Click and collect blurs a line that many believe is clear: an online sale gives a right of withdrawal, an in-store sale does not. So when a customer orders online and comes to collect in store, which side do we fall on? The answer does not depend on the place of collection, but on where the contract was concluded.
The only criterion that matters: where is the sale concluded?
The right of withdrawal applies to contracts concluded at a distance (harmonised across the EU by Directive 2011/83/EU). What triggers the right is the fact that the sale is formed at a distance, without the simultaneous physical presence of the seller and the customer. The place where the customer later collects their product changes nothing about the nature of the contract.
Two very different situations therefore hide behind "click and collect":
Case 1: sale concluded online, collection in store
The customer chooses, confirms and pays for their order online, then simply comes to fetch the parcel. The contract is concluded at a distance: the 14-day right of withdrawal applies, exactly as for home delivery. In-store collection is merely a method of delivery.
Case 2: online reservation, sale concluded in store
The customer reserves a product online (without paying for it), then travels in, examines it and finalises the purchase on site, at the till. The sale is concluded in store, in the seller's presence: this is not a distance contract, and there is no legal right of withdrawal (any "satisfaction or your money back" offer is then merely a commercial gesture).
In practice, it is the moment of payment and of the formation of the contract that decides. Paid online = withdrawal. Reserved online but paid in store = on-site sale.
When does the 14-day period start?
For a sale of goods concluded at a distance, the withdrawal period runs from the customer's taking possession of the good. In Case 1 click and collect, this is therefore the day they collect their parcel in store, not the day of the order. The customer then has their full 14 days.
What this means for your shop
If you offer in-store collection for orders paid online, you are dealing with a distance sale: you must offer the right of withdrawal and, since 19 June 2026, display a compliant withdrawal button. Many "physical" retailers who added click and collect during or after Covid are unaware of this, and believe themselves to be outside the scope because they have a shop.
The reflex to have
Simply ask yourself: "Does my customer pay online or at the till?" If they pay online, treat the order as a distance sale from end to end, in-store collection included.
You sell online with collection, and you are not sure you are compliant? Check in two minutes whether the obligation concerns you.
This article is general information and does not constitute legal advice. For the exact wording, refer to the Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU) and its national transpositions.
Founder of BackToMe
Art. L.221-21 · 19 June 2026
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