Mandatory withdrawal button: what the June 19, 2026 law changes for your store

What is the “withdrawal button”?

The “withdrawal button” - or online withdrawal function - is a feature that lets a customer exercise their right of withdrawal directly from your website or app, without having to send a letter or hunt for an email address.

Key point: it is not a new right. The 14-day right of withdrawal has existed since the 2011 EU directive. What changes is how it is exercised: cancelling a purchase must now be as simple as making it. If a customer can buy in three clicks, they must be able to withdraw with the same ease, in the same place.

From when? The timeline

The obligation is part of an EU reform transposed into French law:

• November 22, 2023 - adoption of Directive (EU) 2023/2673, which inserts an Article 11a (“withdrawal function”) into the Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU.
• January 5, 2026 - transposition in France via ordinance no. 2026-2 and decree no. 2026-3, amending articles L. 221-21 and D. 221-5 of the French Consumer Code.
• June 19, 2026 - entry into force. The obligation already applies to every distance contract concluded since that date.

Who is concerned?

The obligation targets every professional concluding distance contracts with consumers (B2C) through an online interface - website or app. It applies regardless of company size or sales volume: from a sole trader to a large group.

It covers both goods and services. Outside its scope are business-to-business (B2B) sales and the rare cases where the right of withdrawal does not apply (custom-made goods, perishables, items unsealed for hygiene reasons, digital content already downloaded, etc.).

What you must do

In practice, your obligations cover four points: the withdrawal button, the refund, the shipping costs and the return of the goods.

The withdrawal button

To comply, the withdrawal function must meet several conditions:

• Clear wording: a button identified by “renoncer au contrat ici” (or an unambiguous equivalent), followed by a “confirmer la rétractation” validation step.
• Visible and directly accessible on the interface, for the entire withdrawal period (at least 14 days).
• Free for the consumer and as fluid as the checkout journey.
• Able to collect the relevant information: customer identity, contract or order identification, and contact details.
• An acknowledgement of receipt must be sent to the customer on a durable medium, stating the content of their declaration plus the date and time.

The refund

• You refund all sums paid, including the original outbound delivery cost (at the standard delivery rate you offered).
• Within 14 days of being informed of the withdrawal.
• Using the same payment method the customer used, at no cost to them.
• You may withhold the refund until you recover the goods, or until the customer proves they shipped them back (whichever comes first).

Shipping costs: two directions, two payers

Returning the goods

• The customer returns the goods within 14 days of their decision.
• For a bulky item delivered to the home that cannot be returned by post, you must collect it, at your expense.

Fines for non-compliance

Failure to comply is punishable by an administrative fine issued by the French DGCCRF, of up to:

Beyond the fine, a breach can extend your customers’ withdrawal period (up to 12 extra months in case of missing information), multiply disputes and damage your reputation.