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The Czech government has approved a bill requiring online shops and financial companies to feature a special button on their websites for cancelling a contract. The rule is set to take effect in January 2027, but it still needs approval from the Senate and the president's signature.
The changes stem from a corresponding EU directive. The law was originally supposed to take effect on 19 June, but the previous parliament failed to pass it in time — the Chamber of Deputies only approved the bill in mid-July of this year.
The mandatory button will need to be installed not only by classic online stores selling electronics, clothing or sporting goods, but also by investment, consulting and banking companies that offer savings and deposit products, short-term non-life insurance, supplementary pension insurance, and even, for example, cryptocurrency-related services online.
The idea is for a clearly marked interactive button to appear on the website, labelled something like "Cancel Contract" or "Withdraw from Contract." It could be placed directly in the site's settings, or it could appear after a customer logs in to the section listing their purchased items — in which case the button must remain accessible for as long as the right to cancel applies.
Clicking the button opens an online form featuring the buyer's first and last name, contract details, and contact information for sending confirmation. The form is submitted by pressing yet another button, after which the online store is obliged to send the customer confirmation that the request has been received, stating the date and time of the cancellation.
It's important to understand that the button is merely an additional way to cancel a contract, alongside the existing options — by email, by letter, or in person at the store. Customers gain no new rights as a result — for instance, the cancellation period does not get extended, and the rule does not apply to any new categories of goods.
As before, cancellation will not be possible for goods made to order or according to a customer's individual specifications, nor for perishable items. The same applies to sealed products that cannot be returned once opened for hygiene reasons — such as underwear, lipstick, toothbrushes or contact lenses.
Exceptions also apply to certain financial services — in particular, travel insurance, which is often purchased just days before a trip, as well as cases where the contract price depends on fluctuations in financial markets. It also won't be possible to cancel a contract after calling a technician for an urgent repair.
As for timing: goods bought online can be returned within 14 days of receipt. Most financial services carry the same 14-day period from the date the contract is signed, except for life insurance and pension products, where the period is 30 days. If a business has provided deliberately false information, the contract can be cancelled within three months of the date this became known.
Source: novinky.cz
