Becoming a street vendor will provide you with an opportunity to learn more about doing business and you’ll be able to use the knowledge and experience later on, if you decide to open a traditional store. Plus, you don’t have to leave your job and work full-time at your sales stand (at least at the beginning) because the stand sales are usually time limited:

• seasonal (ice-cream sales in summer, Christmas Tree sales before Christmas)
• particular events (Christmas market, weekend fairs, etc.)

Street vending is better for beginners since it requires less time and a smaller budget than a traditional store.

We hope that the information below will help you in becoming a successful vendor. What do you need to know before you start?

Sales stand = business premises

A sales stand is defined, by law, as business premises. Depending on the type of business premises the business will be subject to final inspection (downtown markets) or not (limited-time sales stands). According to the Trade Licensing Act, a mobile sales stand is a stand that moves its location every three months.

Do you need a trade license?

The answer is yes. The town hall will assign you the license and a category according to the type of product you are going to sell. The types of itinerant sales that are considered are usually (although it may vary according to the municipality):

• Sale at street markets.
• Sale at temporary or periodic markets
• Sale on public roads.
• Itinerant sale in store trucks.

With respect to street food sales, they're regulated by many different laws: from European legislation, to that of the local councils, to national and regional legislation. Therefore, it is not surprising that it is a real bureaucratic labyrinth to start a business of this type. There are, in short, 17 different legislations, plus 8,100 local council by-laws. Furthermore, what is permitted in one location may be prohibited in another, bear that in mind.

What else do you need?

In addition to the business license, you'll need:

• Be registered in the corresponding section of the economic activities tax and be up to date in the payment of the fee or, in case of being exempted, be registered in the census of taxpayers.
• Be up to date with the payment of Social Security contributions; providers from third countries must demonstrate compliance with the obligations established in current legislation regarding residence and work permits.
• Meet the conditions required by the regulations governing the product or products that are sold on an itinerant or non-sedentary basis.

Informing the authorities

And although it is obvious, any change in the business such as the location or time of the activity should be communicated to the competent office as such changes may not be allowed or may require a modification of the license.

What documents do you need to have at your street stand?

Merchants must display the following information about their business in a permanent and visible manner:

1. Name of the business.
2. The hours of operation in a visible manner. 
3. Prices of all items for sale must be displayed in a manner that is clearly visible and legible to the public.
4. In all sales operations the business person is obliged to provide the consumer with a sales receipt, ticket or simplified invoice.

Unpacked products

Health is a big concern when selling unpacked products, therefore you have to make sure that your sales stand provides:

• security of clean products
• clean and washable containers and clean storage space
• refrigerator if the products require it (meat and dairy products)
• disinfected space and tools used for handling the products

Your responsibilities

The rights of consumers in itinerant sales are exactly the same as when buying in a fixed establishment. Among other things:

• The price list has to be visible and an invoice can be demanded.
• They can return the product within a certain period of time if it is defective and, if they have a problem, they can request the complaint form.

As a street vendor you are obliged to offer goods in good condition, with their corresponding boxes and well ordered.

It is compulsory to indicate not only the final price of the good, but also the unit price of each product. In other words, in addition to the final sales price, including VAT and other taxes, the price per kilogram, litre, square metre or cubic metre of the product must also be indicated on each product.

EET systems for street vendors

The electronic records of sales, also known as EET, allows businesses to electronically store and register all of their sales, which allows for better and easier control and management of finances and taxes. Registering and using EET, can be a great advantage for street vendors, and will surely make your job much easier.

EET terminals

You can either get the traditional more expensive hardware that is difficult to move around and pay monthly fees for using the EET terminal or you can opt for a modern and simple solution.

What are we talking about? We’re talking about Trisbee! Trisbee is a POS terminal for your mobile phone allowing you to accept contactless payment in a matter of seconds.

Customers pay by scanning your personal QR code with their phones. The whole process is really simple and your money will be on your account within 24 hours after the purchase, including bank holidays and weekends.

Trisbee, a great solution for merchants

The payment terminal app we developed is quite popular amongst lots of retailers in Europe. What are the advantages of Trisbee, you might ask?

1. You only need your phone - no unnecessary hardware
2. The app is free for everybody and you actually get paid by us for accepting payments through our app. Read more about Trisbee payment terminal.
3. Registration is simple, fast and non-binding
4. Trisbee will help you to register the sales and provide an overview of all the transactions.
5. Includes Loyalty Programs Feature - reward your customers!
6. We guarantee money on your account in 24 hours or less after the sale.

Trisbee is a simple and fast alternative to traditional payment terminals that will make your sales management easier. Try how easy it is with our POS terminal.