The withdrawal button is now mandatory: what happens if you don’t have one?
Directive (EU) 2023/2673 requires the withdrawal process to be understandable to consumers. A customer who does not understand the legal text is not being properly informed.
19 June 2026 has already passed. Directive (EU) 2023/2673 is in force, and authorities have begun carrying out inspections. If you run an online shop and have not yet adapted your website, this concerns you.
Who can fine you?
Here is something many people do not know: it is not only the autonomous community where your business is based that can sanction you. Any autonomous community can open enforcement proceedings if it finds that an online shop is selling to consumers without complying with the rules.
This means that a shop in Seville can receive a sanction from Madrid, Catalonia or the Basque Country. Online commerce has no borders, and neither does administrative enforcement.
What are they inspecting?
The most common infringements include:
-
- Incorrect information on how and where to make a complaint
- Deficiencies in warranty conditions
- Incorrect management of the right of withdrawal
This last point is the most important. The rules do not merely require customers to be able to return their purchase within 14 days. They require the mechanism for doing so to be clear, direct and accessible from the order itself.
The most common mistake
Many shops believe that including the returns policy in the footer is enough. It is not.
The rules require a visible button in the order confirmation, order details and customer account area, only during the 14 calendar days after receipt. It must include a confirmation modal with the mandatory legal text and an automatic acknowledgement of receipt for the customer.
It is not a returns policy. It is an active, traceable mechanism.
How much can non-compliance cost?
Penalties can reach up to 4% of your annual turnover. For a small shop, that can be a blow from which it may not recover.
The fastest solution
If you use WooCommerce or PrestaShop, Withdrawal Button implements all of this automatically. It installs in minutes, includes the mandatory legal text, manages deadlines, sends acknowledgements of receipt and keeps a record of every request for any inspection or audit.
€39 per platform, with optional annual renewal at €19.
If you use another platform, we also develop bespoke solutions.
Withdrawal Button
Comply with Directive (EU) 2023/2673 without touching code. Available for WooCommerce and PrestaShop. Regulatory updates guaranteed.
39€
+€19/year renewal
