Shopping in Malta

Malta has no single central shopping system. Everyday purchases are available through supermarkets, minimarkets, grocery shops, specialist retailers, shopping centres, open-air markets and online providers. The Farmers’ Market Ta’ Qali gives consumers direct access to local fresh produce. The Agricultural Marketing Centre, also called Pitkalija, serves wholesale trade and is not a normal public shopping channel. Market Hawkers and Street Hawkers may sell goods only under the applicable licensing arrangements. Malta and Gozo offer the same basic consumer rights, while distance, delivery coverage and access to markets can differ. Comino has fewer local retail options and usually depends more on deliveries or nearby islands. Personal and household-care products, clothing and technology are available from local retailers and online stores. Bring Your Own Container, or BYOC, is a voluntary CEMalta initiative that supports purchases using reusable containers; participating businesses and available incentives vary. For clothing bought in a physical shop, a change of mind does not generally create a legal right to exchange or receive a refund, although a retailer may offer its own policy. Personalised or made-to-measure goods are among the possible exceptions to online withdrawal rights. Online sellers should show their identity, product characteristics, total price including taxes and delivery charges, payment method, delivery terms, complaint process and withdrawal conditions before purchase. Consumers normally have 14 days to withdraw from an online purchase after receiving the goods and a further 14 days to return them. The consumer usually pays return postage when the seller gave that information in advance. Exceptions can include perishable goods, regular grocery deliveries, personalised goods, opened sealed software or media, and digital content that has started with the consumer’s consent. On a marketplace, check whether the seller is a business or a private individual because consumer rights may differ. A secure website, credit card or PayPal generally offers more protection than an advance bank transfer, although a chargeback is not automatic. A purchase from outside the EU can add import VAT, customs duties, carrier-processing charges, restrictions and delivery delays. Import VAT may be collected at checkout through IOSS or during import. From 1 July 2026 until 1 July 2028, a provisional EUR 3 customs duty applies to each goods category or HS subheading in postal consignments with a goods value of up to EUR 150; consignments above EUR 150 follow the regular customs rules. Check the MaltaPost portal, the Customs Department and the TARIC information for the exact consignment. Payments in Malta use the euro. Cash is legal tender, and consumers also commonly use debit cards, credit cards, bank transfers, direct debit and SEPA payments. Card payments represented about 60% of supermarket turnover in 2024. A seller must not impose an unjustified card surcharge. Keep receipts, orders, photographs and written communication when a purchase goes wrong. For a complaint, contact the seller first in writing. If the matter remains unresolved, the MCCAA Office for Consumer Affairs accepts complaints and requires supporting documents; its conciliation process generally takes up to 15 working days. ECC Malta can assist with eligible disputes involving traders in other EU or EEA countries. Technology products bought from a trader in Malta have a statutory conformity guarantee of at least two years. For a defect, the seller should provide a free repair or replacement; if that is not possible or does not resolve the problem, a price reduction or full refund may follow under the applicable conditions. A defect reported within the first year is generally presumed to have existed when the goods were delivered unless the circumstances indicate otherwise. The MCCAA supervises product safety and consumer matters. Waste electrical and electronic equipment, known as WEEE, can often go through retailer take-back schemes or a WasteServ Civic Amenity Site. The Beverage Container Refund Scheme, or BCRS, covers specified non-refillable PET, metal and glass beverage containers from 0.1 to 3 litres. It adds a refundable EUR 0.10 deposit, which consumers can recover through a reverse vending machine, or RVM, a redemption location or a voucher. Malta’s environmental systems also include mandatory separate waste collection. Packaging, electrical and electronic equipment and batteries are subject mainly to producer and importer obligations under extended producer responsibility, or EPR, rather than a separate primary duty on ordinary consumers. Packaging and WEEE should go to the appropriate bring-in site, Civic Amenity Site or retailer take-back system.