From June 19th, the mandatory obligation for e-commerce, marketplaces and digital platforms to include within their websites and applications an ad hoc interface dedicated to the right of withdrawal: the so-called “withdrawal button”.
The legislator's goal is clear: to break down digital barriers and drastically simplify the online product or service return process, making it accessible and accessible to consumers with a simple click. For merchants and platform operators, however, this innovation translates into a significant technological and bureaucratic adaptation to be implemented immediately to avoid heavy penalties.
In this article we will analyze in detail what changes with the new Article 54-bis of the Consumer Code, who is subject to the obligation and how to adapt your web platform thanks to the support of Digife.
The regulatory context: What changes with Article 54-bis?
The innovation arises from the national implementation of the EU Directive 2023/2673, introduced in Italy through the Legislative Decree 209/2025. This decree inserted the new provision into the Consumer Code Article 54-bis, a regulation that completely redesigns the management of the right of return.
Until now, the right of withdrawal has been considered a simple informative clause, to be passively mentioned in legal texts or in the general conditions of sale of the site. From now on, the withdrawal is transformed into a mandatory digital interface requirement.
In fact, the substance of the right of withdrawal remains unchanged, but the methods of exercising it have radically changed: the process must become faster, smarter, more transparent, and natively digital, eliminating once and for all the cumbersome procedures that often discourage or penalize users.
How the "Withdrawal Button" should work: Technical requirements
The law establishes very strict rules for the design of the new user interface (UI). It will no longer be possible to hide return options within hard-to-find submenus or require complex actions from the customer.
Article 54-bis imposes three fundamental structural requirements on online sellers:
1. Maximum visibility and explicit wording
The digital tool or “button” must be clearly visible, easily accessible and continuously available for the entire period during which the customer is legally entitled to return items or terminate purchased services. This purpose must be clearly and unequivocally stated. Legislators recommend the adoption of explicit wording such as:
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«Withdraw from the contract here»
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«Click here to make a return»
2. The wizard and double-click confirmation
It will no longer be enough to simply enter an email address to write to, or to provide a PDF form to download, print, fill out in pen, and scan. The withdrawal request must be entirely can be filled in directly on the seller's web page. The flow must include:
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A first screen where the user enters the essential data: personal details, order details it's a telematic contact to receive notifications.
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A final and definitive confirmation step, also immediate (a second validation button), to avoid incorrect submissions and record the consumer's formal will.
3. Automatic and immediate sending of the receipt
Once the procedure has been completed and the withdrawal confirmed, the e-commerce channel is obliged to forward the customer (almost immediately) a automatic receipt receipt. This document must contain:
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The full text of the declaration filled out by the customer;
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The exact indication of the date and time of transmission. This element acts as a technological "seal," offering the user mathematical certainty that the request has been received and processed by the retailer.
Who is subject to the obligation? The sectors involved
The scope of this rule is extremely broad and is not limited to traditional online clothing or electronics stores. The requirement for a withdrawal button applies to:
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B2C E-commerce Sites: Any web portal that sells physical goods to private customers.
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Mixed Sites (B2C / B2B): Platforms serving both businesses and individuals will be required to implement and comply with these rules for the consumer-facing portion of their business.
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Marketplace: Large and medium-sized brokerage platforms that host third-party sellers.
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Digital subscription platforms: Sites that sell recurring access to software, databases, or services.
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Streaming and Membership Services: Multimedia portals and digital clubs that require membership fees or monthly/annual subscriptions.
If your business falls into one of these categories, technical compliance is not optional, but rather an immediate business priority.
Changes to be made: Technical and bureaucratic aspects
To be ready for inspection by the authorities, companies called to order will have to move simultaneously on two fronts:
Technical and Graphic Adjustment
This is the most obvious intervention. It's necessary to develop and integrate the two-step cancellation logic described above into the website or app, connecting the order database to email automation systems for instant delivery of the time-stamped receipt.
Bureaucratic and Legal Compliance
Alongside software development, it is essential to review the site's contractual documentation. It will be necessary to update the General Conditions of Sale and thepre-contractual information (the preparatory documentation for signing the contract), specifying in black and white the presence of the digital return tool and explaining how it works to the consumer.
What are the risks for those who don't comply? Penalties and operational consequences.
Ignoring this deadline or postponing the platform update exposes the company to extremely serious risks, which can undermine both its finances and its brand reputation on the market.
1. The automatic extension of the right of withdrawal to 12 months
The first risk is purely operational. If the site does not provide the updated information and the related digital return tool by the June 19th deadline, the standard 14-day cooling-off period lapses. Automatically, the withdrawal period available to the customer extends to 12 months and 14 days. This means that a customer could purchase a product, use it for a whole year, and then legally request a full refund, leaving the merchant completely unprotected.
2. Financial penalties for unfair commercial practices
From a legal perspective, failure to provide the button on the site can be sanctioned by the competent authorities as a real violation. unfair commercial practice. The administrative pecuniary sanctions provided for this violation they can reach up to 10,000 euros.
3. Accumulation of complaints and damage to the brand
In addition to fines, the lack of a clear system inevitably leads to overloaded customer service, a backlog of complaints, legal challenges, and negative online reviews, capable of destroying customer trust in the long run.
How to adapt your e-commerce with Digife's support
Updating an e-commerce platform (whether developed in WordPress/WooCommerce, Shopify, Prestashop, Magento or with custom solutions) to perfectly meet the criteria of Article 54-bis requires a combination of skills in UX/UI Design, Backend Development, and Web Automation.
The standard templates and plugins currently on the market are not natively configured to comply with the strict wording and time tracking logic imposed by Italian and European law.
We of Digife We are ready to support your business in this regulatory transition.
Don't wait for the deadline to expire June 19th risking penalties or an extension of returns to 12 months. Contact the Digife team today to request technical advice and bring your online shop up to standard.
