Website Requirements for Online Shops
Order buttons, withdrawal rights, price display rules, payment security. Running a webshop in the EU comes with legal requirements that many shop owners miss.
Common issues for online shops
Order button text matters
EU law requires your "Buy" button to clearly indicate a payment obligation. "Order with obligation to pay" or similar wording is required in many countries.
14-day withdrawal right
Customers can return most products within 14 days without giving a reason. Your website must clearly explain this before checkout.
Price display rules
Prices must include VAT. Discount claims must show the lowest price from the past 30 days (Omnibus Directive).
Product photos and copyright
Using manufacturer photos without permission, or stock photos of products you sell, can trigger copyright claims.
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Key issues
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Areas checked
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Guides
Real-world enforcement
The EU Consumer Protection Cooperation network (CPC) took coordinated action against 118 online shops in 2024 for violating the Omnibus Directive pricing rules — displaying fake discounts without showing the lowest price from the past 30 days. In Germany, competitors regularly send Abmahnungen to webshops with order buttons that don't meet requirements, costing €500–€1,500 per letter.
Official resources
We run the same complete check on every website. The guides below highlight which issues come up most often for each type of business.
Guides for online shops
Dutch Webshop Compliance: Complete Checklist
A full checklist of legal requirements for online shops in the Netherlands. KVK, order buttons, withdrawal rights, pricing rules and more.
"Buy Now" vs "Order": Why Your Button Text Matters Legally
EU law requires specific wording on order buttons. The wrong text could make your orders non-binding. Here's what your checkout button must say.
EU 14-Day Right of Withdrawal: Rules, Exceptions & Refunds
EU 14-day right of withdrawal explained: when it starts, 8 exemptions, 14-day refund deadline, 12-month penalty for not informing buyers.
Cookie Banner Requirements Under EU Law (2026 Guide)
Cookie banner requirements in the EU 2026: reject equal to accept, no dark patterns, prior consent. EDPB Guidelines 05/2020 explained.
EAA for Dutch SMBs: What ACM Now Enforces
European Accessibility Act (Richtlijn 2019/882) in force since 28 June 2025. What it requires, who is exempt and what ACM enforces in NL.
GDPR Compliance Checklist for Dutch Businesses (2026)
GDPR compliance checklist for Dutch businesses: 35 points covering privacy policy, cookie consent, data processors, retention and breach reporting.
EU ODR Platform Shut Down: What This Means for Your Webshop
The EU Online Dispute Resolution platform shut down on 20 July 2025 under Regulation (EU) 2024/3228. Update your webshop terms now.
Website Security Checklist: 10 Things to Check Today
A practical security checklist for small business websites. 10 things you can check and fix today without technical expertise.
AI-Generated Code and Open-Source Licences
Copilot or Cursor wrote GPL code into your site. The site operator distributes it, not the AI. What Doe v. GitHub decided and what you can actually do.
AI-Generated Images on Your Business Website (NL 2026)
Article 50(4) of the AI Act applies 2 Aug 2026. The four risk layers a Dutch SMB should check before publishing AI-generated images on a website.
Contact Form GDPR Requirements: Article 13 Compliance
What a GDPR-compliant contact form needs: Article 13 information, the right legal basis (legitimate interest vs precontractual), unchecked boxes, retention.
EU AI Act for Dutch Website Owners
Article 50 of the AI Act applies 2 Aug 2026. AP and RDI enforce in the Netherlands. What Dutch SMB sites actually need to label, and what they don't.
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