Revocation button from 19.06.2026: What the new
§ 356a BGB required of online stores
A contract is usually concluded online with just a few clicks: Add the product to your shopping cart, enter your address and payment details and click „order with obligation to pay“.
The rescission of the contract by Revocation However, the process was often less smooth - sometimes via e-mail, sometimes via contact forms, somewhere in the customer account or in a PDF revocation instruction.
This is now (largely) a thing of the past: with the Act amending the law on consumer contracts and insurance contracts and amending the law on treatment contracts (BGBl. I 2026 No. 28), the new § 356a BGB was introduced. It obliges companies to provide a clearly identifiable, standardized electronic revocation function for distance selling contracts concluded online - the „Revocation button“.
Brief overview
- From when? June 19, 2026.
- For whom? For B2C distance selling contractswhich via an online user interface be closed (website/parts thereof, app).
- What is mandatory? A Two-stage revocation process („Revoke contract“ → „Confirm revocation“) plus Immediate confirmation of receipt with time stamp
What's new? The electronic revocation function according to § 356a BGB
§ 356a BGB regulates an „electronic revocation function for distance contracts“ - whenever the contract was concluded via an online user interface.
In concrete terms, this means that if a consumer concludes a contract online via a website/app, the trader must also enable the consumer to cancel the contract there.
Although the obligation to provide an option for revocation was legally „there“, the implementation of this was not uniformly regulated.
In practice, revocation often overflowed:
- E-Mail / Contact form,
- Sample withdrawal form,
- Customer account workflows (not standardized).
Questions arose in particular with regard to legally compliant implementation: What is „easy to find“? Is a contact form sufficient? How transparent are paths and frictions?
§ Section 356a BGB now provides a much more specific answer - with interface obligations.
Legal requirements: What does the legislator require?
§ Section 356a BGB not only regulates „that“ the consumer can revoke in the online store, but also exactly how the revocation must take place online - including Design, process and Proof.
The „HOW“ - visible, available and easily accessible at all times
The revocation function must be clearly legible with „Revoke contract“ or another equally clear formulation.
During the withdrawal period, the withdrawal function on the online interface must be activated.
- always available,
- highlighted and
- Easily accessible be.
Revocation procedure: two-stage process
The revocation process is two-stage:
1st step: „Revoke contract“
The withdrawal function must make it possible for the consumer to submit the declaration of withdrawal without unnecessary detours by providing him with the following information so that he can confirm it „without further ado“:
- Name of the consumer
- Identification of the contract/part (e.g. order number)
- electronic means of communication for the confirmation of receipt (typical: e-mail)
2nd stage: „Confirm revocation“
As soon as the information is provided/confirmed, the contractor must submit a Confirmation function offer the consumer revocation and his information finally transmitted.
This two-stage process is not only intended to speed up and simplify the withdrawal process, but also to create clarity and verifiability. This process is also intended to prevent consumers from „accidentally“ withdrawing - and also to prevent companies from hiding the withdrawal in unclear forms.
Immediate confirmation of receipt with time stamp
Once the confirmation function has been activated, a confirmation of receipt must be sent immediately on a durable medium (in practice regularly by e-mail). The confirmation must contain at least
- Content of the declaration of revocation (incl. the details) and
- Date and time of the entrance.
This provides consumers with a time-stamped receipt.
Important: Strong deadline rule in favor of the consumer
The legal consequence is particularly relevant in practice: the revocation is deemed to have been received on time if the consumer sends it via the function before the deadline expires.
Your contact person:
Lawyer
Specialist lawyer for intellectual property rights
Phone: +49 30 36 41 41 90
E-Mail: kontakt@abd-partner.de
More articles from
Dr. Norman Dauskardt:
Compliance benefits as well as consumer protection?
The aim of the new § 356a BGB is the effective exercise of the right of withdrawal. The aim is to structurally prevent practices that make revocation more difficult by making it difficult to find or through unnecessary process frictions. The regulation therefore addresses a point that has often been „controlled“ via design and process up to now.
The regulation initially means implementation costs (UX, development, legal texts, verification processes). At the same time, it can bring compliance benefits:
- Less room for interpretation due to standardization,
- fewer access disputes with clean documentation,
- competitive equality, because all providers must meet the same minimum standard
§ Section 356a BGB is more than just „consumer friendliness“. It sets a minimum standard for online design and process management. From summer 2026, many sectors will therefore not only check whether a withdrawal policy is in place, but also whether the legally prescribed online flow is actually complied with.
FAQ
Does § 356a BGB also apply to apps?
- Yes, an online user interface also includes applications, including mobile apps.
Does every online store have to include a revocation button?
- Only where there is a statutory right of withdrawal. If the right of withdrawal is excluded by way of exception (e.g. certain cases in accordance with Section 312g BGB), the obligation does not apply.
What must be included in the confirmation?
- At least the content of the declaration of revocation (including details) as well as the date and time of receipt - and immediately on a durable medium.
Why is the deadline rule so important?
- Because timely „sending“ via the revocation function is sufficient: The revocation is then deemed to have been received on time.
Is this the same as the cancel button?
- No. Revocation (usually 14 days, reversal) and termination (termination of a continuing obligation) are different instruments.