Completing an online purchase takes just a few seconds: three clicks, a confirmation email, and the product is on its way.
For many consumers, however, returning it feels like navigating a small maze of forms to print, email addresses that go unanswered, and web pages that are hard to find.
As of June 19, 2026, this imbalance will be corrected. The new Article 54-bis of the Consumer Code introduces a digital feature dedicated to cancellation—the so-called “cancel button”—which allows consumers to cancel a purchase just as easily as they made it.
For those who sell online, this is an upcoming deadline and a concrete change. For those who address it in advance, however, it is also an opportunity to turn a legal requirement into a sign of trust for their customers.
The New Online Right of Withdrawal: What Changes Starting June 19
The right of withdrawal, also known as the right to change one’s mind, has existed for decades: consumers who make purchases online generally have 14 days to return the product and receive a refund.
The change for 2026 concerns how this right is exercised. Until now, the right of withdrawal has been addressed primarily in contract texts and terms of sale.
Starting in June, it will also become a tangible part of the interface—visible and clickable—next to the product.
EU Directive 2023/2673 and Legislative Decree 209/2025
It originated in Europe. EU Directive 2023/2673 required member states to make it easier to exercise the right of withdrawal for online purchases.
Italy transposed it through Legislative Decree 209/2025, published in the Official Gazette on January 8, 2026, which added the new Article 54-bis to the Consumer Code (Legislative Decree 206/2005).
This is the regulation that introduces the digital right of withdrawal for contracts entered into via websites and apps.
From the Contract to the Interface: Introducing the Withdrawal Button
The change is mainly a shift in perspective. The right of withdrawal goes from being a written clause to becoming a functional feature within the online store.
The idea behind the rule is simple: if a purchase can be completed in just a few clicks, canceling it should also require the same number of steps.
In other words, the customer must be able to exit through the same door they entered through.
Who is responsible for adding the opt-out button?
This requirement applies to those who sell to end consumers via websites or apps—that is, B2C distance contracts concluded online for which the law provides a right of withdrawal.
This excludes business-to-business (B2B) sales, purchases made in physical stores, and the categories already excluded under Article 59 of the Consumer Code.
What matters is where the consumers are, rather than where the operator is based.
Contracts Subject to the Requirement
This rule applies to distance contracts concluded through an online interface that include a right of withdrawal.
It therefore applies to most physical products sold by B2C e-commerce sites.
The digital feature is an addition to the existing tools, without replacing them: customers still have the option to withdraw using the traditional form or any other explicit statement.
When the right of withdrawal does not apply
Certain categories are excluded because their nature requires it: custom-made goods, perishable products, digital content that has already been accessed, and sealed items that were opened after delivery for hygiene reasons.
In these cases, the disclosure requirement remains in effect, and the company clearly informs the customer of the reasons for the exclusion. The right of withdrawal, however, continues to apply to the rest of the catalog.
How the button should work, step by step
The regulation precisely defines the process, because the goal is transparency. It’s worth familiarizing yourself with it in detail so you can design a compliant and well-organized experience.
Visibility and Accessibility: The phrase “Cancel the contract here”
The function must be clearly indicated, using the words “cancel the contract here” or an equivalent and equally clear phrase.
It must remain available for the entire period during which the customer may exercise this right and must be displayed in a clearly visible location that is easily accessible.
Logic favors direct paths: a link on the homepage or in the members-only area takes you straight to the feature.
The dual confirmation and the receipt in a durable medium
Once the form has been completed, the customer confirms it through a second step, labeled “confirmation of withdrawal” or an equivalent phrase.
At that point, the company sends, without delay, a confirmation of receipt in a durable medium—such as email or text message—including the content of the request and the date and time of transmission.
The time the customer sends the request is what counts, even if processing takes place later.
The Request Log: Tracking to Prove Compliance
Although the regulation is brief on this point, keeping an organized record of all requests—including customer information, content, and timestamps—is the safest course of action.
In the event of an audit or a dispute with a consumer, a well-organized record allows you to confidently demonstrate that you have handled every step correctly.
What are the consequences for an e-commerce site that reaches its expiration date without this feature?
There are two consequences. The return period is automatically extended from 14 days to 12 months and 14 days, and a lack of transparency in the interface may constitute an unfair commercial practice, subject to penalties from the AGCM.
Both situations are governed by law, even in the absence of any specific action on the part of the customer.
The automatic extension of the withdrawal period to 12 months and 14 days
It is the most subtle effect and, from an operational standpoint, the most significant.
When the notice of withdrawal is incomplete—and as of June, the notice must also include the location of the digital function—the time limit is extended from 14 days to more than one year.
For a store with 100 orders per month, this means that after 12 months, there are still over 1,000 orders that could potentially be returned—for products that have been used in the meantime.
Penalties for Unfair Commercial Practices
A withdrawal process that is difficult to find or complete may constitute an unfair commercial practice, with penalties that can reach very high amounts in the most serious cases.
A concrete example comes from the AGCM ruling of January 27, 2026, against eDreams: a 6 million euro fine for non-transparent registration practices and a 3 million euro fine for obstacles to cancellation.
The authorities’ stance is clear.
Returns and Right of Withdrawal in Key Sectors
The rules apply to everyone, but each industry handles returns in its own way. Understanding these differences helps you design an experience that meets customer expectations.
Food purchased online
In the Food & Beverage sector, many products are perishable or sealed, for which the right of withdrawal is subject to specific limitations.
Clarity is essential here: letting customers know in advance which items can be returned and which, for food safety reasons, are excluded builds trust and reduces misunderstandings at the time of delivery.
Clothing and Accessories
The fashion and luxury industries have always had high return rates: sizes, fit, and colors that look different on screen.
A well-designed return button, combined with simple return instructions, turns a delicate moment into a seamless experience—and often into a reason for customers to return and make another purchase.
Travel Packages and Tourist Services
In the tourism and hospitality industry, cancellations are subject to specific rules, as many services have fixed dates and their own terms and conditions.
Clearly distinguishing between cases covered by the right of withdrawal and those governed by specific conditions allows customers to book with greater peace of mind and enables the operator to handle requests in an orderly manner.
How to Turn an Obligation into an Opportunity
A regulatory deadline becomes interesting when viewed from the perspective of the value it generates. After all, the opt-out button tells customers that the company is confident in the quality of what it sells.
A simple returns process builds trust and increases conversions
Research on purchasing behavior shows a consistent trend: a clear return policy encourages people to complete their orders because it reduces their perceived risk.
Making the right-of-withdrawal option visible and immediately accessible, therefore, helps drive conversions. Compliance with Article 54-bis thus becomes a marketing tool as well as a compliance requirement.
Automate the returns process to free up time
Manually managing requests, confirmations, receipts, and filing takes up valuable time and energy.
Here, artificial intelligence applied systematically offers tangible help: automating the repetitive steps in the returns process frees up the team for higher-value activities, such as nurturing customer relationships.
This is the approach we take at Factory Communication when we work with a company to help it adapt: starting with compliance and moving toward a more efficient and people-centered process.
Checklist 1 — What You Need to Know (The Points That Really Matter)
- The date: The requirement takes effect on June 19, 2026, and applies to contracts entered into on or after that date.
- Who it applies to: B2C e-commerce with a right of withdrawal. What matters is where your customers are located, rather than where your company is based.
- What it introduces: a digital opt-out feature (the “button”), which complements existing tools without replacing the traditional form.
- Scope: This applies to the right of withdrawal (cancellation within 14 days), while the cancellation of recurring subscriptions is subject to its own rules.
- Categories with specific rules— custom-made goods, perishable products, digital content that has already been accessed, and sealed items opened for hygiene reasons—are handled separately (Art. 59).
- The hidden risk: If the disclosure is incomplete, the withdrawal period is automatically extended from 14 days to 12 months and 14 days.
- The risk of penalties: a lack of transparency may constitute an unfair commercial practice, resulting in penalties from the AGCM (recent example: the eDreams case, January 2026, 6 + 3 million).
- The disclosure requirement: The existence and nature of the function must be disclosed to the customer prior to purchase.
- The Opportunity: A simple returns process builds trust and increases conversions. Being prepared also gives you a competitive advantage.
Checklist 2 — What You Need to Do (All Technical Steps)
- Include a button labeled “Cancel the contract here” (or a clear equivalent) that is clearly visible and easy to access.
- Make it available for the entire period during which the customer can cancel, and link to it from relevant locations: the homepage, the member area, and the order confirmation email.
- Set up the form with the required information: name, order/contract reference, and the email address where the confirmation should be sent. Pre-fill the fields when the user is already logged in.
- Add a two-step confirmation process with a second step labeled “confirm cancellation” (or equivalent).
- Send the receipt in a durable medium (email or text message) that includes the details of the request, along with the date and time of transmission.
- Apply the “date of shipment” rule: consider a notice of withdrawal sent within the deadline to be valid, even if it is processed after the deadline.
- Maintain a log of requests that includes customer information, content, and timestamps, so that you can always demonstrate proper handling.
- Update the pre-contractual disclosure: indicate the existence and location of this feature among the information provided prior to purchase.
- Update the Returns and Terms of Sale page with categories that follow specific rules.
- Extend this feature to all channels where you enter into contracts (website and, if applicable, the app).
- Test the end-to-end workflow before June 19: from request to receipt.
- Consider automating your workflow (confirmations, receipts, archiving) to free up the team’s time for higher-value activities.
A useful clarification for those who prefer to proceed with caution: formally speaking, the European directive pertains to financial services contracts concluded at a distance.
In transposing it, the Italian legislature drafted Article 54-bis in terms that, as written, apply more generally to contracts concluded via an online interface.
The exact scope of the obligation will become clear as it is first put into practice, and when in doubt, compliance remains the best way to maintain a harmonious relationship with the client.
E-commerce Returns and Online Right of Withdrawal: FAQs
In general, the consumer has 14 days from the delivery of the product, or from the start of a service, to exercise the right of withdrawal.
Once the disclosure is complete, this is the deadline for returning the item and receiving a refund.
Return shipping costs are generally the responsibility of the consumer, unless the company chooses to cover them or fails to inform the customer in advance.
Many e-commerce sites offer free returns as a marketing tool, clearly communicating this before the purchase.
Returns are permitted only in the cases provided for by law, such as custom-made goods, perishable products, or sealed items that have been opened after delivery.
For products covered by the right of withdrawal, however, customers who comply with the terms and conditions will receive a refund.
The main exclusions include personalized items, products that spoil quickly, digital content that has already been accessed, and sealed items that have been opened for hygiene reasons.
In such cases, the company notifies the employee in advance of the exclusion and the reasons for it, ensuring transparency in the relationship.
B2C e-commerce sites must offer a digital cancellation feature that is visible and accessible, with dual confirmation and a receipt provided on a durable medium.
This rule applies to contracts entered into after that date and supplements the existing termination options.
