Selling online in the European Union brings access to hundreds of millions of consumers, and a body of rules designed to protect them. Many of these rules are not just paperwork for lawyers; they directly shape how an ecommerce website must be designed: what appears on product pages, how prices and discounts are shown, how the checkout works, how cookies are handled, how customers withdraw from a purchase and how accessible the store is. Building them in from the start is far cheaper than fixing them after launch, or after a complaint. This checklist explains the main EU rules affecting online store design in 2026, in plain English.
This article is part of our complete guide: How to Start a Shopify Store: The Complete Guide (2026).
It is part of our series on ecommerce website design for European businesses. It is general information, not legal advice. Rules vary in detail between countries, so confirm specifics with a qualified adviser in your markets.
1. Company identification and contact details
EU law requires online businesses to make their identity easy to find. Design these into the footer, contact page and legal pages:
- Legal business name, geographic address and contact details including email.
- Company registration details and VAT number where applicable.
- Professional or regulatory information if your sector requires it.
Some countries add their own requirements, such as the German Impressum, the French mentions légales, the Spanish aviso legal or the Italian Partita IVA. See our country guides for Germany, France and Spain, Italy and Portugal.
2. Pre-contract information on product pages and checkout
Under the Consumer Rights Directive, consumers must be given clear information before they buy:
- The main characteristics of the product.
- The total price including taxes, plus delivery charges and any other costs.
- Payment, delivery and performance arrangements, including delivery time.
- The right of withdrawal, its conditions and the model withdrawal form.
- Legal guarantees and any commercial warranties.
- Duration of subscriptions and how to cancel them.
Design product pages and the final checkout step so these details are visible without hunting through footer links.
3. A clear order button
EU law requires the final button to make clear that placing the order involves an obligation to pay, for example “Order with obligation to pay” or a clear equivalent such as “Buy now” or “Pay now”. Vague labels such as “Continue” or “Submit” are not enough. Germany is especially strict here, typically using “zahlungspflichtig bestellen”.
4. Order confirmation in a durable medium
After purchase, customers must receive confirmation of the contract and the pre-contract information in a durable medium, usually an email with terms attached or linked in a lasting form. Design and test transactional emails in every language you sell in.
5. The 14-day right of withdrawal
EU consumers generally have 14 days to withdraw from an online purchase of goods without giving a reason, starting from delivery. There are exceptions, such as personalised products, perishable goods and sealed hygiene products once unsealed. If you fail to inform consumers properly, the withdrawal period can be extended to up to a year. Your returns page, terms and checkout must explain this clearly.
6. The online withdrawal function (from 19 June 2026)
Under EU Directive 2023/2673, online traders must provide an easy way to withdraw from distance contracts concluded online, applying from 19 June 2026. In practice, this means a clearly labelled withdrawal function, such as a button reading “withdraw from contract here” or similar, that is prominently displayed and available throughout the withdrawal period. The consumer provides or confirms basic details, then confirms the withdrawal, and the trader sends an acknowledgement, including the date and time, in a durable medium. Stores should plan this into account areas, order emails or a dedicated withdrawal page.
7. Price display and price reductions
- All-inclusive prices. Prices shown to consumers must include VAT and unavoidable charges.
- Unit prices. For goods sold by weight, volume or length, the price per unit (for example per kilo or litre) must generally be shown.
- Price reductions. Under the Omnibus rules, when you announce a price reduction, the reference “before” price must be the lowest price you applied in the previous 30 days. Fake “was” prices are a common enforcement target.
- Personalised pricing. If prices are personalised by automated decision-making, you must tell consumers.
8. Customer reviews
If you display consumer reviews, you must explain whether and how you check that they come from customers who actually used or bought the product. Fake reviews, buying reviews and selectively hiding negative reviews to mislead are prohibited. Design your review section with a short note explaining your verification process. The UK has similar rules under the DMCC Act; see our UK ecommerce guide.
9. GDPR, privacy and cookies
- Privacy policy: explain what personal data you collect, why, your legal bases, who you share it with (payment, delivery, email and analytics providers), international transfers, retention and customer rights.
- Cookie consent: non-essential cookies, including most analytics and all advertising cookies, require prior consent. Refusing should be as easy as accepting, without pre-ticked boxes or manipulative design. Scripts should only load after consent.
- Marketing consent: email and SMS marketing to consumers generally needs opt-in consent, with a soft opt-in exception in some countries for existing customers.
- Data minimisation: collect only what you need at checkout; avoid unnecessary mandatory fields.
- Security: protect customer data with secure hosting, updates and access controls; see our WordPress security checklist.
A store compromised by malware can leak customer data and trigger breach-notification duties. Our guide to cleaning a hacked WooCommerce store shows what is involved.
10. Accessibility: the European Accessibility Act
The European Accessibility Act has applied since 28 June 2025. Ecommerce services offered to consumers in the EU must generally be accessible to people with disabilities, which in practice means following WCAG-based standards (the harmonised standard EN 301 549 references WCAG 2.1 AA). Microenterprises providing services, those with fewer than 10 employees and annual turnover or balance sheet not exceeding €2 million, are exempt from the service requirements, though accessibility still improves usability and reach. Key design points:
- Keyboard navigation through menus, filters, product options and checkout.
- Sufficient colour contrast and readable text sizes.
- Descriptive alt text on product images; see our alt text guide.
- Labelled form fields and clear error messages.
- Logical heading structure; see our guide to H1 tags and heading structure.
- An accessibility statement explaining how your service meets requirements.
11. Product safety information (GPSR)
The EU General Product Safety Regulation has applied since 13 December 2024. For consumer products sold online, listings must clearly show:
- The manufacturer’s name, postal address and electronic contact.
- Where the manufacturer is outside the EU, the name and contact details of the EU-based responsible person.
- Information identifying the product, such as a picture, type and batch or serial number.
- Warnings and safety information in the language of the country where it is sold.
Product page templates should include dedicated fields for this information so it is displayed consistently.
12. VAT: OSS and IOSS
For business-to-consumer sales of goods shipped from one EU country to another, VAT is charged at the customer’s country rate once your total EU cross-border sales exceed €10,000 a year. The One-Stop Shop (OSS) lets you report this VAT through one quarterly return. Non-EU sellers shipping consignments worth up to €150 can use the Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS) to collect VAT at checkout, so customers do not pay on delivery. Your store must calculate VAT by destination and display correct VAT-inclusive prices. Special territories such as the Canary Islands, Åland and some overseas regions are outside the EU VAT area.
13. Customs for non-EU sellers
The EU has ended the €150 customs duty exemption for low-value parcels. From 1 July 2026, a flat €3 duty applies per item category in low-value consignments, as a transitional measure before a new customs data system. Non-EU sellers, including UK businesses, should factor this into pricing and consider showing delivered-duty-paid prices, so customers are not surprised by charges at delivery. See our UK guide for selling from the UK into the EU.
14. Dispute resolution information
The EU Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform closed in July 2025, and the requirement to link to it was removed. If your store still shows an ODR link, remove it and update your terms. Information about alternative dispute resolution bodies may still be required in some countries, such as naming a consumer mediator in France or providing the complaints book link in Portugal.
15. Geo-blocking and non-discrimination
The EU Geo-blocking Regulation prevents unjustified discrimination based on nationality or place of residence. You cannot block EU customers from accessing your store or automatically redirect them to a country version without consent, and you should not refuse payment methods you accept simply because a card was issued in another EU country. You are not obliged to deliver everywhere, but customers should be able to buy on the same terms as local customers, for example by collecting goods or arranging their own delivery.
16. Packaging, electronics and producer responsibility
Many EU countries require online sellers to register for extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes for packaging, electrical equipment, batteries and some textiles, for example the LUCID register in Germany. These are operational obligations, but marketplaces and authorities check them, and some must be displayed. Check the rules in each country you ship to.
17. Green claims and sustainability messaging
Sustainability claims such as “eco-friendly” or “climate neutral” are increasingly regulated. EU rules on empowering consumers for the green transition tighten the use of generic environmental claims and sustainability labels. Avoid vague claims; use specific, evidenced statements about materials, origin or certifications.
A quick EU ecommerce compliance checklist
- Company identity and contact details visible on every page.
- Pre-contract information on product pages and at checkout.
- Order button clearly states payment obligation.
- Confirmation emails with terms in a durable medium.
- 14-day withdrawal right explained with model form.
- Online withdrawal function in place from 19 June 2026.
- VAT-inclusive prices, unit prices where needed, compliant discount displays.
- Review verification explained.
- Privacy policy, cookie consent and marketing consent compliant.
- Accessibility checked against WCAG 2.1 AA, with an accessibility statement.
- GPSR product safety information on listings.
- VAT configured for OSS or IOSS; customs handled for non-EU shipments.
- ODR link removed; local dispute information added where required.
- EPR registrations completed for each country.
How compliance and SEO work together
Compliance and SEO are often treated separately, but many requirements support rankings and conversion. Clear company details and accessible design build trust. Product safety and specification details make product pages more complete, helping avoid thin content. Accessible, well-structured pages are easier for search engines to understand. However, compliance pages themselves should not compete for rankings; check that legal and policy pages are handled sensibly in your technical SEO audit.
From our work
We have cleaned and secured the WooCommerce store of TORX Racing, built a ready-to-sell store for Haus of Mugs and redesigned Powersports Software to be cleaner and easier to buy from. See our case studies.
Related guides and services
- Ecommerce website design for European businesses: the complete guide.
- Multilingual ecommerce website for Europe: languages, currencies and hreflang.
- Ecommerce for Germany, Austria and Switzerland: Europe’s strictest market.
- Ecommerce for Poland and Central Europe: fast-growing EU markets.
- Web design and development: accessible, compliant stores built to sell.
Get expert help
We design and build Shopify and WooCommerce stores with European requirements built into the design: clear checkouts, consent-based cookie handling, accessible templates, product safety fields and correct VAT setup. Explore our web design services, our Shopify solutions and WordPress solutions, or contact us for a free, no-pressure review of your store.
Frequently asked questions
Does the European Accessibility Act apply to my small online shop?
Microenterprises providing services, with fewer than 10 employees and turnover or balance sheet up to €2 million, are exempt from the service requirements. Larger stores selling to EU consumers generally must comply.
What is the EU withdrawal button?
From 19 June 2026, online traders must offer an easy, clearly labelled online function that lets consumers withdraw from contracts during the withdrawal period, with confirmation sent in a durable medium.
Do I still need a link to the EU ODR platform?
No. The ODR platform closed in July 2025 and the linking obligation was removed. Remove old links and update your terms.
Do non-EU businesses need to follow EU ecommerce rules?
Yes, if they target EU consumers. EU consumer law, GDPR, product safety and VAT rules apply to sales into the EU regardless of where the seller is based.
