The withdrawal button for online shops in Italy

What the law asks

Legislative Decree 209/2025 added article 54-bis to the Italian Consumer Code, and the rule applies from 19 June 2026 to contracts concluded after that date. It covers distance contracts with consumers made through an online interface. In practice it asks for five things:

1. A function labelled "recedere dal contratto qui" ("withdraw from the contract here") or equally clear wording.
2. The function stays available for the whole withdrawal period, clearly visible and easy to find.
3. The consumer enters or confirms their name, the details identifying the contract and where they want the confirmation.
4. A second step labelled "conferma recesso" ("confirm withdrawal") or equivalent.
5. After confirming, the shop promptly sends a receipt on a durable medium such as email, with the content of the request, the date and the time.

The withdrawal is on time if the statement goes out before the deadline. The decree also changed article 49: the information given before purchase must say that the function exists and where it is.

How I build it into the shop

On WooCommerce and PrestaShop I prefer a fixed page, linked from the footer and the order email: someone looking for it two weeks after buying no longer has a cart open. I check the order, record the request in the shop's back office and send both emails: the receipt to the customer, the alert to whoever handles returns.

On Shopify I first look at what the theme does and which apps you already have, and on a custom shop I write the function into the code. If orders go through connected business software, the request lands there too, so nobody retypes it.

What I test before handing over

• the whole path on a phone and with the keyboard alone, because this page has to be accessible too;
• an order with an account, one without, one with a wrong number;
• the receipt, with date and time, and that it stays out of the spam folder;
• that the page can be reached from the footer of every page in the shop.

What stays with your lawyer

I handle the technical side. Your terms of sale, withdrawal notice and exclusions need to be written or checked by a lawyer. This page summarises the text as read on 30 October 2026 and is not legal advice.

If your shop is based in Switzerland, see Swiss online shop with EU customers.

Frequently asked questions

Is a link to the model form in the terms of sale enough?

No. The function has to be on the site, clearly visible and available for the whole withdrawal period. A PDF to print or an email address to write to doesn't let people send the online statement with the confirmation and receipt the article asks for.

What about people who bought without an account?

They must be able to withdraw too. So I build a page that needs no login, where order number, name and email are enough. The shop checks that the order exists and the request doesn't get lost.

I only sell to businesses. Do I need it?

The article is about contracts with consumers. If the shop also sells to private customers you need it, and if the site is open to everyone it's hard to prove otherwise. For your case, ask the lawyer who wrote your terms of sale.

I sell personalised products that can't be returned.

The Consumer Code has exceptions to the right of withdrawal for made-to-order goods. If the shop also sells regular products, you need the function for those. Where the line falls is for your lawyer; I can make the function appear only on orders that qualify.

Does it cover subscriptions and digital services too?

The article speaks of distance contracts concluded through an online interface, so it goes beyond shipped goods. If you sell subscriptions or online courses to consumers, that flow needs checking as well.

Read more

• The service: Online shops
• More pages like this: New rules to comply with