Legal requirements for online shops in Germany in 2026: a checklist
An online shop selling to consumers in Germany has to do more than an ordinary business website: show prices correctly, inform consumers before the order, allow withdrawal and, since 2026, offer a dedicated button for it. This checklist sorts the duties by where they appear in the shop: before launch, on every page, on the product page, in checkout and afterwards. It is not legal advice and doesn't replace reviewed legal texts, but it shows what has to be built.
Before launch: registrations
Some duties apply before the first product is sold:
- Business registration and tax registration.
- LUCID packaging register: anyone shipping packaged goods to private end customers in Germany must register with the Central Agency Packaging Register before the first sale and join a dual system for shipping packaging.
- Electrical goods and batteries: separate registration duties with stiftung ear apply before the products are offered.
On every page: legal notice, privacy, dispute resolution
The legal notice under Section 5 DDG and the privacy policy must be reachable from every page. For shops this includes the statement under Section 36 VSBG on whether you take part in consumer arbitration. It is mandatory for businesses with more than ten employees that run a website or use terms and conditions.
The link to the EU Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform that used to be mandatory no longer exists: the platform was shut down on 20 July 2025 and the link requirement ended. Remove old references from the legal notice, terms and email signatures, because a dead reference can itself be misleading.
On the product page: prices and product safety
The product page carries most of the mandatory information:
- Total price including VAT and a clear note on shipping costs (Price Indication Ordinance).
- Unit price per kilogram, litre or metre for goods sold by weight, volume or length, clearly visible and legible alongside the total price.
- For price reductions, the lowest total price of the past 30 days as the reference (Section 11 PAngV).
- Delivery time or delivery date.
- Since 13 December 2024, under Article 19 of the General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988: name, postal and electronic address of the manufacturer and, for manufacturers outside the EU, of the responsible person in the EU, product identification, and warnings and safety information.
In checkout: order button and withdrawal button
Immediately before the order the key information must be clearly visible again, and the order button must state the obligation to pay, for example "zahlungspflichtig bestellen" (Section 312j(3) BGB). "Continue" or "Complete order" isn't enough. Without the correct label no valid contract is formed.
New since 19 June 2026 is the electronic withdrawal function under Section 356a BGB, implementing the EU Consumer Rights Directive as amended. For shops this means:
- A button labelled "Vertrag widerrufen" (withdraw from contract) or an equally clear wording, permanently available during the withdrawal period, prominently placed and easy to reach.
- It asks only for name, contract identification (such as order number) and the channel for the confirmation of receipt.
- A second step with a confirmation function labelled "Widerruf bestätigen" (confirm withdrawal) or equivalent.
- A confirmation of receipt on a durable medium, such as email, with the content of the declaration and the date and time it was received.
Privacy and accessibility
Tracking and advertising pixels need consent with an equally easy reject option; see our article on cookie banners. Since 28 June 2025 Germany's Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) also applies to online shops selling to consumers. Micro-enterprises with fewer than ten employees and no more than €2 million annual turnover or balance sheet are exempt; our accessibility article explains what it means for your shop.
Checklist
Check your shop fully once, then again after every major change to theme, checkout or apps:
- LUCID registration and dual system participation in place.
- Legal notice, privacy policy, terms and withdrawal information with model withdrawal form reachable.
- Section 36 VSBG statement present; references to the ODR platform removed.
- Total price, shipping costs, unit price and delivery time on every product page.
- Strike-through prices refer to the lowest price of the past 30 days.
- GPSR manufacturer and safety information on every product page.
- Order button labelled "zahlungspflichtig bestellen".
- Withdrawal button with confirmation step and automatic confirmation of receipt.
- No tracking before consent; reject available on the first layer.
- BFSG obligation checked and implemented where required.
Frequently asked questions
- Does all of this apply to a B2B-only shop?
- Many consumer protection duties, such as the right of withdrawal and the withdrawal button, apply only to consumers. The shop must then be effectively restricted to business customers, for example by checking at registration, not just by a notice. Legal notice, privacy and product safety still apply in B2B.
- Where is the best place for the withdrawal button?
- A permanently visible footer link leading to the withdrawal flow without login works well, plus links in the order confirmation and customer account. The function must not be hidden behind a login.
- Do I need reviewed legal texts?
- Yes. Legal texts from a subscription with a retailers' association or specialist law firm are updated when the law changes. Your developer handles the technical implementation: buttons, required fields and flows.
Sources
Send us your shop address. We check product pages, checkout and the withdrawal flow and build any missing mandatory functions.
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