Consumer protection

E-commerce: from 19 June, platforms will be required to include a ‘return button’

The function must be clearly visible and indicated using straightforward wording. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in fines of up to €10,000.

by Camilla Curcio

11 June 2026

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

New developments are on the way for the e-commerce: from 19 June, platforms and marketplaces will be required to include a dedicated returns interface on their websites and apps. The aim? To simplify the procedures for returning products or services online and make them accessible to customers with a single click.

What’s changing

In transposing EU Directive 2023/2673, Legislative Decree 209/2025 has introduced, into the Consumer Code, the new Article 54-bis, which redefines the right of return, transforming it from a clause in the online contract into a mandatory requirement of the digital interface.

But what does the law actually stipulate? Specifically, Article 54-bis imposes a series of requirements on online sellers: the ‘cancellation button’ must be clearly visible, accessible and available throughout the entire period during which purchased items may be returned. Once the procedure has been completed and the form submitted (in which the user must provide personal details, order details and a contact for confirmation), the e-commerce platform is obliged to send a receipt in response, containing the text of the customer’s declaration, the date and time of transmission, to confirm the successful completion of the transaction.

That’s not all: on the website or web page, this function must be indicated explicitly and unambiguously, typically using phrases such as ‘cancel the contract here’ or ‘click here to make a return’. There must also be a final and definitive confirmation step, which must be equally immediate.

It will therefore no longer be enough simply to provide an email address to write to or a form to download, print, fill in and send, without any certainty that it has been received or read. The request must be accessible (and fillable) directly from the seller’s webpage: once completed, the customer must then confirm it and receive an automatic acknowledgement of receipt from the retailer almost immediately.

Essentially, therefore, the process remains the same; it is simply the way it is carried out that has changed. It is now faster, smarter and more digital. The aim is to avoid unanswered questions and cumbersome procedures that often fail to produce positive results.

Who is subject to the obligation

The requirement for a “cancel” button applies to all websites that sell to private customers, i.e. B2C sites, as well as mixed B2C/B2B sites, which must comply with the rules only for the part of their business aimed at consumers rather than businesses. This therefore covers a fairly broad range of platforms, including retail platforms and marketplaces, digital subscription platforms, streaming services and membership services.

Changes to be incorporated

Companies are being called to order, so what will they have to do? In addition to the most obvious (and clear) step, which is to add to their website – both functionally and visually – the withdrawal function with double confirmation and acknowledgement of receipt, they must also address the more bureaucratic aspects: namely, updating the general terms and conditions of sale and the information notice prior to signing the contract, specifying in writing the obligation to include the button.

What happens to those who break the rules

Anyone who fails to take action to ensure the service runs smoothly may face two types of problems, as well as an inevitable backlog of complaints, disputes and potential legal issues. The first, on the operational front, is the extension of the withdrawal period: without an updated policy – i.e. one that, from 19 June, also includes the digital returns tool – it will no longer last 14 days but will be automatically extended (therefore without a request from the customer or intervention by the relevant authorities) to 12 months and 14 days.

As regards penalties, however, failure to provide the button may constitute an unfair commercial practice, with administrative fines of up to €10,000.