Starting June 19, 2026, consumers must be able to cancel an online agreement just as easily as they were concluded. This is the intent of a bill that will be submitted to the House of Representatives in the new year.

Anyone who concludes an online deal with just a few clicks should be able to cancel it in the same way. This new rule stems from EU Directive (EU) 2023/2673. This directive, drafted in 2023, requires online retailers and businesses to have a clear, visible, and legally compliant digital cancellation function on their websites from June 19, 2026.

Digital revocation at the touch of a button

The directive is primarily focused on financial services, as the European Commission has identified the greatest problems in this area – for example, the distance selling of loans, investments, and insurance. These include incorrect information provision and/or aggressive or misleading sales practices.

However, during the legislative process, it became clear that similar problems also arose with other types of online or telephone sales (energy contracts, telecom, streaming subscriptions, etc.). Therefore, the directive affects all contracts concluded online with consumers: in addition to banks and insurers, it also applies to online stores and other online service providers, as well as one-off sales, subscriptions, and other distance contracts.

Dutch bill

The EU Member States must transpose the new rules into national law by 19 December 2025 at the latest; the obligation itself will apply from 19 June 2026. In our country, a bill has been drawn up for this purpose, in which the Explanatory Memorandum It has already been decided to extend the directive to non-financial services and products. The full list of services and products covered by the regulation can be found in Article 16 of Directive 2011/83/EU. An online consultation has also been conducted on the "Implementation Act on the Directive on Distance Contracts in Financial Services," as the bill is called in full.

Thuiswinkel.org stated that it supports the goal of consumer protection in the digital economy, but also provided advice to include more clearly in the law that the dissolution button only applies if a right of termination already exists.

No change in the right of withdrawal itself

The "cancel button"—in a nutshell, the core of the directive—does not change the right of withdrawal itself. It simply creates an additional, new way for consumers to exercise that right of withdrawal more easily. The directive stipulates that the button must be available and clearly visible throughout the entire withdrawal period; a hyperlink alone is therefore insufficient. The button's existence must be incorporated into the written cancellation policy and privacy policy.

The bill has been submitted to the Council of State, which ruled on 29 September 2025 advised To submit the bill to the House of Representatives unaltered. It is not yet clear when the bill will be submitted and debated. It can still be amended, and then the bill must be approved by the Senate.

Implications for customer contact – Following the passing of the directive in the European Parliament, Ziptone previously wrote about the implications for customer contactThe main question at the time was where on the provider's website the customer would find the cancellation button if they don't have (or haven't used) a personal account. Questions can also arise if a consumer returns items and has (or hasn't) used the button.

The button's temporary visibility can also raise questions; the same applies to companies that, contrary to the rules, don't make the cancellation button clearly visible or easy to use. And what do you do as an e-commerce player if your customer cancels the agreement by using the button but doesn't return the purchased products?

The introduction of the button can also lead to fewer calls, because customers can more easily cancel their purchase themselves. There may be more cancellations, where agents may be able to discuss content: why did you want to cancel? Companies may want to offer different payment options for financial reasons.

Also in the US click-to-cancel-legislation in the making; due to procedural errors, the national implementation of the law not yet arranged.

(Ziptone/editors)

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