Returns 2026: A compliance checklist for e-commerce

Starting June 19, 2026, new regulations regarding returns in e-commerce will come into force. For online stores, this is not just about updating terms and conditions; it is a moment to look at returns more broadly: as a process that is both a legal act and a logistical operation. Therefore, efficient handling requires not only compliance with regulations but also the right technological tools to organize the entire process—from the customer’s decision to the physical return of the package and its handling on the seller’s side.

Connect the legal return with the logistics return

A withdrawal from a contract is a legal act, while sending back a package is a logistical operation. The customer often sees one thing: “I’m making a return.” The company sees two processes that must converge.

In e-commerce practice, this includes the label, carrier, drop-off point, tracking, warehouse, product inspection, document correction, and refund. The Alsendo report, “Polish e-commerce without borders. How do entrepreneurs sell products and ship them abroad?”, indicates that when choosing a logistics partner, companies value the availability of market-specific delivery methods, service reliability, delivery method, tracking, delivery time, price, additional services, and e-commerce integrations.

Therefore, the withdrawal button should be connected to the operation: after submission, the customer receives clear instructions, and the store receives the data for further processing.

What does the withdrawal button change and why is it more than just a formality?

Up until now, many sellers fulfilled their information obligation through terms and conditions, withdrawal instructions, and a template form. A customer could send an email, a form, or sometimes a paper statement. The new regulations go a step further: if a customer can enter into a contract online, they should also be able to withdraw from it online.

The withdrawal function must be accessible and visible throughout the entire period during which the consumer can withdraw from the contract.

The regulations state that:

• it must be marked with an unambiguous message, e.g., “withdraw from the contract here.”
• after clicking, the customer can submit a statement online and then confirm the decision with a “confirm withdrawal from contract” button.
• the seller must confirm receipt of the statement via email, including its content as well as the date and time of submission. The withdrawal button is not limited to terms and conditions or a link in the website footer; it must work simultaneously across the website, customer service, payments, warehouse, and logistics.

The location of the button, the method of identifying the order, and the scope of the withdrawal (all or part of the products) must be defined. You must also determine who receives the notification, what information goes to the WMS or shipping panel, when the refund will be initiated, and how the customer will receive return instructions.

For cross-border sales, you must also consider the language of the messages, local return methods, and the expectations of customers from different markets. Therefore, Returns 2026 should be treated as an operational process that affects the customer experience and store efficiency.

Compliance Checklist 2026 for e-commerce owners

1. Check if the obligation applies to your store.

If you sell B2C online and the customer enters into a contract via a website or app, the obligation applies to you. It covers contracts concluded through an online interface if the consumer has a statutory right of withdrawal. Exceptions include personalized and perishable products; the process should not be designed solely for these.

To-do: review your product categories and mark which orders are eligible for withdrawal, which are only partially eligible, and which are excluded.

2. Place the button where the customer will actually find it.

The safest places are the customer account, order details, “Returns and Complaints” section, a link in the order confirmation email, and the store footer. A link inside the terms and conditions may not be visible enough.

Example button text: Withdraw from the contract here

This message is direct and compliant with legal language, so the customer immediately knows that clicking concerns a formal withdrawal from the contract, not just a standard return request.

Example helper text: You have the right to withdraw from the contract within 14 days. Click to submit your statement online.

This message explains the customer’s right in simple terms while clearly indicating what will happen after clicking the button.

3. Prepare an online withdrawal form.

After clicking, the customer should be taken to a simple form. The minimum required is their full name, order number, and contact details needed to send confirmation. If the customer is logged in, the form should automatically fill in available data.

Operational fields: products subject to withdrawal, quantity, reason for return (optional field), preferred return method, bank account number only when necessary, and consent to generate a return label if the store offers such a process.

4. Add a second step: decision confirmation.

This should not be a single click that could result in the unintentional cancellation of part of an order. The new approach requires a separate confirmation, e.g., a summary screen and a “Confirm withdrawal from contract” button.

Example message: Review your withdrawal details. By clicking the button, we will send your statement to the store and confirm receipt via email.

This message reduces the risk of accidental action by informing the customer that the next click has formal consequences and triggers the submission of the statement.

5. Send an automatic confirmation.

Once the statement is submitted, the customer should receive a confirmation, usually via email, containing the content of the statement and the date and time of submission.

Example message: Confirmation of receipt of withdrawal from contract – order no. 235.

This subject line is specific and easy to find in the inbox because it contains both the name of the operation and the order number.

Example message: We confirm receipt of the withdrawal statement regarding order no. 235, submitted on April 25, 2026, at 15:34. In the next message, you will find instructions for returning the product.

This message serves as evidence and organizational control, as it confirms the date and time of submission while separating the legal stage from the further logistical handling of the return.

6. Organize deadlines.

The standard withdrawal period for distance consumer sales is 14 days. The button does not change this period or replace the returns policy; it only changes the method of exercising the right.

The store must monitor three deadlines: submitting the statement, returning the product, and refunding the payment. For an SME owner, it is important that the system automatically calculates these deadlines, avoiding manual errors.

7. Update your terms, instructions, and FAQ.

The new function must be described in pre-purchase information and the terms and conditions. The customer should know that they can withdraw from the contract online and where to find this function. Existing methods, such as a model form or email, can remain, but the button provides an additional, convenient path.

To-do: add a section to your terms and conditions: “Withdrawal from the contract via the online function.” In your FAQ, add a short answer: “Where can I find the contract withdrawal button?”

8. Prepare scenarios for foreign sales.

A foreign customer evaluates the process not through the prism of local standards, but through experiences with local stores: they expect known return methods, clear instructions in their language, predictable costs, and quick confirmation that the store has accepted the request.

According to the Alsendo report, “Polish e-commerce without borders,” Polish companies most often ship products to Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, as well as to the Netherlands and France. These are not markets that can be handled with one universal return process. Each has different shopping habits, different expectations regarding carriers, and different sensitivities to the cost and convenience of returning a product.

Germany

• In Germany, the customer is used to a very high standard of post-purchase service.
• The return process should be as transparent, predictable, and well-documented as possible: a clear form, automatic confirmation, a return label, and information about what is happening to the package at every stage.
• For a German customer, a lack of transparency can quickly lower trust in the store, even if the product itself meets expectations.

Czech Republic and Slovakia

• In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, simplicity and local drop-off methods are particularly important. These markets are geographically close, but this does not mean they can be handled “the Polish way.”
• The customer expects messages in their language, known drop-off points, and a process that does not require contact with customer service.
• For a Polish store, this is often a natural direction for expansion, but that is precisely why it is worth implementing a return process from the start that looks local, rather than like a foreign add-on to a Polish store.

France

• In France, the comfort of communication and clear separation of stages is more important: withdrawal request, acceptance confirmation, return instructions, and refund information.
• The customer should know whether they need to wait for a label, where to send the package, and when they can expect the next message.
• A generic instruction or the lack of a locally recognizable return method may increase inquiries to support and prolong the entire process.

The Netherlands

• In the Netherlands, convenience and efficiency count.
• Customers are accustomed to well-organized e-commerce logistics, so the return should be fast, digital, and possible to execute without unnecessary steps.
• If the process requires printing documents, manual contact with the store, or searching for a return address, the store risks a poorer customer experience and a higher burden on the support team.

Watch out for return traps

Treating foreign returns as a copy of the domestic process

Cross-border sales require separate scenarios: different messages, different shipping methods, different carriers, and often a different way of calculating costs. A return from Germany, the Czech Republic, or France may look similar at the form level, but operationally it means completely different decisions on the store’s side.

Lack of cost control

According to the Alsendo report, foreign shipments already account for an average of 13.3% of all shipments in the surveyed Polish e-commerce companies. This means that cross-border returns are no longer an exception but a constant element of operations. If a store does not see the cost of a return per market, per carrier, and per product category, it is difficult to judge whether a given return policy supports sales or gradually lowers the margin.

Process fragmentation

Separate carrier panels, manual emails, a lack of consistent statuses, and different instructions for different countries quickly create chaos. The customer asks where their return is, customer service searches for information in several places, and the store owner does not see the full cost of the operation. In foreign sales, such chaos is more expensive than at home, because every mistake means more time, higher transport costs, and a greater risk of losing trust.

Therefore, cross-border return scenarios should be designed separately for each market. A well-designed foreign return process should combine local customer expectations with cost control on the store’s side.

9. Test the process before June 19, 2026.

In SME e-commerce, even a simple change can affect several areas: the store platform, email templates, terms and conditions, payment system, order panel, courier integrations, and warehouse work.

Minimum test: place a test order, click the withdrawal button, choose one product from several, confirm the decision, check your email, check the admin panel, generate return instructions, receive the package, and close the return in the system.

Where does Alsendo Business Pro help in this process?

Are you afraid that the withdrawal button will create chaos? Manual emails, lack of statuses, unclear costs, separate carrier panels, and a customer asking after three days: “has my return arrived yet?” This is a real scenario if the return process is not connected to logistics, the warehouse, communication, and operational data.

Return as part of the post-purchase ecosystem

Returns 2026 should be treated not as a single change in the store, but as part of the entire post-purchase ecosystem. The customer clicks the withdrawal button, but on the seller’s side, a much longer process starts: accepting the statement, confirming the request, generating a return label, selecting a return method, tracking the package, warehouse handling, refunding, and cost analysis.

In practice, this means that the withdrawal button itself is not enough. The store must know what happens next: has the customer sent the package, via which carrier, when did the shipment arrive, has the product been accepted into the warehouse, when should funds be returned, and what was the real cost of the entire operation?

From a button click to a real logistics process

This is exactly where Alsendo Business Pro operates—as part of a broader Alsendo technology platform that supports e-commerce in managing post-purchase processes. It is not just a tool for handling packages or a panel for choosing a carrier. It is a SaaS solution that helps connect consumer returns with a real logistics workflow, so that the entire process is repeatable, measurable, and controllable in one environment.

Thanks to this, the return does not end with accepting a form from the customer. It becomes an organized process that can be tracked, analyzed, and improved—just like sales, shipping, or order fulfillment.

One workflow instead of manual emails and separate panels

The biggest risk with returns is process fragmentation. One carrier has its own panel, another has different statuses, the customer sends an email, the warehouse updates a spreadsheet, and customer service doesn’t know if the package has returned. With a few returns a day, this can still be controlled manually. At a larger scale, it quickly becomes an operational mess.

Alsendo Business Pro helps mitigate this problem by connecting process elements in one environment. The store can better control what happens with a return from the moment of submission until the completion of handling. This is especially important for e-commerce companies that sell in multiple markets, use multiple carriers, or have different return and pick-up methods.

Automation of labels, statuses, and communication

For returns, Alsendo Business Pro can support, among other things, automatic generation of return labels, handling multiple carriers and drop-off methods, monitoring return status in the panel, reducing manual data entry, and better control of return costs in Poland and foreign markets.

Thanks to this, the withdrawal button does not end with an email to customer service but triggers an ordered operational process. The customer receives clear instructions, the store sees the shipment status, and the team does not have to manually reconstruct the return history based on messages, tracking numbers, and separate carrier panels.

Cost control of returns in Poland and abroad

Returns are not just about customer service; they are also a real logistical cost. In domestic sales, carrier rates, the form of shipment, label automation, and the number of unnecessary support contacts matter. In foreign sales, additional elements arise: different markets, different customer expectations, different return methods, and greater operational complexity.

This is also confirmed by data from the Alsendo report: 78% of surveyed companies use intermediaries in handling international shipments. For Returns 2026, however, carrier availability alone is not enough. The key becomes whether the store can connect carriers, statuses, costs, customer communication, and return data into one cohesive process.

Operational data as a basis for better decisions

When implementing Returns 2026, it is therefore worth thinking of Business Pro as technology that organizes the entire post-purchase process: from clicking the withdrawal button, through reverse logistics, to the moment the customer receives their money, the warehouse books the product, and the store owner sees the cost of the entire operation.

Return data also helps make better business decisions. The store can analyze which products are returned most often, which return methods are the most expensive, where delays occur, and which markets generate the highest post-purchase service costs. Consequently, returns cease to be a reactive problem and become a manageable element of customer experience and e-commerce profitability.

Mini-checklist for e-commerce

Area	What to check before 19.06.2026?
Button	Is the withdrawal function visible, clear, and available throughout the withdrawal period?
Form	Can the customer indicate the order, contact details, and products subject to withdrawal?
Confirmation	Is there a second step with a clear button confirming the decision?
Email	Does the customer receive confirmation with the statement content, date, and time?
Terms	Do you describe the online function in your terms, FAQ, and pre-purchase information?
Logistics	Does the customer receive simple instructions for sending back the product after withdrawal?
Cross-border	Are messages and return methods tailored to foreign markets?
Systems	Does the process work across the store, order panel, warehouse, and courier integration?
Customer Care	Does the team know what to tell the customer and where to check the return status?
Reporting	Can you see the cost, time, and number of returns in one process?

Returns 2026: turn an obligation into an advantage

• The withdrawal button will be an obligation, but it can also improve customer experience. A well-implemented return process builds trust and reduces the number of inquiries to support.
• The customer does not want to search for information in the terms and conditions. They expect a simple form, clear messages, and quick confirmation that the store has accepted the request.
• It is not enough to “add a button.” You need to organize the entire process: from the store webpage, through the form and automatic emails, to the warehouse, logistics, and refund payment.
• Returns affect costs. Every unclear stage can mean additional team work, delays, errors, and higher handling costs.
• In foreign sales, returns are even more important. A customer from another market expects clear instructions, a convenient return method, and communication in a language they understand.
• A good system provides better control. Alsendo Business Pro provides the technology that helps prepare the return process not only for regulations but also for the everyday work of the store: faster, clearer, and with better control over deliveries and costs.

Do you want to prepare your store for Returns 2026 without adding to your team’s workload?

Check how Alsendo Business Pro can help you organize the entire process: from handling carriers and generating labels, through tracking shipments and communicating with the customer, to controlling return costs in Poland and foreign markets.

Ensure compliance with the new requirements while using returns as an element of a better shopping experience and greater operational efficiency.

Rafał Urbanek