Shopping in Haiti

Urban areas, especially Port-au-Prince, offer more modern retail choices. Provincial and rural areas rely more heavily on marchés, saras and local traders. A sara, also called a Madan Sara, is a trader who moves agricultural goods through local markets and distribution chains. Fresh agricultural products commonly pass from producers through first- and second-level traders to rural markets, wholesalers and retailers. Supermarkets carry fresh goods as well as imported and processed products, but price and availability require local checking. Boutiques, supermarchés, pharmacies and marketplaces sell hygiene products, cosmetics and household goods. Épiceries, boutiques and general stores should not generally sell medicines or pharmaceutical preparations; those products belong in pharmacies under the relevant health oversight. The Bureau Haïtien de Normalisation (BHN) develops standards and can support testing and the national conformity mark. BHN certification is a voluntary conformity indication, not a universal quality seal for every product. Clothing is available as imported ready-to-wear, second-hand goods from friperies and locally made items from couture and cordonnerie providers. Local tailors and shoemakers can repair or produce items, while the Haitian market remains strongly affected by imported clothing and shoes. Return and quality arrangements depend on the seller, stated guarantee and actual agreement. No universal return or exchange period is established in the official material reviewed, so the conditions should be recorded before payment. Technology is sold mainly through importers, local shops, social commerce and local marketplaces. For a phone, computer, accessory, appliance or solar product, check the exact model, network compatibility, serial number, new or used condition, charger, voltage, guarantee, spare parts and total price including delivery or import charges. Haiti has no nationally evidenced after-sales or guarantee register for these goods. Online shopping exists through social-media sellers and local platforms such as AyitiCo, Bemane, UniTout and Surfgroupe, but coverage is not nationwide. A service may offer delivery or pickup, accept HTG or US dollars, and provide some buyer or seller protection. Check the platform's terms, stock location, delivery zone, fees, customs treatment and dispute process before paying. Electronic signatures and electronic documents are legally recognized under the 2025 CONATEL decree and its 2025 implementing rules, but that recognition does not create an automatic national right to return an online purchase. The gourde, written HTG, is Haiti's national currency. Sellers may also accept United States dollars depending on the transaction. Payment can use cash, checks, bank transfers, cards, point-of-sale terminals, mobile payment, bank-led payment and financial-service-provider agents. MonCash, NatCash and Visa are examples whose availability depends on the provider and location. Never share a PIN or one-time password, and keep the transaction receipt. The Banque de la République d'Haïti (BRH) regulates financial service providers and mobile payment, while PRONAP promotes interoperability, security and lower payment costs. A dispute about a payment service should first go through the provider's complaint process and may then follow the BRH process; paying a merchant does not automatically place the purchase under financial-consumer rules. Commercial imports follow a separate customs process. The importer generally files the declaration within 21 consecutive days after arrival and keeps the bill of lading and original invoice. A DPI, the required prior import declaration, applies for a FAB value of US$3,000 to US$5,000, and a DPI plus an SGS attestation applies at a FAB value of at least US$5,000. The customs assessment should be paid within four working days. A payment above HTG 15,000 is made by a manager's check to the BRH under the stated customs procedure. A private parcel should not automatically be assessed under this commercial-import process; its treatment depends on the shipment and applicable customs rules. The consumer price index published by IHSI can show inflation and price movement, but it is not the price of a specific item in a specific shop. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry's Directorate of Consumer Quality and Consumer Protection (MCI/DCQPC) handles product and seller compliance, advertising, measurement issues and consumer complaints. A complaint can include the invoice, contract, guarantee, photographs and other receipts. The authority may review admissibility, inspect or audit, and seek an amicable settlement. If that fails, a court process remains possible, and the case may lead to measures such as temporary closure or prosecution. The BHN handles standards and conformity matters. For medicines and agricultural products, the relevant health or agriculture authorities also matter: the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR). Customs matters belong to the Administration Générale des Douanes (AGD). Buyers should check the product, price, measurements, guarantee, delivery or pickup terms and payment record, then keep all evidence. Sellers are expected to provide the goods and information promised and to respect applicable quality, measurement, receipt and guarantee obligations. Haiti has no single national take-back and recycling system evidenced for electronics, textiles or packaging. The Ministry of the Environment, the Service National de Gestion des Résidus Solides (SNGRS) and municipalities support waste-management initiatives such as Konbit Haïti Zéro Déchet, but collection and recycling availability must be checked locally. Buying local goods, repairing items, using couture or cordonnerie services, reusing products and reducing single-use packaging are functional local options where available.