Withdrawal button (online withdrawal function)

The withdrawal button is a legally required function that lets consumers withdraw from a contract concluded online directly in the shop or app (section 13a FAGG). The FAGG is the Austrian distance selling act. In Austria the duty applies from 1 October 2026 to distance contracts concluded via an online interface; the statute calls it the withdrawal function. It has three stages. It starts with a clearly legible button labelled „Vertrag widerrufen“ (withdraw from contract) or equally unambiguous wording. That leads to a form for the consumer’s name, details identifying the contract and the channel for the acknowledgement of receipt. It ends with a confirmation control labelled exclusively „Widerruf bestätigen“ (confirm withdrawal) or equally unambiguous wording. Once sent, the trader must without delay send an acknowledgement of receipt on a durable medium, for instance by email. It states the content of the declaration and the date and time it arrived. The function must remain continuously available throughout the withdrawal period, be displayed prominently and be easily accessible. The duty goes back to Article 11a of the Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU, inserted by Directive (EU) 2023/2673. It applies to contracts concluded after 30 September 2026. If the function is missing or falls short of the requirements, section 19 FAGG provides for a fine of up to 1,450 euros.

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