Mandatory withdrawal button: what is changing for you?

A legislative change is coming that will have a direct impact on how merchants handle online orders. From June 19, 2026, webshops and online service providers must offer a withdrawal function (for products) or a cancellation function (for services). This obligation stems from new EU consumer protection rules and is laid down in Article 6:230oa of the Dutch Civil Code.

With this function, consumers must be able to easily cancel their purchase directly online within the statutory 14-day cooling-off period. For many merchants, this immediately raises practical questions. What needs to be adjusted? When are you compliant? And what does this mean for your website and payment process? In this article, we clearly outline everything for you.

The new rules require webshops to provide customers with a clear and simple way to withdraw from a purchase or cancel a service. The withdrawal or cancellation function must be visible, easy to find, and available at all times during the full withdrawal period. In addition, the function must provide direct access to the cancellation process, without requiring customers to go through unnecessary steps or submenus.

It is important that this function is directly accessible from the customer’s online environment, such as the website or checkout environment. The button must not be hidden behind submenus or additional steps. In practice, this means that the withdrawal function should be clearly visible on the website or within the customer environment where the order is displayed.

The objective is clear: consumers should be able to cancel just as easily as they place an order. It is important to note that this function is an additional option. The existing model withdrawal form will remain in place, and the right of withdrawal itself does not change. The statutory timeframes, conditions, and exceptions remain the same; only the process of canceling is simplified.

At first glance, this may seem like primarily a legal adjustment. In practice, however, it directly affects the return process. It influences how easily a customer can cancel an order, how quickly refunds are processed, and how your operational processes are structured.

An unclear or complicated process often leads to increased customer contact, lower customer satisfaction, and delays in refunds. Ultimately, this impacts your conversion and your reputation.

The withdrawal function does not stand alone and has a direct impact on how you handle refunds and transactions. It is therefore important to take a critical look at your current setup.

Consider how quickly you can issue a refund, whether your refund process is automated or manual, and whether you have sufficient insight into pending and canceled transactions. If this is not properly set up, you will notice it immediately in your operations in the form of more manual work, longer processing times, and an increase in customer inquiries.

A well-structured payment process, on the other hand, helps you process refunds quickly and in a controlled manner, reduce errors, and maintain clear oversight of your administration.