Does my online shop need a withdrawal button from June 2026?

Since 19 June 2026, many online shops have needed an electronic withdrawal function. I explain who the duty applies to, how the button must look, and what a breach can cost you.

You run an online shop and you have heard that, since June 2026, there is supposed to be a mandatory button for cancellation — but you are not sure whether it applies to your range of products, or what it involves technically. This is exactly the kind of uncertainty I see a great deal of at the moment among clients who run their shop themselves or with an agency.

In short

Yes: since 19 June 2026, online shops that offer consumers distance contracts carrying a statutory right of withdrawal must provide an electronic withdrawal function — this is set out in § 356a BGB. Throughout the entire withdrawal period, the button must be clearly visible and easy to reach, bear the label “Cancel contract”, and give the customer an automatic acknowledgement of receipt. Only contracts that actually carry a right of withdrawal are affected — where the statutory exceptions apply (for example bespoke items or unsealed hygiene products), there is no right of withdrawal in the first place, so the button duty falls away.

How I can help you

• Checking whether, and to what extent, your shop falls under the new duty
• Reviewing whether your existing cancellation policy and order process fit § 356a BGB
• Liaising with your agency or shop system on the specific technical requirements
• Defending you if you receive a warning notice over a missing or defective button
• Ongoing support, so that future changes in the law and case law do not pass you by

Who the duty applies to — and who it does not

§ 356a BGB applies to distance contracts concluded via an “online interface” — so classic web shops, but also orders placed through apps or comparable digital interfaces. What matters is that it is a consumer contract for which a statutory right of withdrawal under § 355 BGB exists at all.

There is therefore no button duty where no right of withdrawal exists in any case. § 312g Abs. 2 BGB lists the classic exceptions: bespoke items made to the customer’s specification, perishable goods, sealed hygiene products once unsealed, unsealed audio or video recordings or software, along with a few further special cases. And, quite fundamentally: purely B2B dealings with businesses rather than consumers fall outside § 355 BGB from the outset. Anyone who, for instance, handles only made-to-measure items or purely B2B business does not need to provide the function for those contracts — but where the range is mixed, it is worth checking closely which product categories are affected.

What the button must actually look like

§ 356a BGB sets clear technical requirements:

• Label: “Cancel contract”, or another equally clear and unambiguous wording — a plain contact form or a hidden “Contact” field is not enough.
• Availability: the button must be permanently available throughout the entire withdrawal period, prominently placed and easy to reach — not tucked away behind a login search or in a submenu that hardly anyone finds.
• Data entry: the function must allow consumers to submit their name, details identifying the contract (e.g. the order number) and contact details.
• Confirmation function: once the data has been entered, a separate confirmation function — labelled “Confirm withdrawal” or equivalent — must trigger the actual declaration of withdrawal.
• Acknowledgement of receipt: the shop must promptly send the consumer, on a durable medium (e.g. by email), a confirmation stating the content, date and time of the withdrawal.

The withdrawal is timely as soon as the consumer has sent it through the function before the deadline expires — it no longer has to reach the trader on the same day.

The process: what you should check now

1. Go through your range: which products or services carry a right of withdrawal at all? The button is only mandatory there.
2. Check your shop system/theme: does your shop system (Shopify, WooCommerce, Shopware, etc.) or your theme already offer a compliant function, or do you need a plugin or a bespoke solution?
3. Test the placement: is the button genuinely reachable throughout the withdrawal period — including after login, in the order history, on the account page?
4. Set up the confirmation process: does the automatic acknowledgement of receipt go out reliably by email, with the required details?
5. Reconcile the cancellation policy: does the wording of your existing cancellation policy fit the new process, or does it need adjusting?

If you are unsure whether your technical implementation meets the requirements, a brief legal check before going live is well worth it — considerably cheaper than a warning notice later on.

The risks of not implementing it

Anyone who ignores the duty, or implements it sloppily, risks trouble on several fronts:

• A competition-law warning notice: a missing or unfindable withdrawal button is a classic breach of consumer-protection rules, which competitors or consumer associations can issue a warning notice over.
• Regulatory consequences: consumer-protection authorities can sanction breaches of the new information duties.
• An evidential risk in a dispute: if the automatic acknowledgement of receipt is missing, it becomes harder for you as the trader to prove the exact moment when a dispute arises over deadlines and receipt of the withdrawal.

An example from practice

An owner-run online shop for home accessories sells both stock items and individually printed bespoke pieces. The shop owner initially assumes that the new button duty affects his entire range, and is unsure how to handle the bespoke items technically — but there, because of the statutory exception for bespoke items, there is no right of withdrawal at all, and therefore no button duty. For the stock items, on the other hand, the button is missing entirely, because the shop plugin in use does not provide the function automatically. After a brief stocktake, the button is added for the affected product categories and the cancellation policy is adjusted accordingly — before a competitor or association takes notice.

Common mistakes

• Assuming across the board that all products are affected — without checking where a right of withdrawal actually exists.
• A plain contact form instead of a genuine withdrawal function — without the required two-step confirmation function.
• The button well hidden in the footer or only reachable after several clicks, rather than continuously visible throughout the withdrawal period.
• A missing or delayed acknowledgement of receipt, which counts against the trader in a dispute.
• Technical implementation without legal sign-off — the agency builds something that looks “similar” but does not match the statutory wording.

Frequently asked questions

Does the button duty also apply to small shops and sole traders?

Yes, the size of the business makes no difference. The only thing that matters is whether you offer consumers distance contracts carrying a statutory right of withdrawal via an online interface.

Is it enough just to mention the button in the cancellation policy?

No. § 356a BGB requires a genuinely working, technically implemented withdrawal function that is permanently available and easy to reach throughout the entire withdrawal period — a mere mention in the text is not enough.

What happens if my shop system does not yet offer the function?

You remain responsible as the operator. Approach your provider or your agency proactively and get them to confirm by when a compliant solution will be in place — if need be, a bespoke technical solution or a plugin will have to be added.

Do I need to build in a withdrawal button for B2B business as well?

No. § 356a BGB ties in with the right of withdrawal under § 355 BGB, which is available only to consumers. Purely business-to-business dealings with corporate customers are not covered.

Does the duty also apply to digital products and services, not just goods shipments?

Yes, provided a statutory right of withdrawal exists for the particular contract — for instance with certain digital content or services sold at a distance. Here too the rule is: first check whether a right of withdrawal exists at all, then implement the button duty.

Your next step

A missing or incorrectly implemented withdrawal button is an easily avoidable, yet genuinely warning-notice-worthy risk. Let me check in an initial consultation whether, and how, the duty under § 356a BGB affects your range, and how you can set your shop up on a legally sound footing — you will also find more on contract drafting and ongoing legal support for businesses at /en/topics/contract-law. Get in touch before a warning notice becomes the first prompt.

This is general information and does not replace legal advice in an individual case.

This article provides general information and is no substitute for legal advice in an individual case. Last updated: 2026-08-17.

Request an initial consultationWhat will it cost me?08091 617 7777