On this page
- Which contracts give you a right of withdrawal? (Articles 2 and 3)
- Contracts outside the Directive, and contracts with their own rules (Article 3)
- What must the trader tell you before you are bound? (Articles 6 to 8)
- When does the 14-day withdrawal period start and end? (Article 9)
- What if the trader never told you about the right of withdrawal? (Article 10)
- How do you withdraw: the form, your own words or the online withdrawal function? (Articles 11 to 12)
- Refund and return: what the trader and the consumer must do (Articles 13 to 15)
- Which purchases carry no right of withdrawal? (Article 16)
- Downloads, apps and streaming: digital content and digital services
- Buying on an online marketplace: who is the seller? (Article 6a)
- National law, cross-border purchases and where to take a dispute
- Practical steps if you want to withdraw from a purchase
- Frequently asked questions
Under Directive 2011/83/EU, a consumer who concludes a distance or off-premises contract with a trader has a period of 14 days to withdraw from it without giving any reason and without incurring any costs other than those provided for in Article 13(2) and Article 14, save where an exception in Article 16 applies (Article 9(1)). The trader must reimburse all payments received, including, if applicable, the costs of delivery, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day it is informed of the decision (Article 13(1)). If the trader did not give the required information on the right of withdrawal, the period expires 12 months after the end of the initial period, or 14 days (30 where a Member State uses Article 9(1a)) after the information is received if it arrives within 12 months from the day referred to in Article 9(2) (Article 10). The Directive is addressed to the Member States (Article 35), so a consumer relies on the national law that transposes it.
What kind of instrument this is. National measures transposing Directive 2011/83/EU applied from 13 June 2014, and the Directive applies to contracts concluded after that date (Article 28). It has since been amended by Directive (EU) 2015/2302 on package travel, Directive (EU) 2019/2161 (the ‘Omnibus’ Directive; national measures from 28 May 2022, its Article 7), Directive (EU) 2023/2673 (from 19 June 2026, its Article 2) and Directive (EU) 2024/825 (from 27 September 2026, its Article 4). This guide follows the consolidated text of 27 September 2026, read on 29 October 2026.
Which contracts give you a right of withdrawal? (Articles 2 and 3)
A right of withdrawal exists for distance and off-premises contracts between a trader and a consumer (Article 9(1)), within the scope set by Article 3. A consumer is any natural person acting for purposes outside their trade, business, craft or profession (Article 2(1)); a trader is any natural or legal person, privately or publicly owned, acting for purposes relating to its trade, business, craft or profession, including through someone acting in its name (Article 2(2)). The Directive applies to any contract between them where the consumer pays or undertakes to pay the price, including contracts for water, gas, electricity or district heating supplied on a contractual basis (Article 3(1)).
Distance contracts. A distance contract is concluded under an organised distance sales or service-provision scheme without the simultaneous physical presence of the trader and the consumer, with the exclusive use of one or more means of distance communication up to and including the time the contract is concluded (Article 2(7)). Whether a web-shop, app, e-mail or telephone order qualifies turns on these elements.
Off-premises contracts. Article 2(8) covers a contract concluded with both parties physically present in a place which is not the trader’s business premises, or an offer made by the consumer in those circumstances; a contract concluded on the business premises, or by distance communication, immediately after the consumer was personally and individually addressed in such a place in the simultaneous physical presence of the trader and the consumer; and a contract concluded during an excursion organised by the trader with the aim or effect of promoting and selling goods or services.
Personal data instead of money. Since the Omnibus amendment, the Directive also applies where the trader supplies digital content not supplied on a tangible medium, or a digital service, and the consumer provides or undertakes to provide personal data (Article 3(1a)). It does not apply on that basis where the trader processes the data exclusively to supply the content or service, or to comply with legal requirements, and for no other purpose.
Contracts outside the Directive, and contracts with their own rules (Article 3)
Article 3(3) excludes, among others, contracts for social services, healthcare, gambling, financial services not covered by Article 3(1b), the creation, acquisition or transfer of immovable property or rights in it, the construction of new buildings and the substantial conversion of existing ones, the rental of accommodation for residential purposes, timeshare contracts under Directive 2008/122/EC, foodstuffs, beverages or other goods intended for current consumption in the household which a trader physically supplies on frequent and regular rounds to the consumer’s home, residence or workplace, purchases from automatic vending machines, and goods sold by way of execution or otherwise by authority of law.
Packages and passenger transport. Package travel contracts under Directive (EU) 2015/2302 are excluded, although Article 6(7), Article 8(2) and (6) and Articles 19, 21 and 22 apply to them mutatis mutandis (Article 3(3)(g)). Passenger transport services are excluded except for Article 8(2) and Articles 19, 21 and 22 (Article 3(3)(k)). The 14-day right in Article 9 is not among those provisions; see our guide on the EU Package Travel Directive for package cancellations.
Financial services at a distance. Under Directive (EU) 2023/2673, distance contracts for financial services fall under the provisions listed in Article 3(1b), including a separate chapter (Articles 16a to 16e) that gives 14 calendar days to withdraw without penalty and without giving any reason, or 30 calendar days for personal pension operations (Article 16b(1)). This guide covers the general regime.
Other limits. A conflicting provision of a sector-specific Union act prevails in that sector (Article 3(2)). Member States may exclude off-premises contracts where the consumer’s payment does not exceed a low threshold set in Article 3(4). National general contract law on validity, formation or effect is unaffected where the Directive does not regulate it (Article 3(5)), and traders may offer more protection (Article 3(6)).
What must the trader tell you before you are bound? (Articles 6 to 8)
Before the consumer is bound by a distance or off-premises contract, or any corresponding offer, the trader must give the information in Article 6(1) in a clear and comprehensible manner. It includes the main characteristics of the goods or services, the trader’s identity, its geographical address, telephone number and e-mail address, the total price inclusive of taxes with any delivery charges and, where applicable, that the price was personalised on the basis of automated decision-making (Article 6(1)(a) to (ea)).
Information about withdrawal. Where a right of withdrawal exists, the trader must state the conditions, time limit and procedures for exercising it, provide the model withdrawal form in Annex I(B) and, where applicable, inform the consumer about the existence and placement of the withdrawal function referred to in Article 11a (Article 6(1)(h)). Where applicable, it must say that the consumer bears the cost of returning the goods (point (i)), and where Article 16 excludes the right, it must say so or explain when the right is lost (point (k)). The model instructions in Annex I(A), correctly filled in, satisfy points (h), (i) and (j) (Article 6(4)).
Additions by Directive (EU) 2024/825. Under that Directive, whose national measures apply from 27 September 2026, the list also covers environmentally friendly delivery options where available (point (g)), a prominent reminder of the legal guarantee of conformity for goods with its minimum duration of two years (point (l)), for goods with digital elements, digital content and digital services, the minimum period during which software updates are provided, where the producer or provider makes that information available to the trader (point (lc)) and, where applicable, a reparability score (point (u)).
What the information does. It forms an integral part of the contract and may not be altered unless the parties expressly agree otherwise (Article 6(5)). If the trader did not disclose additional charges or the cost of returning the goods, the consumer does not bear them (Article 6(6)). The burden of proving compliance lies on the trader (Article 6(9)).
The order button. Where an electronic distance contract places the consumer under an obligation to pay and placing the order entails activating a button or similar function, it must be labelled in an easily legible manner only with the words ‘order with obligation to pay’ or a corresponding unambiguous formulation; otherwise the consumer is not bound by the contract or order (Article 8(2)). The trader then confirms the contract on a durable medium, at the latest at delivery of the goods or before the service begins (Article 8(7)).
When does the 14-day withdrawal period start and end? (Article 9)
It depends on the contract type (Article 9(2)). For a service contract the 14 days run from the day the contract is concluded. For a sales contract they run from the day on which the consumer, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by the consumer, acquires physical possession of the goods. For water, gas or electricity not put up for sale in a limited volume or set quantity, district heating and digital content not supplied on a tangible medium, they run from the day of conclusion of the contract (Article 9(2)(c)).
Several deliveries. Where multiple goods ordered in one order are delivered separately, the period runs from physical possession of the last good; for one good in multiple lots or pieces, from the last lot or piece; for regular delivery over a defined period, from the first good (Article 9(2)(b)(i) to (iii)).
A possible 30-day period. Member States may extend the period to 30 days for contracts concluded during unsolicited visits by a trader to a consumer’s home or excursions organised by a trader to promote or sell products, to protect consumers against aggressive or misleading practices (Article 9(1a)). Check whether the country concerned has used this option.
Performance during the period. Member States may not prohibit the parties from performing during the withdrawal period, but for off-premises contracts they may keep existing legislation that bars the trader from collecting payment during a given period after conclusion (Article 9(3)).
| Situation | When the 14 days start | What changes the period | Provision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service contract, including a digital service | Day the contract is concluded | Lost after full performance; where the consumer pays, only with prior express consent and acknowledgement (Art. 16(a)) | Arts 9(2)(a) and 16(a) |
| Sales contract, single delivery | Day the consumer, or a third party other than the carrier indicated by the consumer, acquires physical possession | Exceptions in Art. 16 for certain goods | Art. 9(2)(b) |
| Several goods in one order delivered separately | Physical possession of the last good | None beyond the general rules | Art. 9(2)(b)(i) |
| One good in several lots or pieces | Physical possession of the last lot or piece | None beyond the general rules | Art. 9(2)(b)(ii) |
| Regular delivery of goods over a defined period | Physical possession of the first good | None beyond the general rules | Art. 9(2)(b)(iii) |
| Digital content not on a tangible medium | Day the contract is concluded | Lost once performance begins; where the consumer pays, only with the three steps in Art. 16(m) | Arts 9(2)(c) and 16(m) |
| Unsolicited home visit or trader-organised excursion | As above, by contract type | Member State may extend to 30 days | Art. 9(1a) |
| Withdrawal information not given | As above, by contract type | Extended by 12 months, or ends 14 days after late information | Art. 10 |
What if the trader never told you about the right of withdrawal? (Article 10)
The period is extended. If the trader has not provided the information required by Article 6(1)(h), the withdrawal period expires 12 months from the end of the initial withdrawal period determined under Article 9(2) (Article 10(1)). If the trader provides the information within 12 months from the day referred to in Article 9(2), the period expires 14 days, or 30 days where the Member State has adopted the Article 9(1a) option, after the day on which the consumer receives it (Article 10(2)).
Missing information has further consequences. The consumer is in any event not liable for diminished value of the goods where the trader failed to give notice of the right under Article 6(1)(h) (Article 14(2)), and bears no cost for services or utilities supplied during the withdrawal period where the information in points (h) or (j) was not given (Article 14(4)(a)(i)).
How do you withdraw: the form, your own words or the online withdrawal function? (Articles 11 to 12)
Before the period expires, the consumer must inform the trader of the decision to withdraw, using the model withdrawal form in Annex I(B) or any other unequivocal statement setting out that decision (Article 11(1)). Member States may not add formal requirements to the model form. The withdrawal is in time if the communication is sent before the period has expired (Article 11(2)).
Proof. The burden of proving that the right was exercised in accordance with Article 11 lies on the consumer (Article 11(4)). Recital 44 says that a letter, a telephone call or returning the goods with a clear statement could meet the requirement, and that it is in the consumer’s interest to use a durable medium. A trader may also let the consumer submit the form or another unequivocal statement on its website, and must then acknowledge receipt on a durable medium without delay (Article 11(3)).
The withdrawal function. Article 11a, inserted by Directive (EU) 2023/2673, had to be applied by Member States from 19 June 2026 (Article 2 of that Directive). For distance contracts concluded by the means of an online interface, the trader must ensure that the consumer can also withdraw by using a withdrawal function labelled with the words ‘withdraw from contract here’ or an unambiguous corresponding formulation, continuously available throughout the withdrawal period, prominently displayed and easily accessible (Article 11a(1)).
The function lets the consumer send an online withdrawal statement giving or confirming their name, details identifying the contract and the electronic means for the confirmation (Article 11a(2)), submitted through a confirmation function labelled only ‘confirm withdrawal’ or an unambiguous corresponding formulation (Article 11a(3)). The trader must send, without undue delay, an acknowledgement of receipt on a durable medium including the content and the date and time of submission (Article 11a(4)). A statement submitted before the period expired is in time (Article 11a(5)). The form and any other unequivocal statement remain available as alternatives.
Effect. Withdrawal terminates the parties’ obligations to perform the contract or, where the consumer made an offer, to conclude it (Article 12).
Refund and return: what the trader and the consumer must do (Articles 13 to 15)
The trader’s refund. The trader must reimburse all payments received, including, if applicable, the costs of delivery, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day it is informed of the withdrawal (Article 13(1)). It uses the same means of payment as the consumer used, unless the consumer has expressly agreed otherwise and incurs no fees as a result. The trader is not required to reimburse the supplementary costs where the consumer expressly opted for a type of delivery other than the least expensive standard delivery it offered (Article 13(2)). Unless the trader offered to collect the goods, in a sales contract it may withhold the refund until it receives the goods back or the consumer supplies evidence of having sent them, whichever is the earliest (Article 13(3)).
The consumer’s return. Unless the trader offered to collect them, the consumer must send back the goods or hand them over to the trader or to a person authorised by the trader to receive them, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from communicating the withdrawal; sending them before the 14 days expire meets the deadline (Article 14(1)). The consumer shall only bear the direct cost of returning the goods, unless the trader agreed to bear it or failed to inform the consumer of it. For off-premises contracts where goods were delivered to the consumer’s home at conclusion, the trader collects at its own expense goods that by their nature cannot normally be returned by post.
Diminished value. The consumer shall only be liable for diminished value resulting from handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods (Article 14(2)). Recital 47 compares this with a shop, where a consumer may try on a garment but should not wear it, and says that handling beyond that does not take away the right of withdrawal but makes the consumer liable for the diminished value.
Services started early. If the consumer wants a service or a utility supply to begin during the withdrawal period and must pay, the trader must obtain an express request (made on a durable medium for off-premises contracts, Article 7(3)) and an acknowledgement that the right will be lost once the contract is fully performed (Articles 7(3) and 8(8)). A consumer who then withdraws pays an amount proportionate to what has been provided until the time the consumer informed the trader of the withdrawal, based on the agreed total price or, if that is excessive, the market value (Article 14(3)); under Article 14(4)(a), it bears no cost where the trader failed to give the information in Article 6(1)(h) or (j) or no express request was made.
No other liability. Except under Article 13(2) and Article 14, withdrawal creates no liability for the consumer (Article 14(5)). Ancillary contracts are automatically terminated without any costs for the consumer, except as provided in Article 13(2) and Article 14 and without prejudice to Article 15 of Directive 2008/48/EC (Article 15(1)).
Which purchases carry no right of withdrawal? (Article 16)
Article 16 lists the distance and off-premises contracts for which Member States shall not provide the right of withdrawal. Several exceptions carry their own conditions, so each one has to be read in its own wording.
Goods. Goods made to the consumer’s specifications or clearly personalised (point (c)); goods liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly (point (d)); sealed goods not suitable for return due to health protection or hygiene reasons which were unsealed after delivery (point (e)); goods inseparably mixed with other items after delivery (point (f)); certain alcoholic beverages described in point (g); sealed audio or video recordings or sealed computer software unsealed after delivery (point (i)); and newspapers, periodicals or magazines, except subscription contracts (point (j)).
Services and other cases. Service contracts after full performance, where the consumer must pay, if performance began with the consumer’s prior express consent and acknowledgement that the right would then be lost (point (a)); goods or services whose price depends on fluctuations in the financial market which the trader cannot control and which may occur within the withdrawal period (point (b)); a visit the consumer specifically requested for urgent repairs or maintenance, with the right still applying to services beyond those requested and to goods other than replacement parts necessarily used for the repairs or maintenance (point (h)); public auctions (point (k)); and accommodation other than for residential purposes, transport of goods, car rental services, catering or services related to leisure activities if the contract provides for a specific date or period of performance (point (l)).
National variations. For unsolicited home visits and trader-organised excursions, Member States may derogate from points (a), (b), (c) and (e) (Article 16, second paragraph), and for paid repair visits the consumer requested, they may provide that the right is lost after full performance begun with prior express consent (third paragraph). Member States inform the Commission of these choices (Article 29(1)).
Downloads, apps and streaming: digital content and digital services
The Omnibus Directive took the definitions of digital content and digital services from Directive (EU) 2019/770 (Article 2(11) and (16)) and treats a digital service as a service (Article 2(6)). For digital content not supplied on a tangible medium, the period runs from conclusion of the contract (Article 9(2)(c)).
When the right is lost. For such digital content, the right of withdrawal does not apply once performance has begun and, where the consumer must pay, the consumer gave prior express consent to begin during the withdrawal period, acknowledged losing the right, and received the confirmation under Article 7(2) or Article 8(7) (Article 16(m)). If one of those steps is missing, the consumer bears no cost for the digital content supplied in full or in part (Article 14(4)(b)). A digital service, such as a streaming subscription, follows the service rule in Article 16(a).
After withdrawal. Personal data remain subject to Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (Article 13(4)). Subject to the exceptions in Article 13(5), the trader must not use other content the consumer provided or created; except in the cases in points (a) to (c) of that paragraph, it must make that content available on request, and the consumer may retrieve it free of charge, without hindrance from the trader, within a reasonable time and in a commonly used and machine-readable format (Article 13(5) to (7)); without prejudice to paragraph 6, the trader may prevent further use, for example by disabling the user account (Article 13(8)), and the consumer must refrain from using the content or service and from making it available to third parties (Article 14(2a)). See also our guide to the GDPR for businesses.
Buying on an online marketplace: who is the seller? (Article 6a)
It matters whether the seller is a trader. Before the consumer is bound on an online marketplace, its provider must state whether the third party offering the goods, services or digital content is a trader, on the basis of that party’s declaration, and, if it is not, that the consumer rights stemming from Union consumer protection law do not apply to the contract (Article 6a(1)(b) and (c)). Where applicable, the provider must also explain how contractual obligations are shared between itself and the third party (Article 6a(1)(d)), which can show the consumer whom to address when withdrawing.
National law, cross-border purchases and where to take a dispute
Article 4 sets the level of harmonisation: Member States may not keep or introduce diverging provisions, more or less stringent, unless the Directive provides otherwise. The options it allows, such as Article 9(1a) and the variations in Article 16, mean the rule can still differ between countries, and the consumer invokes the national provisions that transpose the Directive.
Which country’s law governs a cross-border consumer contract and which court hears the dispute are separate questions: see our guides on which law governs a contract and which EU court has jurisdiction. For an unpaid refund, the European order for payment and Small Claims Procedure and the EU Mediation Directive may be relevant.
Practical steps if you want to withdraw from a purchase
1. Work out the deadline. Identify the starting day under Article 9(2) and check whether you received the withdrawal information; if not, Article 10 applies.
2. Check the exceptions. Read Article 16 against what you bought, including the conditions in points (a) and (m), and the information the trader gave under Article 6(1)(k).
3. Send a clear statement and keep proof. Use the model form, an e-mail or letter, or the withdrawal function where provided, and keep the acknowledgement or proof of sending (Articles 11 and 11a).
4. Return the goods within 14 days. Unless the trader collects them, send them back within 14 days of communicating your decision, keep proof of postage (Article 14(1)) and handle them only as needed to examine them (Article 14(2)).
5. Check the national transposing law of the country concerned, especially on Articles 9(1a) and 16, and take advice there if no refund arrives within the period in Article 13(1).
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to give a reason for withdrawing from an online purchase?
No. Under Article 9(1), the consumer may withdraw from a distance or off-premises contract within 14 days without giving any reason, unless one of the exceptions in Article 16 applies. The consumer bears no costs beyond those set out in Article 13(2) and Article 14, such as the direct cost of returning the goods where the trader informed the consumer of it.
Is sending the parcel back enough to withdraw?
The Directive requires the consumer to inform the trader of the decision to withdraw before the period expires, using the model form or any other unequivocal statement (Article 11(1)). Recital 44 says that returning the goods with a clear statement could meet this requirement. Because the consumer bears the burden of proof (Article 11(4)), a written statement kept with proof of sending is the safer route.
Who pays for return shipping when I withdraw?
The consumer bears the direct cost of returning the goods, unless the trader has agreed to bear it or failed to inform the consumer that the consumer has to bear it (Article 14(1)). If the trader did not give that information as required by Article 6(1)(i), the consumer does not bear the cost (Article 6(6)).
Can the trader refund me with a voucher or store credit?
The trader must reimburse using the same means of payment the consumer used for the initial transaction, unless the consumer has expressly agreed otherwise and provided that the consumer incurs no fees as a result (Article 13(1)). The refund includes, if applicable, the costs of delivery (Article 13(1)), but the trader is not required to reimburse the supplementary costs of a type of delivery the consumer expressly chose over the least expensive standard delivery it offered (Article 13(2)).
Can I withdraw after downloading a game or starting a streaming subscription?
For digital content not supplied on a tangible medium, the right is lost once performance has begun and, where the consumer must pay, if the consumer gave prior express consent, acknowledged losing the right and received the confirmation required by Article 7(2) or 8(7) (Article 16(m)). For a digital service, it is lost after full performance and, where the consumer must pay, only if performance began with the consumer’s prior express consent and acknowledgement (Article 16(a)). If you withdraw from a service after expressly asking for it to start during the withdrawal period, you pay an amount proportionate to what was provided until you informed the trader (Article 14(3)), unless the trader failed to give the information in Article 6(1)(h) or (j) (Article 14(4)(a)(i)).
Does every website now need a ‘withdraw from contract here’ button?
Article 11a, inserted by Directive (EU) 2023/2673, requires a withdrawal function for distance contracts concluded by the means of an online interface, and Member States had to apply their national measures from 19 June 2026. The function must be continuously available throughout the withdrawal period and leads to an acknowledgement of receipt on a durable medium (Article 11a(1) and (4)). Check the national transposing law for the country concerned.
Do these rights apply if I buy from a private seller on an online marketplace?
The Directive applies to contracts between a trader and a consumer. The marketplace provider must tell you whether the seller is a trader, on the basis of the seller’s own declaration, and, if the seller is not a trader, that the consumer rights stemming from Union consumer protection law do not apply to the contract (Article 6a(1)(b) and (c)).
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