Technology & Digital E-commerce compliance UK-wide

E-commerce legal compliance checklist

Quick reference checklist for online retailers to audit their e-commerce legal setup against the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 and the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.

Guide summary

Display 24 pieces of information before checkout, including your address, price, and cancellation rights. Use a payment-acknowledging button like ‘Pay now’ (not ‘Continue’). Disclose all charges upfront; from April 2025 hiding mandatory charges is a criminal offence. Send order confirmation and process refunds within 14 days.

  • Display 24 pre-contract items before checkout
  • Use ‘Pay now’ or ‘Buy now’ on the order button
  • No pre-ticked boxes for optional extras or charges
  • Disclose all mandatory charges from the start
  • Drip pricing is a criminal offence from April 2025
  • Send order confirmation with contract terms promptly
  • Process cancellations and refunds within 14 days
  • Provide a model cancellation form to customers
  • State contract duration for subscriptions
  • Keep records of all information you give customers
On this page

Related guides in Consumer Rights

Use this checklist to audit your e-commerce setup against your legal obligations. Work through each section before launch and repeat quarterly.

Before checkout: pre-contract information

Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, consumers must receive 24 items of information before they are bound by a contract.

  • Your legal trading name, geographic address, and contact details are displayed on the website
  • A description of each product or service is accurate and matches what is supplied
  • The total price, including all taxes and charges, is shown before the consumer reaches the order confirmation page
  • No additional charges are added at checkout that were not clearly disclosed earlier
  • Delivery costs, restrictions, and estimated delivery times are stated before checkout
  • The cancellation policy (14-day cooling-off period and any exceptions) is clearly communicated
  • A model cancellation form or clear cancellation instructions are provided
  • Duration of the contract and minimum term (for subscriptions) are stated

At checkout: order button and additional charges

  • The order confirmation button uses compliant wording (for example "Pay now", "Buy now", "Confirm purchase") - vague wording such as "Continue" or "Next step" makes the contract unenforceable
  • No pre-ticked boxes are used for any optional extras or additional charges
  • All mandatory charges (delivery, packaging, insurance, booking fees) are disclosed at the start of the transaction
  • Drip pricing is not used - from 6 April 2025 the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 makes it a criminal offence to withhold mandatory charges and reveal them progressively through checkout
  • The order summary immediately before payment shows the full itemised price including all charges

After purchase: post-contract obligations

  • An order confirmation is sent to the consumer within a reasonable time of placing the order
  • A durable copy of key contract terms (including cancellation policy and model cancellation form) is provided by email
  • Cancellation requests are processed promptly - refunds within 14 days of receiving returned goods
  • Refunds are made using the same payment method as the original payment
  • Return postage costs are covered by you unless you clearly stated before the contract that the consumer bears the cost
  • The customer helpline number is a basic rate number (01, 02, or 03 prefix) or freephone (0800 or 0808) - premium rate numbers are prohibited for post-contract queries

Ongoing compliance

  • Terms and conditions are reviewed at least annually for legislative changes
  • Staff handling returns and refunds are trained on the 14-day cancellation right and remedy tiers
  • Complaints records are reviewed quarterly for patterns indicating non-compliance
  • Price transparency is audited when products or pricing structures change
  • Subscription processes are reviewed - consumers must be able to cancel as easily as they subscribed

If you identified gaps

Address gaps before taking further orders. Missing pre-contract information can extend the cancellation period to 12 months. Non-compliant order button wording means the consumer is not bound to pay. From 6 April 2025, the CMA can impose fines of up to 10% of global annual turnover for drip pricing and pre-ticked box violations.

Official guidance and legislation