How Online Withdrawal Rights Are Changing in Italy

As of 19 June 2026, withdrawing from a contract concluded online should become as simple as signing up for it. In this episode, journalist Antonio Ravenna interviews Federico Toscani of DLA Piper to unpack the new Article 54-bis of the Italian Consumer Code (Legislative Decree 206/2005), introduced by Legislative Decree 209/2025.

At the heart of the conversation is a new obligation for businesses selling at a distance: they must provide a clear, visible, and easily accessible digital withdrawal function — effectively a "withdrawal button" placed on the same online interface used to enter into the contract.

Over the course of the interview, Federico Toscani and Antonio Ravenna discuss:

1. the rationale behind the rule, and why it exists to rebalance the ease of purchase against the difficulty of cancelling;
2. what the withdrawal function must actually include (button wording, the withdrawal declaration, and the details identifying the consumer and the contract);
3. the confirmation step and the acknowledgment of receipt sent on a durable medium;
4. the moment at which withdrawal is deemed validly exercised in relation to the statutory deadline (paragraph 7);
5. what companies should do right now to bring their websites, apps, and customer journeys into compliance and avoid disputes.

A valuable episode for e-commerce operators, legal departments, compliance teams, and anyone working in the digital market who wants to align their withdrawal process with the transparency and accessibility standards required under the new regime.

📌 You can find our contacts 👉 www.dlapiper.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello everyone, I'm Federico Toscani and I'm a trainee lawyer at DLA Piper.

SPEAKER_01 0:04

And I'm Antonio Ravenna, a journalist.

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Today we are here to talk about the new digital withdrawal function introduced within the Italian consumer code.

SPEAKER_01 0:13

And we're gonna make it in the time of a coffee break. So Federico, starting June 19, 2026, a new rule changes how a consumer can exit online contracts in Italy. So what's the problem it's trying to solve?

SPEAKER_00 0:30

Yeah, the this new provision is addressing a specific problem which is very common in the online context. Concluding a contract, entering into a contract is pretty easy while withdrawing sometimes it's more complex. Indeed, in practice, normally withdrawal functions are hidden in complex term and condition. Sometimes consumers are required to fill in complex forms or make multiple steps in order to withdraw from the contract. Whereas entering into the contract is usually easy and requires only a few clicks. So the this new provision aims to solve this specific problem by making withdrawing from the contract as easy as entering into the contract.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

And so, what are the concrete requirements?

SPEAKER_00 1:19

There are mainly four concrete requirements. First of all, all companies should include within the website the so-called withdrawal button, which is a button expressly stating that the consumer can withdraw by clicking on the button. For instance, the law talks about a button stating you can withdraw from the contract by clicking here, so something that can make the consumer immediately acknowledge the real elements. The button should lead the consumer to a specific section within the website where the consumer can fill in the so-called declaration of withdrawal where some information are necessary such as the personal details of the consumer and the information needed to identify the contract from which the consumer is willing to withdraw. Then there should be a specific confirmation button. After the consumer has filled in the declaration of withdrawal, there must be a confirmation button which is used to send the withdrawal declaration directly to the company. And after the consumer has pushed on such button, the company must send immediately an acknowledged receipt stating that the withdrawal declaration has been properly submitted.

SPEAKER_01 2:40

So there are a few passages, and uh when exactly is the withdrawal considered exactly exercise?

SPEAKER_00 2:47

Yeah, that it's a critical point, and the law expressive provides that the withdrawal has to be considered sent to the company when the consumer clicks on the confirmation button. So that's not the moment where the company acknowledges receipts, which could be afterward, but the specific moment where the consumer selects the confirmation button so as to avoid any kind of misunderstanding on the specific moment.

SPEAKER_01 3:15

So, what should companies do right now?

SPEAKER_00 3:18

Companies should make we can say four specific steps. First of all, they should revise their website to understand where the contract is concluded and thus where to insert the confirmation button, as the button should be inserted in the same page where the contract is concluded. Second, they should work on make this button crystal clear so that there will be no doubt on the fact that that button leads to withdrawing from the contract. Then they should prepare specifically the middle page where the consumer can insert all the information and be sure that the information to be contained in the declaration are the one required by law. And finally, they should have a specific tool that ensures that upon confirmation the declaration of withdrawal is immediately sent to the customer.

SPEAKER_01 4:17

Thank you Federico.

SPEAKER_00 4:19

Thank you so much.