Mandatory across the EU since June 19, 2026. Directive 2023/2673 asks for more than a button: the acknowledgement must confirm receipt only — not the validity of the withdrawal.
EU Directive 2023/2673 · § 356a BGB

A button alone will not make you compliant.
The acknowledgement decides.

Selling to consumers in Germany or the EU? e-Widerruf adds the legally required electronic withdrawal button to your Shopify store – with a legally sound acknowledgement of receipt, automatic deadline calculation and a dashboard inside the Shopify admin. No code, free plan included.

How it works

Launching shortly: the Shopify App Store listing is being finalized.

24 EU languages GDPR-compliant incl. DPA Compliant with Directive 2023/2673 Ready in minutes
The two risks

Two ways to fall short of the obligation

Since June 19, 2026, an electronic withdrawal function has been mandatory for B2C distance contracts with a right of withdrawal concluded via an online interface. It can be missing altogether — or be present and confirm the wrong thing. The second failure is less visible and takes effect with every single withdrawal.

§ 356a (4)
sets out what the acknowledgement must contain – confirm receipt, leave validity open
up to €50,000
possible fine for violations
12 months + 14 days
the withdrawal period extends to this length without a correct function

Based on Directive 2023/2673 and its German transposition (§ 356a, § 356 (3) BGB) as the worked example. No wave of cease-and-desist warnings solely over a missing button has been documented so far — the statutory consequences apply regardless. Not legal advice.

Self-check

Is your acknowledgement correct?

What matters is not the button but the email your customers receive afterwards. You can run these five points against your own acknowledgement – whichever solution you use.

  1. Date and time of receiptA date alone is not enough. § 356a (4) requires the moment of receipt, because the withdrawal period is calculated from it.
  2. The content of the declarationWhat exactly was withdrawn has to appear in the acknowledgement – not merely the sentence that a withdrawal arrived.
  3. The notice that only receipt is confirmedNot the validity. This is where solutions fail most often – and it is the most expensive failure.
  4. No wording that reads like an approval“Your withdrawal has been accepted” or “is confirmed” can be read as an acknowledgement of the right – even where no right of withdrawal existed.
  5. Identifiable sender and a way to replyThe acknowledgement must reach the consumer on a durable medium and name a contact for questions.

If one of these points fails, the function is there but the obligation is not met. e-Widerruf ships with all five in place – and the notice about receipt rather than validity cannot be switched off by accident.

Based on Art. 11a of Directive 2011/83/EU as amended, shown here in its German transposition (§ 356a (4) BGB). Not legal advice – have it reviewed by a lawyer if in doubt.

The flow

Three steps for your customers, hardly any work for you

The button lives in your storefront. e-Widerruf handles the rest automatically – including the legally required acknowledgement of receipt.

Click "Withdraw from contract"

The button inherits font and button style straight from your theme – nothing is imitated. No color picker, no CSS, shown in your customer's language.

Complete the three-step form

Guided, clear and complete: order, declaration, submit. Bot protection included, no login required.

Receive the acknowledgement

Sent automatically by e-mail, legally sound wording, with the content, date and time of the declaration.

You manage every withdrawal in the embedded dashboard inside the Shopify admin – with a status workflow, search and automatic deadline checking.
Features

A button alone does not make you compliant

Everything the directive requires is covered. Two things go beyond it: the withdrawal instruction from the official EU model and the documented consent to early performance.

Legally sound acknowledgement

Confirms explicitly only the receipt of the declaration, never its validity. This wording protects you from unintended acknowledgements.

Automatic deadline calculation

Under §§ 355, 356, 187, 188, 193 BGB: on time, late or unclear – calculated automatically, no manual work.

Central dashboard

All withdrawals with a status workflow and search, embedded in your Shopify admin.

Official model instruction

The withdrawal instruction comes from Annex I of Directive 2011/83/EU – not a homemade translation. Free in your store language, in all 23 available languages on Pro.

Bot protection, audit log & GDPR

Protects against abuse, logs every step traceably and anonymizes personal data on schedule. Data processing agreement (DPA) included.

Consent to early performance

Under § 356 (5), (6) BGB – documented on the order with timestamp and wording. In the cart for every store, in checkout with Shopify Plus.

The decisive difference

An acknowledgement that doesn't promise too much

Many solutions confirm too much. e-Widerruf confirms only the receipt of the withdrawal declaration – with its content, date and time, exactly as § 356a requires. Whether the withdrawal is valid (in time, no exclusion) remains your decision.

Risky
"Your withdrawal has been accepted / is valid." → can count as an acknowledgement, even if the deadline had already passed.
e-Widerruf
"We confirm receipt of your declaration on … at …." → fulfils the obligation without binding you.
Pricing

Start free, forever. Upgrade when you need more.

The Free plan makes your store fully compliant with the directive, with no time limit. Pro and Business add comfort, branding and extended compliance.

Free
Fully compliant, free forever.
$0/ month
 
 
  • Withdrawal button + 3-step form (inherits your theme's style)
  • Compliant acknowledgement of receipt
  • Official model withdrawal instruction (store language)
  • Automatic deadline calculation
  • Dashboard, 24 EU languages, unlimited withdrawals
  • Bot protection, audit log, GDPR anonymization, DPA
Popular
Pro
Your branding, analytics and comfort.
$9.99/ month
or $99 / year – two months free
7-day free trial
  • Everything in Free, plus:
  • No e-Widerruf branding, custom e-mail templates
  • Custom sender name & reply-to
  • Instruction in all 23 languages, by customer language
  • Analytics, CSV/PDF export, order tagging
  • Partial withdrawal & withdrawal reasons
Business
Your domain, team workflows, edge cases.
$19.99/ month
or $199 / year – two months free
7-day free trial
  • Everything in Pro, plus:
  • Sending via your own domain (SMTP)
  • Slack & MS Teams notifications
  • Items without a right of withdrawal
  • Submission checks (late / no matching order)
  • Consent to early performance (§ 356 (5), (6) BGB – cart everywhere, checkout with Shopify Plus)

Free stays free forever. Paid plans are billed through Shopify in US dollars. Prices excl. VAT where applicable.

Make your store compliant today.

Installed in minutes. Free plan without time limit, no credit card.

Directive 2023/2673 · mandatory since June 19, 2026
FAQ

What you should know about the requirement

Is the withdrawal button really mandatory?
Yes. § 356a of the German Civil Code (implementing EU Directive 2023/2673) has required an electronic withdrawal function since June 19, 2026 for B2C distance contracts with a right of withdrawal concluded via an online interface. That covers most typical Shopify stores selling to German consumers.
Does this apply to stores outside Germany?
If you direct your offering at consumers in Germany or the EU (language, currency, shipping destinations), EU consumer law applies to those contracts – including the withdrawal right and the electronic withdrawal function. A company seat outside the EU does not change that.
What happens without it?
Competitors and consumer associations can issue cease-and-desist warnings (typical value in dispute €1,500–10,000), fines of up to €50,000 are possible, and the withdrawal period extends to up to 12 months and 14 days.
Do I need a developer?
No. e-Widerruf installs as a Shopify app and integrates via a native theme extension without touching your code.
What makes e-Widerruf different?
The acknowledgement confirms only that the declaration was received – it says nothing about its validity, which avoids unintended acknowledgements. On top: full deadline calculation under §§ 355, 356, 187, 188, 193 BGB and (on Business) documented consent to early performance under § 356 (5), (6) BGB.
What does it cost?
The Free plan is free forever and already makes your store compliant with the directive. Pro ($9.99/month) and Business ($19.99/month) come with a 7-day free trial.