Online shops must make their move and do not have too much time to think about it. If you sell through an e-commerce platform in the European Union, go ahead and mark 19 June 2026 on your calendar, because by that day the famous withdrawal button must be up and running on your website. Directive (EU) 2023/2673 does not mess around and requires that cancelling a purchase be as easy as making one. The following methods are therefore prohibited:
- PDFs that need to be printed or filled out.
- Requests by post.
- Requests by phone call.
The rule is clear: any distance contract, which means any purchase a customer makes, is included. It does not matter if you sell shoes, cooking courses, or digital service subscriptions. If you do not comply, the fines in Spain could reach up to 4% of your annual turnover, a substantial amount. Additionally, if you do not provide adequate information or make things easy, the legal deadline for a customer to withdraw their purchase goes from the usual 14 days to a whole year. Imagine the hassle of having to refund the money for an order 12 months later.
Penalties and deadlines for e-commerce
To comply with the law, any old solution will not do. Forget about putting an email address or a WhatsApp link; the directive specifically states that the function must be integrated into the shop’s interface. It must be a visible, direct, and accessible mechanism, even for those customers who shop as guests without registering. Ultimately, the idea is for the user to have a button or form at their disposal, preferably at the bottom of the page or in their customer area, so they can exercise their right without leaving your website.
There are some exceptions, such as customised goods, perishable products, or software that has already been downloaded, in which case the customer has no right to withdraw. However, be aware that as soon as you sell a single item that is not on that list of exceptions, you must set up the entire withdrawal button system just in case. It is better not to take any risks and have everything ready before the last-minute rush.
What happens in Spain?
In Spain, the final text of the Royal Decree has not yet been finalised, so for now, you must ensure you comply with the minimum version, which is as follows:
- Your shop must have a visible page or section on your website dedicated to withdrawal, easy to find from anywhere on the site. It is recommended to put it at the bottom of the page, along with all the legal and privacy policy information.
- An integrated form that the customer can fill out online without downloads or emails. The essential data are name, order email, order number, and a field for details.
- Immediate confirmation to the customer that their request has been received, usually by automatic email.
- Internal notification in your CMS or an external tool (ERP, incident management system, etc.).
- An auditable record of each request, with date, time, customer identification, and order identification. This part is intended for the customer to be able to claim it, so it is ideal to show it in the email you will send them.
How to implement the withdrawal button in WooCommerce or PrestaShop
If you use WooCommerce or PrestaShop, do not worry because we can integrate this solution for you. We already have a module designed for this purpose. Ask us for a quote, and we will help you protect yourself.