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The EU right of withdrawal for online orders

The EU's 14-day right of withdrawal for online orders: when it starts, the model form, the withdrawal button required since June 2026, return costs and refunds.

Updated · 5 official sources

A consumer in the EU who buys online can withdraw from the purchase within 14 days without giving a reason, and for goods the 14 days start when the consumer receives them. Since 19 June 2026, a store that sells through a website or app also has to offer an online withdrawal function, labeled "withdraw from contract here" or something just as clear, for the whole of that period.

Rules as of 30 October 2026.

When does the 14-day period start?#

For goods, the 14-day withdrawal period runs from the day the consumer, or someone they name other than the carrier, takes physical possession of them. When one order arrives in several deliveries, it runs from the last item or lot; for a subscription it runs from the first delivery. For services it runs from the day the contract is concluded.

The right of withdrawal is set by the Consumer Rights Directive, Directive 2011/83/EU, which every member state applies through its own law. It is a legal minimum, separate from your own returns policy: you can offer more, never less. If you fail to tell the consumer about the right before the sale, the period doesn't end after 14 days but is extended by 12 months; if you correct the omission within that year, it ends 14 days after the consumer gets the information.

What must you tell customers before they buy?#

Before an online order is placed, the trader must tell the consumer the conditions, time limit and procedure for withdrawing, provide the model withdrawal form, and say where the online withdrawal function is. If the consumer will pay for returning the goods, that must be said too, with the cost where items are too large to go back by post.

The model withdrawal form is set out in Annex I(B) of the directive. It is a short notice addressed to the trader, giving the trader's name, address and email, the goods or service concerned, the order or delivery date and the consumer's name and address. The consumer can use it, the online function, or any other clear statement such as an email; they don't have to use your form.

What is the withdrawal button?#

The withdrawal button is the online withdrawal function that Article 11a of the Consumer Rights Directive, added by Directive (EU) 2023/2673, requires for every distance contract concluded through an online interface. Member states had to apply it from 19 June 2026, and it covers ordinary online shopping, not only financial services.

The function must be labeled "withdraw from contract here" or an equally unambiguous phrase in the store's language, be prominently displayed and easy to reach, and stay available for the whole withdrawal period. It must let the consumer send an online statement with their name, details identifying the order and the email or other channel for the acknowledgement. A second step, labeled "confirm withdrawal" or similar, sends it. You must then acknowledge receipt on a durable medium, such as an email, with the content and the date and time of submission. A withdrawal submitted before the period ends counts as made in time.

Who pays for returns, and what do you refund?#

When a consumer withdraws, the trader refunds every payment received, including standard delivery, within 14 days of being told, using the same payment method unless the consumer agrees otherwise. The consumer must send the goods back within 14 days of withdrawing and pays only the direct cost of returning them, and only if you told them so before the sale.

You don't have to refund the extra cost of a delivery method the consumer chose above your cheapest standard option. Unless you offered to collect the goods, you can hold the refund until you get them back or the consumer shows proof of sending them. The consumer is liable for any loss in value caused by handling the goods beyond what's needed to see how they work, but not if you never told them about the right of withdrawal.

Take an order for a €90 jacket where the customer paid €14 for express delivery instead of your €5 standard option. If they withdraw, you refund €95: the jacket and the standard delivery cost, not the extra €9. If your terms said the customer pays return postage, they cover it; if they didn't, you do.

Which purchases are excluded?#

The right of withdrawal doesn't apply to several kinds of purchase listed in Article 16 of the directive. They include goods made to the consumer's specifications or clearly personalized, goods that spoil or expire quickly, and sealed goods unsuitable for return for health or hygiene reasons once unsealed after delivery.

The list also covers goods inseparably mixed with other items after delivery, sealed audio, video or software unsealed after delivery, single newspapers and magazines (but not subscriptions), and goods whose price depends on financial market movements. For these, tell the consumer before the sale that the right doesn't apply.

What happens to duty and VAT when an imported order comes back?#

Duty and VAT on an order imported into the EU aren't automatically returned when the consumer withdraws. Since 1 July 2026, the import declaration for a returned distance sale up to €150 can no longer be invalidated to recover the €3 duty, although the general rules for repayment of customs duty still apply.

The €2 Union handling fee, expected from 1 November 2026, is never refunded. VAT you collected through IOSS can be corrected in a later monthly return once you've refunded the customer, and import VAT paid at the border can be repaid through the importing country's procedure when the goods are sent back. Factor these costs into your returns policy and your DDP pricing. The EU VAT guide covers IOSS, and US rules are in the US returns and refunds guide.

Common questions#

Does the EU right of withdrawal apply to sellers outside the EU?#

Generally yes. Under the Rome I Regulation, a consumer contract with a business that directs its activities to the consumer's country is governed by that country's law, and a choice of another law can't take away its mandatory consumer protections. The EU import guide covers the customs side of those sales.

Do I have to add a withdrawal button to my store?#

Yes, for orders placed through a website or app with EU consumers, since 19 June 2026. The function must be labeled "withdraw from contract here" or an equally clear phrase and stay available for the whole withdrawal period.

Who pays return shipping when an EU customer withdraws?#

The customer pays the direct cost of returning the goods only if you told them so before the sale. If you didn't, you pay it.

Sources#