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Shopping in Portugal, from Traditional Markets to Online Delivery

Researched and written with AI tools from official sources. How we make our guides

Markets, weekly fairs, shop hours, paying by card or MB WAY, your NIF on receipts, online returns, guarantees, and parcels from outside the EU.

The Portugal Brief 6 min read

Shopping in Portugal, from Traditional Markets to Online Delivery

Last verified: October 2026.

Who this is for

  • You have just moved to Portugal and want to know where and how people shop.
  • You buy online, from Portuguese, EU, or non-EU shops, and want to know your rights.

Not for you if: you want monthly budget figures for food, rent, and bills. Read Cost of Living in Portugal instead.

Most towns in Portugal have a covered municipal market for fresh food, and many have a weekly open-air fair. Shops may open any day, unless the council restricts it, so many supermarkets open on Sundays. Card payment is common, and shops cannot charge you extra for it. When you buy online from an EU shop, you have 14 days to change your mind. Goods come with a three-year legal guarantee. Parcels from outside the EU always carry VAT, and since 1 July 2026 a small customs duty too.

Municipal markets (mercados municipais)

A municipal market is a covered market run by the local council (câmara municipal). Stalls sell fruit and vegetables, fish, meat, bread, cheese, and often flowers. Many people do their weekly fresh food shopping there.

Markets usually open early and close in the afternoon. Hours differ from town to town, so check your council's website. For example, Braga's municipal market, the Praça, opens:

  • Tuesday to Friday, 07:00 to 17:00
  • Saturday, 07:00 to 14:00
  • closed on Sunday and Monday

Its food hall keeps longer hours. Go early for the best fish and produce. Smaller stalls may prefer cash.

Weekly fairs (feiras)

Many towns also hold a weekly or monthly open-air fair. Fairs sell fruit and vegetables, plants, clothes, household goods, and crafts. Your council or parish council (junta de freguesia) publishes the dates and the place.

The fair in Barcelos, in the Minho, is held every Thursday on the Campo da República. The council describes it as one of the oldest fairs in Europe, dating from 1412. It is known for local crafts and garden produce.

Supermarkets and shop opening hours

The law lets shops, restaurants, and cafés set their own opening hours, on any day of the week. A council can restrict hours in a particular area, for safety or to protect residents' quality of life. So hours vary by shop and by town. Many supermarkets open seven days a week. Check the shop's own website or the sign on the door.

Some shops close or open shorter hours on public holidays. See Public Holidays in Portugal.

Paying in shops

  • Cards. Contactless card payment is common. Under EU rules, a shop cannot charge you extra for paying with a personal debit or credit card. The ban does not cover some three-party cards, such as American Express, or company cards.
  • MB WAY. This phone app, linked to a Portuguese bank card, lets you pay in shops and online and send money to friends. See Using MB Way and Multibanco in Portugal.
  • Cash. Small market stalls and some traditional shops still prefer cash.

Give your NIF at the till

When you pay, the cashier often asks "Contribuinte?". This means: do you want your tax number (NIF) on the receipt? Say yes if you are a Portuguese taxpayer. The receipt then goes to your record on the e-fatura system, and some spending lowers your income tax:

  • general family spending counts at 35%, up to €250 per adult
  • 15% of the VAT you pay at restaurants, hairdressers, car repairs, vets, and a few other sectors, up to €250 per household

Check your receipts on e-fatura by the end of February each year. See Validating Your Invoices on e-Fatura in Portugal and Filing Your Annual Income Tax Return (IRS) in Portugal.

Buying online: your 14 days to cancel

If you buy online, by phone, or from a seller at your door, you can cancel within 14 days without giving a reason. For goods, the 14 days start when you receive them.

  1. Tell the seller you are cancelling. Use the seller's form or any clear written message.
  2. Send the goods back within 14 days of telling the seller, unless the seller collects them.
  3. The seller must refund everything you paid, including standard delivery, within 14 days of hearing from you.

Usually you pay the cost of sending the goods back. The seller pays if it said it would, or if it did not tell you about this cost before you bought.

If the seller never told you about your right to cancel, the period runs for 12 more months.

The right does not apply to some purchases, including:

  • goods made to your order
  • food and other goods that spoil quickly
  • sealed media or digital content you have opened or started using
  • event tickets and some travel services

The 14 days do not cover purchases in a shop. If you change your mind about something you bought in person, a return depends on the shop's own policy.

If you buy new goods from a business, the seller is responsible for any fault that appears within three years of delivery. If the fault appears in the first two years, the law assumes it was there from the start. You do not have to prove it. For used goods, the seller and you can agree to cut the guarantee to 18 months, unless the item is sold as refurbished.

The seller pays the cost of returning a faulty item.

Parcels from outside the EU

VAT is always due on goods you buy online from outside the EU, whatever their value. Customs and excise duty can also apply.

From 1 July 2026, the EU charges a temporary €3 customs duty on low-value parcels. It covers goods worth up to €150 bought from outside the EU. The duty is charged per item, counted by tariff category, not by quantity. The seller or importer declares and pays it, but it may be passed on to you in the price. The European Commission says the temporary duty applies until 1 July 2028.

If something goes wrong

  1. Contact the shop first, in writing if you can, and keep your receipt.
  2. Ask for the complaints book (livro de reclamações). Shops open to the public must keep the paper book and post a sign saying so. A shop cannot refuse because it has an online version or because the book is in another branch.
  3. You can also complain online, through the electronic complaints book. It has the same value as the paper one.

See How to File a Consumer Complaint in Portugal.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute with a seller, check the official sources below or ask a consumer advice service.

Sources

This guide is written from official sources and, where relevant, organisations' own websites.

Last verified October 2026. Rules and fees change; check the official source before acting.

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