2.47.1 to 2.2.2.47.6, 2015-05-26 official text · verified 2026-10-27

5. When a digital signature is affixed to a data message, the subscriber is presumed to have intended to authenticate it and be bound by its content; it has the same force as a handwritten signature if it is unique to the user, verifiable, under the user's exclusive control, linked to the message so that changes invalidate it, and compliant with government regulations. Certification entities that issue digital and electronic signature certificates, time stamping and electronic archiving services may be public or private, national or foreign legal entities or chambers of commerce, accredited by the Organismo Nacional de Acreditación de Colombia (ONAC), which may suspend or withdraw accreditation.Ley 527 de 1999 (art. 29 and art. 30 as amended by Decreto 19 de 2012 art. 160 and art. 161), Art. 2 lit. c, art. 28, 29 and 30, 1999-08-18 official text · verified 2026-10-27

6. Suppliers in Colombia selling to consumers by electronic means must disclose their identity and tax ID, product characteristics, total price with taxes and separate shipping costs, payment methods, delivery time and the withdrawal right; publish their general terms; show an order summary before completion; send an acknowledgment by the next calendar day; keep durable proof of the transaction; adopt reliable security measures, being liable for security failures of the means they provide; offer a traceable complaints channel; and deliver within the agreed term or 30 calendar days by default. Consumers have a 5 business day withdrawal right with refund in 15 calendar days and may request payment reversal for fraud, non delivery or defective goods within 5 business days.
Cost to do it: SIC fines for breaching consumer rules reach 2,000 pre 2024 minimum wages: COP 2,809,520,000 (about US$889,700) in 2026.Ley 1480 de 2011 (art. 47 and art. 50 as amended by Ley 2439 de 2024), Art. 47, 49, 50 and 51, 2024-12-19 official text · verified 2026-10-27

7. From 1 January 2024, fines, sanctions and thresholds previously set in monthly minimum wages are calculated through their equivalent in Unidades de Valor Básico (UVB), at 2023 values (one 2023 minimum wage of COP 1,160,000 equals 116 UVB of COP 10,000); tax, customs and exchange control amounts in UVT are excluded. The 2026 UVB is COP 12,110 (Resolución MinHacienda 3488 of 31 December 2025), so each pre 2024 minimum wage cap is worth COP 1,404,760 in 2026.Ley 2294 de 2023 (Plan Nacional de Desarrollo), Art. 313, 2023-05-19 official text · verified 2026-10-27

Feature	Electronic signature	Digital signature
Legal basis	Ley 527 art. 7; Decreto 1074 art. 2.2.2.47.1 to 2.2.2.47.5	Ley 527 art. 2 lit. c and art. 28
Method	Any reliable and appropriate method: codes, passwords, biometrics, private keys	Cryptographic value linked to the signer's key and the message
Certification	Not required; reliability can be proved by any means	Certificate from an ONAC accredited certification entity
Effect	Same as handwritten if reliable and appropriate	Presumption of intent to be bound; same force as handwritten if art. 28 attributes are met

Electronic versus digital signature in Colombia

Worked example

A US SaaS company signs a distribution agreement with a Colombian reseller using a click to sign platform with email authentication and an audit trail. Under Ley 527 art. 7 and Decreto 1074 art. 2.2.2.47.4 the signature is valid if the creation data belonged only to the signer and alterations are detectable; the audit trail is admissible evidence. For filings where authorities demand a certified digital signature, the company buys a certificate from an ONAC accredited entity.

Step by step

Choose a signature method proportionate to the transaction and keep audit trails showing identity, intent and integrity.
Agree in framework contracts that electronic signatures and data messages bind the parties.
Use certified digital signatures where a regulator or registry requires them.
Store electronic records in formats that preserve integrity and metadata for the commercial records retention period.
For consumer sales, implement the art. 50 checkout, acknowledgment, complaint and delivery rules and the withdrawal and reversal processes.

Common traps

The parties may agree that data messages will not form their contract, so check framework terms before relying on email acceptance.
An electronic signature that cannot detect later changes is not presumed reliable; the burden of proof then rests on the party relying on it.
Mandatory printed warnings on risky products cannot be replaced by electronic messages.
Online sellers are liable for security failures of the payment and transaction means they provide, even when operated by third parties.

Sources

← Intellectual property in Colombia: trademarks, patents and designs under Andean Decision 486, SIC procedure, 2026 official fees, non use cancellation and enforcementDisputes in Colombia: courts, conciliation, commercial arbitration, enforcing foreign judgments and awards, and ICSID →