Do a subscription or a monthly box give rise to the withdrawal right?

Yes, as soon as the customer is a consumer. The European obligation does not distinguish between a one-off sale and a subscription (Directive (EU) 2023/2673, across the 27 EU member states): any contract concluded at a distance with a consumer gives rise to the 14-day withdrawal right, and therefore requires the compliant button since 19 June 2026. This applies to monthly boxes (beauty, meals, products), as well as to subscriptions to a service. Only B2B subscriptions (professional clients) are exempt, unless granted voluntarily by contract.

When does the 14-day period start for a subscription or a box?

For a box or a subscription that delivers a physical good, the period runs from receipt of the first box (Directive 2011/83/EU, art. 9). For a subscription purely to a service or content, it runs from the conclusion of the contract. In both cases, the withdrawal relates to the initial contract: it does not reopen with each monthly renewal.

The customer has already received a box or used the service: what happens?

For a good, the customer returns the box and you can reduce the refund if the product has been diminished by handling beyond what was necessary to try it (Directive 2011/83/EU, art. 14). For a service started at their express request before the end of the 14 days, they must pay on a pro rata basis for what has already been supplied at the time of their withdrawal (Directive 2011/83/EU, art. 14(3)). You therefore do not lose what has actually been consumed.

Subscriptions and monthly boxes sector

Withdrawal button: subscriptions and monthly boxes

Q: What is the difference between withdrawing from and cancelling a subscription?

They are two distinct and cumulative rights. Withdrawal cancels the contract within 14 days of subscribing, with a full refund (Directive 2011/83/EU, art. 9). Cancellation ends a subscription already under way, at term or for a legitimate reason (under national contract law), without any refund of the past. In concrete terms: within the first 14 days, it is a withdrawal; afterwards, it is a cancellation.

Last reviewed on July 22, 2026

Beauty box, meal box, product or service subscription: if you sell recurring products to consumers, the answer is simple. Unlike a dated ticket, a subscription is fully concerned by the withdrawal right. The real questions lie elsewhere: when the period starts to run, what distinguishes withdrawing from cancelling, and what happens when a box has already been sent.

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Subscriptions are fully concerned

No exemption here, unlike travel or ticketing. The obligation makes no difference between a one-off sale and a subscription (Directive (EU) 2023/2673, across the 27 EU member states): any contract concluded at a distance with a consumer gives rise to the 14-day withdrawal right. A beauty box, a meal box, a subscription to products or to a service: all require the compliant button since 19 June 2026.

The only real limit

B2B subscriptions (your customer is a business) are exempt from the withdrawal right, unless you grant it voluntarily by contract. As soon as you sell to consumers, the button is mandatory.

When does the period start to run?

This is the question that comes up most. The answer depends on what you deliver.

A box (physical good)

The period runs from receipt of the first box(Directive 2011/83/EU, art. 9), not from the subscription date. The customer has 14 days after receiving their first delivery.

A service or content

The period runs from the conclusion of the contract. And in every case, the withdrawal relates to the initial contract: it does not reopen with each monthly renewal.

Do not confuse withdrawal and cancellation

This is the classic subscription trap. Both rights exist, they are distinct, and they are cumulative: withdrawal cancels the contract within the first 14 days, with a full refund (Directive 2011/83/EU, art. 9); cancellation ends a subscription already under way, at term or for a legitimate reason, without any refund of the past (under national contract law).

And what if a box has already been sent, or the service already started? You do not lose what has actually been consumed. For a good, you can reduce the refund in the event of diminished value (Directive 2011/83/EU, art. 14). For a service started at the customer's express request before the end of the 14 days, they pay on a pro rata basis for what has already been supplied (Directive 2011/83/EU, art. 14(3)).

The mistake to avoid: pointing a customer to your cancellation terms when they are in fact exercising their withdrawal right within the 14 days. That is a breach, and dated proof of their request protects you on both sides.

To go further

Depending on what you sell, the rules become more specific. See also:

Withdrawal or cancellation? : the detail of the difference, with the articles.
Withdrawal button for a SaaS : the case of software subscriptions and digital content.
Used product, reduced refund : what you can withhold on a returned box.
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The withdrawal button is a European obligation (Directive (EU) 2023/2673) since 19 June 2026. BackToMe sets it up, proves every request and applies the law of each EU country. 7-day free trial, 0 € today.

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