The central idea of the new legislation is that it should be as easy for a consumer to cancel an agreement as it was to enter into it. The new regulations stipulate that the function must not consist of a separate link to a customer service page. Instead, a technical two-step process is now required.
The consumer should, in the interface where the purchase was made, for example on their logged-in pages or via an order search function, be met with a button with a clear text such as "cancel purchase". When the customer clicks there, a form should open where details about the purchase can be filled in, followed by a step where the consumer presses a confirmation button.
The system must then handle this information immediately and send out a digital receipt. The digital receipt must contain a log with the time and details of which specific goods the customer has chosen to cancel.
One Year Right of Return Awaits Missed Deadline
Sanctions await e-commerce companies that do not implement the function on time. The right of withdrawal remains at the statutory 14 days for consumers who purchase physical goods online, provided that the online store follows the new rules.
However, if the e-commerce company lacks the cancellation button, or if the function does not meet the technical requirements for proof of receipt, another legal mechanism comes into effect. In these cases, the customer's right of withdrawal is automatically extended to 12 months and 14 days.
In an analysis of the legislative text, lawyer Agnes Hammarstrand from the law firm Delphi previously highlighted the risks:
If you do not meet the requirements for the right of withdrawal function, you are breaking the law. In addition to risking sanctions, consumers also automatically get a year's right of withdrawal if your information is incorrect - regardless of the condition the goods are returned in, she writes in an article on Ehandel.se.
In addition to the extended return period, companies that do not comply with the new requirements may also face sanction fees. These fines can be based on the company's global turnover and can amount to up to four percent.
Consumer Agency Urges Reporting
Supervision to ensure that the market adapts to the new law lies with the Consumer Agency. The authority has announced that it intends to review e-commerce actors based on reports from the public.
The Consumer Agency urges consumers to submit a report if they encounter an online store that lacks the cancellation button or where the function is unclear. These reports will serve as a basis for the authority's supervisory work from next Monday.
For the Swedish e-commerce industry, there are now 56 hours of technical preparations remaining before the directive becomes national law.
The requirement for a cancellation button originates from EU Directive 2023/2673, and was voted into law by the Swedish Riksdag in March this year under proposition 2025/26:84.
Read more about the proposal here.