Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve put together some of the most commonly asked questions to give you more information about Theqa, the eCommerce trustmark.
We’ve put together some of the most commonly asked questions to give you more information about Theqa, the eCommerce trustmark.
Theqa is a MCIT stamp of approval for the local eCommerce sector. Websites that display the Theqa trustmark are government-certified, reassuring Qatar’s consumers that they have been approved to sell goods or services online. For eCommerce merchants, Theqa is a partner, helping online businesses to grow, providing best practice information and tools to help them maximise their potential.
To find out more about Theqa, please click here.
Theqa immediately establishes credibility and a foundation of trust with potential online customers, reassuring them that a website has been approved by Qatar’s MCIT. By removing doubt in the sales funnel, the Theqa trustmark is an invaluable tool for converting a sales prospect into a customer. Theqa further supports eMerchants in growing their online businesses and accessing new opportunities, by providing support and education in areas critical to success, and tools that will accelerate their growth.
To find out more about the benefits of Theqa for SMEs, please click here.
Any business registered with the relevant Qatari authority, such as the Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MoCI), Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) or Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP).
For more information please visit MCIT’s eCommerce Portal here.
Theqa’s registration criteria aim to help merchants adopt best practice and protect consumers in areas such as ePayments, personal data and transparency.
To find out more about the Theqa SME qualification process, please click here.
Applicants must first fill in a contact form and then a registration form. Their online store will then be reviewed by the Theqa team, who will either approve your application, or request you make further improvements to your platform in order to qualify for membership.
To apply for Theqa membership for SMEs, please click here.
Theqa certification must be renewed annually. Requalification follows the same qualification process and criteria used in the initial application process.
Approved eMerchants qualify to display a Theqa membership badge on their website or platform. Theqa provides recommendations and guidelines as to where to place the badge, for example in the header or footer of your website. Consumers may then click on this badge, which links to the Theqa website and displays the member’s credentials and business information.
If an application is not accepted, eMerchants may make changes to their website to ensure they fully adhere to the criteria outlined in the Code of Conduct, then re-apply in order to complete the membership qualification process.
In the case of an eMerchant Code of Conduct violation, or a recurred complaint received through the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Theqa will warn the member and grant them a period of time to fix the violation. If the violation/complaint is not fixed within the timeframe or if the member exceeds three Code of Conduct violations or five recurrent complaints within one year, Theqa may take corrective action and potentially revoke the eMerchant’s trustmark certification, so that the eMerchant will have to remove the Theqa badge from their platform.