While artificial intelligence (AI) helps us to deal more smartly with the growing complexity in e-commerce, a significant change is also on the horizon in the area of legislation and regulation. For wholesalers and retailers operating online, the right of withdrawal – commonly known as the ‘stop button’ – will become a mandatory feature of the webshop.
What exactly does this new legislation entail and what must your platform comply with? We have summarised the key points from the new European directive for you.
Wat is de retourfunctie?
The right of withdrawal has been a cornerstone of consumer protection for years: consumers have the right to cancel an online purchase within the statutory cooling-off period. However, new European legislation (Directive EU 2023/2673) will make it even easier for consumers to exercise this right.
Webshops, apps and trading platforms will soon be required to have a Clear return function to offer on their interface.
What should the “stop button” comply with?
It is not sufficient to simply state an email address. The new feature must comply with strict conditions throughout the entire cooling-off period:
- Clearly visible The function must not be hidden.
- Easily accessible The customer must be able to find and use the feature with ease.
- Unambiguously indicated There needs to be text used such as “here the agreement to dissolve” or similar wording.
- Findability The function can, for example, be accessible via a link in the header or footer, such as a button with the text “return”.
How does it work in practice?
When a consumer uses the right of withdrawal, the website will provide a Deed of Release sent to the webshop. In this statement, the consumer should be able to easily enter some basic details:
- Name;
- Details to identify the order (such as the order number);
- An email address where the confirmation can be received.
Important: As a webshop, you may ask for additional information (such as the reason for return), but the consumer is Not obligatory to provide that information to make the dissolution valid.
As soon as the consumer presses the button, the webshop must immediate acknowledgement send via e-mail. This contains the content of the declaration and the time at which the revocation was submitted.
The deadline: 19 June 2026
It is important for retailers and webshop owners to respond to this in a timely manner. The most important dates are as follows:
- 19 December 2025 The outer date by which the European directive had to be transposed into national legislation.
- 19 June 2026 The date from which the rules will actually be applied.
Please note the risk: If an online shop does not correctly inform consumers about this feature, the statutory cooling-off period may be extended to twelve months maximum.
Prepare yourself
The introduction of the withdrawal function directly affects the structure of your webshop and your returns process. Ensure your platform is ready for these new obligations to avoid legal risks and maintain an optimal customer experience.
Source: Thuiswinkel.org, March 2026
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