Romania's withdrawal button is mandatory from 19 June 2026. What your site needs

Since 19 June 2026, any online shop selling to consumers in Romania must carry a digital withdrawal function: a button permanently visible throughout the withdrawal period, a simplified online form asking for minimal data and requiring no PDF download, and an automatic email confirmation on a durable medium, timestamped. The classic procedure — “download the form, fill it in, email it back” — is no longer compliant. Fines run from 5,000 to 15,000 RON, plus corrective measures and public naming by the consumer protection authority. It applies to every B2C online merchant, regardless of size.

What changed, exactly

OUG 18/2026 amends Law 363/2007 and OUG 34/2014 — the acts that transpose the EU consumer rights directive into Romanian law. The withdrawal period stays at 14 calendar days from receipt, with no justification required, and the existing exemptions remain: personalised goods, perishables, digital content delivered immediately.

What changes is the mechanism. The law no longer accepts a withdrawal that depends on a document the consumer must download, print or complete offline. There has to be a digital route, one click away, permanently available.

The three conditions, one by one

1. A permanently visible, clearly labelled button

Not buried in the terms and conditions. Not visible only after logging in. It must be reachable throughout the withdrawal period, with a label that says what it does. “Withdraw from the contract” or “Return this item” are fine; “Contact” is not.

2. A simplified online form, minimal data

Ask only what you need to identify the order: order number, email, possibly the item. Don't ask for a national ID number, and don't make the reason a required field — the right of withdrawal exists precisely because it needs no justification. And explicitly, no PDF download as a required step.

3. Automatic confirmation on a durable medium

An email, sent automatically, timestamped. “Durable medium” means something the consumer can keep and you can't alter afterwards — an email qualifies, a message on screen doesn't. The timestamp matters: your refund deadline runs from it.

What this means technically, on the usual platforms

WooCommerce. Not available natively. It's solved with a custom form tied to the order, which writes an order note, moves the status to a withdrawal state and sends the confirmation. A day's work if done properly, with order-number validation and anti-abuse limiting.

Gomag and other Romanian SaaS platforms. Check whether they added the function after June 2026 and, if so, whether it ticks all three conditions — especially the automatic email confirmation. Having a returns form doesn't automatically mean it's compliant.

Shopify. Existing returns apps are built for the US market and for commercial return policies, not for the EU legal right of withdrawal. Check specifically for the automatic confirmation and the absence of a PDF step.

How to check compliance in five minutes

• Open the site in a private window, as a customer with no account. Can you find the withdrawal button in under two clicks from an order page or the footer?
• Does the form ask you to download anything? If so, you're not compliant.
• Does it require a reason? Remove it — withdrawal needs no justification.
• After submitting, do you get an automatic email with date and time? If it arrives by hand the next day, it isn't automatic in the legal sense.
• Is the button available for the whole 14-day window, not just right after delivery?

Why fix it now rather than at the first complaint

The Romanian consumer authority doesn't only fine — it also publishes the names of sanctioned merchants. For a shop building its reputation, appearing on a public sanctions list costs more than the fine. And for most shops, the fix is a day's work.

Beyond that, a clean withdrawal flow reduces the load on support. Returns lost in an inbox and customers calling to ask “did you get my form?” cost time every single week.

Sources

OUG 18/2026, in force from 19 June 2026, amending Law 363/2007 on combating unfair commercial practices and OUG 34/2014 on consumer rights in distance contracts. The withdrawal period and the exemptions remain those of OUG 34/2014.

This is informational, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review your site's legal texts before changing them.