EU withdrawal button compliance checklist

• Know if the rules apply to you Check that you sell to people in the EU and that they can buy or sign up on your site. If yes, this list is for you.
• Add a clear withdrawal button Place a button or link that lets customers cancel. Use plain words like withdraw from your contract.
• Make it easy to find Put it where people expect it, such as the account area, the order page, or a help menu. Not buried deep.
• Add a short confirm step After the customer starts, ask them to confirm once. This stops accidental clicks. This is the two step pattern.
• Do not force a reason You may ask why they are cancelling, but you cannot make it a required field. The right to change their mind has no "why" attached.
• Send a saved confirmation After a request, email the customer a confirmation they can keep. The law calls this a durable medium.
• Record the date and time Save when each request came in. The deadlines for refunds count from these dates.
• Refund on time Refund without undue delay, and within 14 days once the conditions are met. Use the same payment method the customer used.
• Cover guest buyers too People who checked out without an account still have the right to withdraw. Give them a way in, such as an order number and email.
• Show clear withdrawal information Tell customers about their right to withdraw before they buy, in your terms and at checkout.
• Handle partial cancellations A customer may want to cancel one item, not the whole order. Make sure your flow can do this.
• Keep an audit trail Store a simple log of requests, dates and outcomes. It helps if a customer or an authority ever asks.

A quick word on refunds

Refunds are where shops most often slip up. Two simple rules keep you safe. First, refund using the same method the customer paid with, unless they agree to something else. Second, do it without delay once the conditions are met, and within 14 days. Mark the date you receive each request so you can track this.

Save this checklist

Use your browser bookmark to save this page. Your ticks stay on your device, so the list remembers where you left off next time you visit.

Helpful next reads

Directive 2023/2673The law behind the button. What it says, who it covers, and the dates.Read this Country requirementsThe base rules are EU wide, but each country adds detail. See the differences.Read this ComparisonsBy hand, generic plugin, or a proper workflow. See what fits your shop.Read this