What is the §356a BGB cancellation button (Widerrufsbutton)?
With EU Directive 2023/2673 (the "modernisation of consumer protection" — the directive on contracts for digital content and distance selling), the EU legislator introduced a new obligation: consumers must be able to declare the cancellation of contracts concluded online just as easily as they concluded the contract in the first place. In German law this is implemented through §356a BGB (the German Civil Code).
In practice this means: the shop must offer a clearly visible, permanently available cancellation button (Widerrufsbutton) through which a cancellation can be submitted in a few clicks — similar to the already-familiar "termination button" (Kündigungsbutton) under §312k BGB.
Deadline 19 June 2026. From this date the cancellation button is required by law. Shops without a compliant solution risk warning notices (Abmahnungen) from competitors and consumer-protection associations.
The three core requirements
1. No login, no reason
The button must be reachable without logging in — guest buyers must be able to use it too. No reason for the cancellation may be required, and no artificial hurdles may be built in.
2. Clearly identifiable and permanently accessible
The button must be legibly labelled with the words "cancel contract" or an equally unambiguous wording. It must be provided permanently and be easy to find.
3. Confirmation on a durable medium (§356a para. 4 BGB)
After a cancellation is submitted, the shop must send the consumer without undue delay a confirmation of receipt on a durable medium. In practice this is an email documenting the content of the cancellation declaration plus the date and time of receipt.
The two-step flow
The law provides for a confirmation flow so that the cancellation is made deliberately and verifiably:
- Step 1 — cancellation button. The customer clicks the permanently visible cancellation button. A simple form opens that asks only for the strictly necessary details (e.g. order reference and contact email) — without login and without a reason field.
- Step 2 — confirmation page. On a second page the consumer confirms the details and submits the cancellation. They then receive the confirmation of receipt by email (durable medium).
Sequent implements the §356a cancellation button in full
The compliant two-step button, the email confirmation and the tamper-proof evidence log are all included in the free version of Sequent.
See Sequent →The tamper-proof evidence log
In the event of a dispute you must be able to prove that — and when — a cancellation was received and that the confirmation of receipt was sent. For this Sequent keeps an immutable evidence log: every cancellation is recorded with order data, a timestamp and the content of the confirmation sent. That gives you a reliable record for each case.
| Legal basis | §356a BGB (implemented from EU Directive 2023/2673) |
|---|---|
| Applies from | 19 June 2026 |
| Login required? | No — accessible to guest buyers too |
| Reason required? | No |
| Confirmation | Durable medium (email) with content, date, time — §356a para. 4 BGB |
| Evidence | Tamper-proof, immutable log per case |
How Sequent implements it in WooCommerce
- A two-step cancellation form that works without login and without a reason field.
- Automatic email confirmation of receipt on a durable medium under §356a para. 4 BGB — with content, date and the exact time.
- An immutable evidence log for every cancellation.
- Runs entirely inside your WordPress installation — no external cloud, no data sharing.
Frequently asked questions
When does the cancellation button become mandatory?
From 19 June 2026. §356a BGB implements EU Directive 2023/2673 and applies to distance contracts concluded with consumers.
Does the customer need a login to cancel?
No. Cancellation must be possible without login and without giving a reason. The button must be provided permanently and be easily accessible.
What does "confirmation on a durable medium" mean?
Under §356a para. 4 BGB the receipt of the cancellation must be confirmed without undue delay on a durable medium — in practice by email — stating the content of the declaration plus date and time.
Does the button replace the cancellation policy?
No. The cancellation policy (Widerrufsbelehrung) and the model cancellation form remain mandatory. The button is an additional, technical aid for cancellation. Sequent's legal-texts generator and cancellation module produce both.