As of June 19, 2026, many online stores that sell to consumers in the European Union will need to provide a simple online way for customers to use their legal right of withdrawal. This is often called the EU withdrawal button. In German, it is called the Widerrufsbutton.
We know this topic has created many questions for merchants, especially those selling in Germany and other EU countries.
The good news: SureCart has already built a free tool to help you handle it — the SureCart EU Helper. This article explains the topic in simple terms, what it may mean for your store, and how the SureCart EU Helper helps you respond.
Important: This article is general information only. It is not legal advice. Every business is different, and merchants should confirm their own legal requirements with a qualified legal professional.
What is the EU Withdrawal button?
The EU withdrawal button is a new requirement connected to the customer’s existing right of withdrawal.
In many online consumer purchases in the EU, customers already have a legal right to withdraw from a contract within 14 days. This is often called the cooling-off period.
The new rule does not create the right of withdrawal from scratch. Instead, it changes how easy it must be for customers to use that right online.
In simple words:
If a customer can buy online, they should also have a simple online way to withdraw from the contract when the law gives them that right.
For Germany, this requirement is being added through Section 356a of the German Civil Code (BGB), and it applies from June 19, 2026.
Who is affected?
This mainly affects merchants who sell online to EU consumers.
That usually means B2C sales, where the buyer is an individual customer and not a business customer.
The requirement is focused on distance contracts made through an online interface, such as a store website, app, checkout, or customer account area.
There are exceptions. Not every product or service always has a 14-day withdrawal right. For example, some personalized goods, perishable goods, certain travel bookings, fully performed services, and some digital content may be treated differently.
Because of this, merchants should review their own products, checkout flow, and legal terms.
What does the withdrawal flow need to include?
The exact implementation can vary by country, but the core idea is clear: the customer should be able to submit a withdrawal request online without unnecessary friction.
A practical withdrawal flow should include:
- A clearly visible withdrawal option.
- Simple wording, such as “Withdraw from contract.”
- A short form where the customer can identify the order or contract.
- A confirmation step, such as “Confirm withdrawal.”
- A confirmation receipt sent to the customer.
- A record for the merchant so the request can be reviewed and handled.
German legal sources describe a two-step flow. First, the customer provides or confirms their name, the contract or order they want to withdraw from, and the email or electronic contact method for the confirmation. Then the customer confirms the withdrawal request with a second action.
After that, the merchant should promptly send a receipt confirmation to the customer. That confirmation should include the content of the withdrawal request, plus the date and time it was received.
The receipt confirmation should confirm that the request was received. It does not need to say that the withdrawal is legally valid or already approved.
Does this need to be available without login?
This is one of the trickier parts.
The general idea is that the withdrawal function should be easy to access and should not create unnecessary barriers for the customer.
For the withdrawal button, German legal commentary notes that a logged-in customer account solution can be allowed when the contract itself requires a customer account. Since SureCart creates an account for every purchase, a customer dashboard approach may be a reasonable path for the withdrawal flow.
However, merchants should still confirm this with their own legal advisor before treating any setup as fully compliant.
Is this the same as cancelling a subscription?
Not exactly.
This is one of the most important points to understand. Two different ideas often get mixed together:
1. Withdrawal button / Widerruf This is about the customer’s legal right to withdraw from an eligible purchase or contract, usually during the cooling-off period. This is the new EU-related requirement coming into effect on June 19, 2026.
2. Cancellation or termination button / Kündigung This is about ending an ongoing subscription or recurring contract. Germany already has a separate online cancellation button rule for many subscription-style contracts. This has applied since July 2022, so it is not a future 2026 requirement.
That means subscription merchants selling to German consumers may already need to pay attention to this today.
Recent German court decisions have also been strict about this cancellation button. In particular, courts have said that requiring a mandatory login before reaching the cancellation button can be a problem.
So, for subscription merchants, both topics may matter:
- Withdrawal = the customer wants to withdraw from an eligible contract during the withdrawal period.
- Cancellation/termination = the customer wants to end an ongoing subscription or recurring contract.
They are related, but they are not the same thing.
How SureCart helps: The EU Helper Plugin
We understand that merchants need a clear path, so we built one.
SureCart creates a customer account for every purchase, and the free SureCart EU Helper plugin uses that account to show a withdrawal option right inside the customer’s dashboard.
Want to watch the SureCart EU Helper in Action?
Adam walks through the SureCart EU Helper and shows how the withdrawal flow works from both the customer’s and the merchant’s side.
Here’s what the SureCart EU Helper does for you:
- Shows the withdrawal option only to the right people. It appears for logged-in EU customers who have a recent order and stays hidden for everyone else. You decide the time window (14 days by default), and you can choose to show it only to consumers rather than to VAT-registered businesses.
- Gives the customer a simple, pre-filled form. Their name and email are already filled in, and they pick from a list of their recent orders that shows what was in each one, so an order is easy to recognise, not just a number.
- Uses a two-step confirmation to match Germany’s Widerrufsbutton requirement: the customer first reviews their request, then confirms it with a separate action.
- Emails the customer a confirmation that their request was received.
- Notifies you by email with a direct link to each order in your SureCart dashboard, so you can review and handle it.
- Keeps a clear record of every request, which you can review, mark as resolved or declined, and export for your files.
The buttons automatically match your SureCart store’s colours, and you can edit all of the wording or translate it per country to fit your store.
To get started:
- Download the SureCart EU Helper Plugin.
- In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin and upload the ZIP.
- Activate it, then turn on the Right of Withdrawal feature and adjust the settings (your time window, who it applies to, and the notification email) to match your store.
- Edit your SureCart Customer Dashboard and add the “EU Right of Withdrawal” block where you’d like it to appear, then save.
That’s it. Eligible customers will then see the withdrawal option inside their SureCart customer dashboard.
This is a request-and-notify workflow: the customer asks, you get notified, and you decide what happens next. No money moves automatically. And even with the EU Helper doing the heavy lifting, treat it as a tool to support your process, not as a replacement for legal review.
Will SureCart automatically refund or cancel the order?
Not necessarily.
The withdrawal button does not mean the store has to automatically refund, cancel, or stop a subscription the moment the form is submitted. The SureCart EU Helper is built around exactly this safe approach.
A simple and practical flow can be:
- The customer submits a withdrawal request.
- The customer receives a confirmation that the request was received.
- The merchant receives the request.
- The merchant reviews the request.
- The merchant processes the refund, cancellation, or next step manually if the request is valid.
This is important because not every withdrawal request is automatically valid. The merchant may need to check the product type, delivery date, withdrawal period, digital content rules, or other details.
A good confirmation message could say something like:
We have received your withdrawal request. We will review it and follow up if any additional action is needed.
That is safer than saying:
Your withdrawal has been approved.
Does the button have to be shown for exactly 14 days?
The 14-day period is the common withdrawal period, but the exact start date depends on the type of purchase.
For physical goods, the 14-day period usually starts from delivery. For services, it usually starts from the day the contract was agreed. Digital products and other cases can have special rules.
Because of this, the SureCart EU Helper lets you set your own time window so if shipped goods start the clock on delivery, you can extend it (for example, to 16–17 days) to give customers enough room. A simple “order date is within the window” check is a helpful starting point, but it may not be perfect for every business, so merchants should still review each request before taking action.
What should merchants do now?
Here are a few practical steps merchants can take:
1. Check whether you sell to EU consumers. If your store sells to customers in the EU, this requirement may apply to you.
2. Review your products. Some products and services may have exceptions to the withdrawal right. Others may need special wording or handling.
3. Review your withdrawal policy. Your policy should explain how customers can use their withdrawal right and what happens after they submit a request.
4. Prepare your support process. Decide who on your team will receive withdrawal requests, how quickly they will review them, and how refunds or cancellations will be handled.
5. Keep records. Even if the process is simple, it is useful to keep a clear record of each request, including the customer details, order details, date, time, and confirmation email. (The SureCart EU Helper keeps this record for you automatically.)
6. Review subscription cancellation separately. If you sell subscriptions to German consumers, review the separate German cancellation button requirement too. This is already in effect and should not be treated as part of the June 2026 deadline.
7. Speak with a legal professional. This is especially important if you sell in Germany, Spain, or multiple EU countries.
What about Germany’s cancellation button for subscriptions?
Germany’s cancellation button rule is separate from the June 2026 withdrawal button.
- The withdrawal button is about withdrawing from an eligible purchase or contract during the withdrawal period.
- The cancellation button is about ending an ongoing subscription or recurring contract.
For SureCart merchants who sell subscriptions to German consumers, the cancellation button may already be relevant today because the German rule has applied since July 2022.
Because this is a separate requirement, merchants should review it separately from the new EU withdrawal button.
In short:
- Withdrawal button: new EU-related requirement for eligible withdrawal requests, effective June 19, 2026.
- Cancellation button: German requirement for cancelling certain ongoing contracts or subscriptions, already in effect since July 2022.
Merchants with subscriptions should review both, but they should not treat them as the same flow.
Sources used for this article
- Directive (EU) 2023/2673: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2023/2673/oj/eng
- Your Europe — Returns and the right of withdrawal: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/returns/index_en.htm
- Noerr — Implementing legislation for “withdrawal button” published: https://www.noerr.com/en/insights/implementing-legislation-for-the-withdrawal-button-published
- Freshfields — How the new EU withdrawal button will affect online B2C contracts in Germany: https://www.freshfields.com/en/our-thinking/blogs/risk-and-compliance/pitfalls-for-e-commerce-how-the-new-eu-withdrawal-button-widerrufsbutton-wi-102ms91
- Bird & Bird — Germany cancellation button update on recent rulings: https://www.twobirds.com/en/insights/2025/germany/germany-the-obligation-to-provide-consumers-with-an-online-cancellation-button–update-on-recent-rul
