Consumer law in 2026: new obligations for retailers, online stores and manufacturers

Several changes to consumer law and related legislation take effect in 2026. Businesses face new rules on cashless payments, online withdrawal from contracts, product repairs and environmental marketing claims. The list of prohibited commercial practices will also expand.

What is changing?

• From 1 May 2026, businesses using eKasa will have to offer at least one cashless payment method. Cash is not being abolished, but businesses will have to offer customers an alternative.
• From 19 June 2026, for distance contracts concluded via an online interface, businesses will have to provide a simple online withdrawal function. In practice, this will mainly be a visible and easily accessible button or link such as “withdraw from the contract here”, through which consumers can submit a withdrawal notice online. Once it has been sent, the trader will have to send the consumer a confirmation on a durable medium, for example by email, without undue delay.
• From 31 July 2026, the right to repair will be strengthened. If a consumer chooses repair when making a complaint, the warranty will be extended once by a further 12 months after the first repair. Manufacturers of selected products will have to provide paid repairs even after the statutory warranty has expired, where technically possible.
• From 27 September 2026, the rules on green marketing will become stricter and the list of prohibited commercial practices will expand. General claims such as “eco”, “green”, “sustainable” or “carbon neutral” will be risky unless supported by specific evidence.
  

Who is affected?

The changes will mainly affect:

• retailers and online stores,
• retail, hospitality and service businesses,
• banks, insurers and fintech companies,
• credit and financial service providers,
• manufacturers, importers and repair services,
• companies using ESG or environmental marketing.

New misleading practices

The following will be considered particularly risky:

• claiming that goods are repairable when they are not,
• false claims about a product's durability,
• failing to disclose features that limit a product's durability,
• failing to disclose the negative impact of a software update,
• fake reviews,
• using the label “verified customer” without actual verification.

Practical impact

Retailers will have to adjust their payment options, terms and conditions, complaints policies and internal systems. For repairs, it will be important to record whether it is the first repair and to track the extended warranty automatically.

Online stores should review their withdrawal process in particular. If they conclude consumer contracts online, they will have to introduce a simple online withdrawal function, update their withdrawal information and ensure that consumers automatically receive confirmation that their notice has been delivered. They should also review instalment and insurance services offered in the basket, product pages, supplier contracts and how reviews are displayed.

Companies using environmental claims will have to prepare an evidence base for each claim. Their own “eco” icons or general green claims without certification may be problematic.

Our recommendation

Businesses should check in good time their:

• payment methods,
• terms and conditions,
• complaint processes,
• repair records,
• online withdrawal from contracts,
• product information,
• customer reviews,
• environmental claims.

Online withdrawal, the warranty extension after the first repair, review verification and green marketing deserve the most attention. Companies that do not implement the changes in time risk inspections, penalties and reputational damage.