The French withdrawal button: what foreign sellers must know
Since 19 June 2026, any business selling at a distance to consumers in France must provide a dedicated online withdrawal button(Article L.221-21 of the French Consumer Code). This applies even if your company is based outside France: the obligation follows the consumer.
Who is concerned
You are concerned if you sell online to consumers located in France (B2C), regardless of where your company is established. The rule transposes EU Directive 2023/2673, so equivalent obligations apply across the European Union. A contact form, an email address or a line buried in your terms is no longer enough: the law requires a dedicated, traceable feature.
What the button must do
- A dedicated button, accessible from any page for the whole 14-day period, with an unambiguous label ("Withdraw from the contract").
- A two-step flow: the customer fills in a short form, then confirms.
- An acknowledgement sent on a durable medium (a timestamped email the customer can keep).
- A clause in your terms of sale stating that the button exists and where to find it.
What you risk
An administrative fine up to €75,000for a legal entity (Article L.242-13), and the customer’s withdrawal period extended from 14 days to 12 months and 14 days(Article L.221-20). Each sale made without a compliant button stays contestable for over a year.
How BackToMe makes you compliant
Multilingual button
8 languages included (English, French and more): it adapts to each customer.
Opposable proof
Each request is acknowledged on a durable medium and archived with a timestamped, verifiable fingerprint.
It installs with a single line of code on any site, an official app on Shopify, or an official plugin on WordPress. No developer needed in most cases.
Start a 7-day free trial
€0 today, cancel in one click. Your button goes live at full legal value, with acknowledgement and timestamped archiving of every request.
Start free trialFrequently asked questions
My company is based outside France. Am I concerned?
Yes, if you sell at a distance to consumers located in France. The obligation follows the consumer, not the seller. It transposes EU Directive 2023/2673, so equivalent rules apply across the EU.
What happens if I do not comply?
Two consequences. An administrative fine of up to €75,000 for a legal entity (Article L.242-13), and the customer’s withdrawal period is automatically extended from 14 days to 12 months and 14 days (Article L.221-20), making each sale contestable for over a year.
Does the button have to be in French?
It must be clearly understandable by the French consumer, so French is expected. The BackToMe button is multilingual (8 languages, including English and French), so it adapts to your customer.
Reading in French? See our full guide: le guide du bouton de rétractation and the cross-border page.