Yes: if an online store accepts payments from individuals, 54-FZ requires a fiscal receipt for every payment, delivered to the buyer. Buying physical cash register hardware is not required, though — a cloud register covers it.
What the law requires
Federal law 54-FZ obliges a seller to issue a receipt at the moment of settlement, transmit it to the tax authority through a fiscal data operator, and send a copy to the buyer by email or phone number. For online payments the receipt is due at the moment the payment goes through.
Cloud register versus hardware
A physical register is a device that sits on your premises, needs servicing, a fiscal drive replacement and floor space. A cloud register is the same fiscal drive, hosted in a data centre and connected to your site over an API.
For an online store with no physical location the cloud option is usually simpler: no hardware to buy and keep running.
How it works in practice
- The customer pays for the order on the site.
- The payment service records a successful transaction.
- The order contents, amount and buyer contact are passed to the register.
- The receipt is issued, sent to the tax authority and to the buyer.
All of this is automatic once the register is wired into payment acceptance — no manual step for your team.
Worth checking upfront
- Whether item names are passed correctly — they should be meaningful, not "Service".
- Whether the VAT rate matches your tax regime.
- Whether the buyer has a way to receive the receipt: an email or phone number in the order.
- What happens on a refund — it needs a receipt too.
At MulenPay fiscalisation runs in the cloud: receipts are generated and delivered automatically, with no hardware. See online cash register.
