Technology & Digital Technology and digital platforms

E-commerce regulations for online selling

Legal requirements for selling online - including consumer contracts, pre-contract information, cancellation rights, and digital content regulations.

UK-wide
Guide summary

You must follow rules when selling goods, services or digital content online. This includes giving customers clear information before they buy, offering a 14-day cancellation period, and meeting quality standards. You could face penalties from Trading Standards if you do not comply.

  • Give your full business name, address, phone and email before the customer pays
  • Show the total price including VAT and delivery costs before checkout
  • Offer a 14-day cooling-off period from the day the customer receives the goods
  • Refund the customer within 14 days of getting the returned goods
  • Do not charge restocking fees – they are illegal
  • Label your order button clearly, such as 'pay now' or 'order with obligation to pay'
  • Do not use pre-ticked boxes for extra payments – customers must opt in
  • Make your terms and conditions available as a PDF or printable page
  • For digital content, give clear information about functionality, compatibility and updates
  • Follow these rules from 6 April 2025 – penalties for unfair trading will increase
On this page
UK-wide

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Key legislation for online selling

When you sell goods, services, or digital content online in the UK, you must comply with several pieces of consumer protection legislation:

  • Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 - Replaced Distance Selling Regulations on 13 June 2014, governing contracts made remotely (online, phone, mail order)
  • Consumer Rights Act 2015 - Sets quality standards for goods, services, and digital content; provides consumer remedies
  • Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002 - Requirements for online service providers and electronic contracts
  • Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 - Enhanced protections against unfair trading practices (effective 6 April 2025)

Pre-contract information requirements

14-day cancellation rights

Exceptions to cancellation rights

Online platform requirements

Your website or online platform must comply with specific requirements:

  • Order button labeling - Use clear text like "pay now", "order with obligation to pay", or similar unambiguous formulation indicating payment obligation
  • No pre-ticked boxes - Do not use pre-ticked boxes that result in additional payments. Consumers must opt-in explicitly to extras.
  • Premium rate helplines - You must not charge premium rates for helplines about existing contracts. Use standard geographic or mobile rates.
  • Error correction - Allow customers to identify and correct input errors before placing the order
  • Terms and conditions availability - Make terms available in a way that allows consumers to store and reproduce them (downloadable PDF or printable page)

Digital content specific rules

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 introduced specific protections for digital content. For downloads and streams, consumers can waive the 14-day cancellation right if they give express consent to immediate access and acknowledge they will lose the right to cancel once access begins.

Delivery obligations

Enforcement and penalties

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (effective 6 April 2025) strengthened enforcement powers:

  • Trading Standards and the CMA can investigate breaches of consumer protection law
  • Sending unsolicited goods and demanding payment is a criminal offense
  • Misleading actions, omissions, and aggressive commercial practices are prohibited
  • Penalties can include fines, enforcement orders, and compensation for affected consumers
Cooling-off period
14 calendar days
Refund timeframe
Within 14 days of agreeing consumer is entitled to refund
Delivery deadline (default)
30 calendar days
Extended cancellation period (if info not provided)
Up to 12 months
Digital content fault presumption
Faults within 6 months presumed to exist at supply
Regulations effective date
Consumer Contracts Regulations came into force 13 June 2014
  1. 1

    Provide complete pre-contract information

    Before a consumer commits to purchase, display all required information clearly on your website - product details, your business address, total price including taxes and delivery, cancellation rights, and for digital content, compatibility and technical restrictions.

  2. 2

    Create compliant terms and conditions

    Draft comprehensive terms covering payment, delivery, returns, warranties, liability limitations, and dispute resolution. Make terms available in a format consumers can save and print (PDF or printable webpage).

  3. 3

    Implement 14-day cancellation process

    Provide the model cancellation form on your website. Set up systems to process cancellation requests within 24 hours and issue refunds within 14 days using the original payment method.

  4. 4

    Label order buttons correctly

    Ensure your checkout button uses clear language like 'Pay now' or 'Order with obligation to pay'. Never use ambiguous text like 'Continue' or 'Next step' for the final payment button.

  5. 5

    Remove pre-ticked boxes

    Audit your checkout process to ensure no boxes are pre-ticked for optional extras, insurance, or subscriptions. Require active opt-in for any additional charges.

  6. 6

    Handle digital content consent correctly

    If selling downloadable or streaming digital content, obtain express consent for immediate access and acknowledgement that the 14-day cancellation right is waived once access begins. Keep records of consent.

  7. 7

    Set up compliant customer service

    Ensure your customer helpline uses standard geographic or mobile rates (not premium rate numbers). Provide multiple contact methods including email. Publish your complaint-handling policy.

  8. 8

    Prepare for quality claims

    For digital content, be ready to offer repair, replacement, or refund if content is faulty, not as described, or not fit for purpose. Remember that for faults within 6 months, you must prove the content wasn't faulty when supplied.