Since 19 June 2026, companies in Germany that conclude contracts with consumers online have had to offer a withdrawal button. The basis is the new § 356a of the German Civil Code (BGB), which implements an EU directive. It applies to every offer with a statutory right of withdrawal, whatever the size of the company: online shops, booking sites, online forms and apps. Purely B2B offers are not covered.
Who has to offer a withdrawal button?
The obligation applies when two things come together: the contract is concluded through an online interface, and the customer has a statutory right of withdrawal. According to Germany's consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale), this includes:
- online shops and sellers on marketplaces such as Amazon or eBay
- booking sites for appointments, courses or events
- online forms through which a contract is concluded
- apps in which customers order or sign up for something
Company size, turnover and legal form do not matter. If you sell exclusively to businesses, you are not affected, because there is no statutory right of withdrawal there.
What must the withdrawal button look like?
- Label: unambiguous, such as "Withdraw from contract" ("Vertrag widerrufen"). A link with this label is enough; it does not have to be a button. A term like "Contact" is not sufficient.
- Visibility: easy to find and clearly recognisable, for example through contrast or colour.
- Availability: reachable for the entire withdrawal period, usually 14 days.
- No hiding: not behind a registration or login and not covered by pop-ups. Exception: if concluding the contract already required a login, the withdrawal may require one too.
How does the withdrawal work?
Withdrawal takes two steps. A single click is not enough:
- The customer identifies the contract, for example with an order number or email address.
- They confirm the withdrawal with a second button, such as "Confirm withdrawal".
The company then immediately sends a confirmation of receipt with date and time, for example by email. You may only ask for what is necessary: name, contract details and a way to send the confirmation. A reason for the withdrawal must not be mandatory.
How is it different from the cancellation button?
The cancellation button for ongoing contracts, such as subscriptions, has existed for some time. It ends a contract for the future. A withdrawal makes a contract void retroactively. Both functions must be clearly separated on the website.
Checklist for your website
- Check whether contracts with consumers that carry a right of withdrawal are concluded through your website.
- Add the withdrawal function with a clear label in a visible place, for example in the footer and the customer account.
- Set up the two-step process and the automatic confirmation of receipt.
- Update your withdrawal notice and privacy policy.
- Test the process on a phone, including without a login.
Some shop systems already include the function, Shopware for example since version 6.7.9.0. WooCommerce or Magento usually need an extension or a customisation.
This article is not legal advice. For your specific case, contact your legal advisor.
Sources
- Verbraucherzentrale: Withdrawal button from June 2026 (German)
- Noerr: Implementation act for the withdrawal button published (German)
- IHK Osnabrück: Withdrawal button mandatory since 19 June 2026 (German)
- IT-Recht Kanzlei: The withdrawal button in online retail (German)
