Withdrawal button in Germany from 19 June 2026: what to add

The withdrawal function is set out in § 356a of the German Civil Code (BGB). It was introduced by the Act of 3 February 2026, published on 5 February 2026 in the Federal Law Gazette (Bundesgesetzblatt) 2026 I No. 28; this part has applied since 19 June 2026⁠². The Act implements EU Directive 2023/2673, which added Article 11a to the Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU. All EU countries must apply this rule from the same day⁠³.

The duty applies to distance contracts concluded through an online interface, that is, through your store or your app⁠¹. The law itself sets three requirements:

The existing ways remain: customers can still withdraw by e‑mail, by letter or with the model withdrawal form. The function comes on top⁠³. If you also sell to other EU countries, check the national implementation there.

Three details are enough on the form: the name, which order or which part of it is being withdrawn, and where the acknowledgement of receipt should go⁠¹. The law expressly allows the customer to simply confirm these details. For customers who are signed in, the fields can therefore already be filled in.

Only the second step sends the withdrawal. The button for it says “Widerruf bestätigen” (confirm withdrawal) or carries an equally unambiguous label⁠¹. That way nobody withdraws by mistake.

After that, you send an acknowledgement of receipt on a durable medium without delay. It contains at least the content of the declaration and the date and time of receipt⁠¹. An e‑mail is such a medium; the model withdrawal notice names it as an example⁠⁴.

Whether your store platform already includes the function depends on its version and extensions. Check this before you have your own solution built. The list below applies either way.

The model withdrawal notice (Muster‑Widerrufsbelehrung) has a new drafting note. If you must offer the function, you state in the notice the web address where it can be found. The notice also says that an acknowledgement of receipt on a durable medium will follow⁠⁴.

The information before the contract is concluded has also been extended: where applicable, it covers the existence and placement of the withdrawal function⁠⁵. The withdrawal period only begins once you have given this information⁠⁶. If the notice is missing, the period can therefore be extended; what that means for your store is for your lawyer to clarify.

A click test in the preview only shows the surface. Only a real order shows whether matching, acknowledgement and internal forwarding work together. Order a low‑cost item, withdraw through the function and fill in the log as you go.

Repeat the test after every update to your store platform, theme or e‑mail templates. Test once on a smartphone and once on a computer, with a customer account and as a guest.