Ecuador Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in ecuador, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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eCommerce
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Since the COVID-19 pandemic, eCommerce in Ecuador has experienced exponential growth. In 2024, according to Ecuador’s Electronic Chamber of Commerce (CECE), eCommerce sales totaled approximately $5.5 billion with the greatest growth and participation from the retail sector. With $2.8 billion in sales, domestic portals surpassed international ones in 2024. According to CECE’s 2024 eCommerce report, 94 percent of the population has purchased something online, up six percent from the previous year. While banking transactions are most frequent, product and service purchases closely follow. Shoppers prefer to buy on a brand’s website, though they use apps, marketplaces, social networks, and WhatsApp as well. The Central Bank of Ecuador (BCE) in 2024 reported 87.5 percent of Ecuadorians between the ages of 16 to 69 have an account with a financial institution.  

DataReportal reports that as of January 2025, there are 15.2 million internet users in Ecuador, representing an internet penetration rate of 83.7 percent of the total population. Ecuador has 18 million mobile connections. There were 13.5 million social media users in Ecuador at the start of 2025, equivalent to 74 percent of the total population. As of 2025, Tik Tok is the most popular social media platform in Ecuador with 13.5 million users, while Facebook follows with 12.6 million users, YouTube with 12 million users, and Instagram with 6.45 million users. 

In September 2020, Ecuador implemented a value-added tax (IVA) of 12 percent, which increased to 15 percent in 2024. Ecuador imposes the IVA on OTT (over the top) platform services including Uber, Airbnb, and Netflix on credit or debit cards issued in the country.

CECE notes that the leading eCommerce categories are groceries, pharmaceuticals and OTC (over the counter) products, and restaurants and curbside delivery.   

The following service providers are available in Ecuador:  

  • Payment gateways: Place to Pay, Payphone, Paypal, Kushki, Payclub, Nuvei, bank transfers, or cash on delivery (COD).
  • Last Milers:  Uber, Rappi, Pedidos Ya, Delivereo, Super Easy, among others.  

The CECE is a non-profit organization that seeks to develop the eCommerce ecosystem locally. Since 2010, CECE gathered important retailers from the private sector to join a regional initiative and launched the first eCommerce Day, an annual event ever since.  This event is a showcase of regional industry trends and shares best practices among attendees. Check CECE for the latest eCommerce studies and other information.  

Visit Ecuador’s Business Service Providers directory to find a local advisor. 

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

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The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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