Complying with the EU Right of Withdrawal
Updated 2 months ago
If you sell to customers in the European Union, Shopify requires a clearly visible withdrawal function in your store by June 19, 2026, under EU Directive 2023/2673. This article explains what the right of withdrawal is and how to configure your store settings to meet the new requirement.
What is the EU right of withdrawal?
Under EU consumer protection law, customers who buy goods, services, or digital content online have the right to cancel their purchase within 14 days of receiving it, without giving a reason. This is known as the cooling-off period.
EU Directive 2023/2673 adds a new requirement on top of this right. Starting June 19, 2026, stores selling to EU consumers must provide a clearly visible electronic withdrawal function, such as a button or link, so customers can exercise their withdrawal right directly from the store.
Why this matters
The directive applies to any business selling goods, services, or digital content online to EU consumers, regardless of where the business is based. If your store doesn't provide the required withdrawal function after June 19, 2026, you may face:
Legal warnings
Fines of up to 4% of annual turnover in some EU member states
An extended withdrawal period, where the standard 14-day cooling-off period can stretch to 12 months and 14 days
Setting up your store
Return and cancellation rules
From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Policies.
Under Return and cancellation rules, click Default rules.
Turn on Return rules using the toggle, then set the Return window to at least 14 days.
Set Starting from to Delivery of last item in order, so the window starts once the full order has arrived.
Select Extend to account for weekends or holidays, so the window doesn't expire on a non-business day.
Turn on Cancellation rules using the toggle, then set the Cancellation window to Until item is fulfilled, so customers can cancel any time before their order ships.
Withdrawal link
Adding a visible withdrawal link will gives EU customers a clear entry point to exercise their withdrawal right.
From your Shopify admin, go to Content > Menus.
Click the title of the menu you want to add the link to, for example, Customer accounts menu.
Click Add menu item.
In the Label field, enter a label such as Cancel or return an order.
Click the field under Link, select Orders under the Customer accounts dropdown section.
Click Save.
Set EU-specific rules (optional)
If you want different return and cancellation rules for EU customers versus other regions, go to Settings > Policies > Return and cancellation rules and click Add rules to create a market-specific policy.
Written return and refund policy
Update your written return and refund policy to reflect the 14-day cooling-off period. You can use Shopify's template as a starting point.
From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Policies
Under Written policies, click Return and refund policy.
Click Insert templates.
Review and edit the template accordingly, then click Publish.
What customers see
Once self-serve returns and cancellations and your rules are turned on, customers will see a button on their order status page or in their account, depending on the status of their order.
Cancellations
If the order hasn't shipped yet, customers see a Cancel items button on their order status page.
Once clicked, they select the items they want to cancel, confirm, and submit the request. This fulfills the directive's two-step confirmation requirement.
After submitting, the customer automatically receives a confirmation email. The request also appears on the order's details page in your Shopify admin, where you approve or decline it.
Returns
Once the order has been fulfilled and delivered, customers will see a Return button on their order status page.
Once clicked, they select the items they want to return, choose a reason, and leave an optional note. They then confirm and submit the request. This fulfills the directive's two-step confirmation requirement.
After submitting, the customer automatically receives a confirmation email. The request also appears on the order's details page in your Shopify admin, where you approve or decline it.
Important notes
This requirement applies to any business selling to EU consumers, regardless of where the business is located.
Some products are exempt from the 14-day withdrawal right. Consult a legal advisor to confirm whether any of your products qualify.
For EU orders, refunds need to be issued within 14 days of the cancellation request, so process these requests promptly.
These settings are part of Shopify's native return and cancellation tools and apply separately from any order editing done in Cleverific.
Shopify's tools support compliance but don't guarantee it on their own. Review your full setup, including any exempt products, with a legal advisor.