The Cancellation Button Starting June 19, 2026: What Leisure Service Providers Need to Know Now
Starting June 19, 2026, a new requirement will apply to nearly everyone who sells to consumers online: the so-called “Widerrufsbutton” (cancellation button). This is based on Section 356a of the German Civil Code (BGB), which implements EU Directive 2023/2673. Providers of leisure and adventure activities should take a closer look - because whether you are affected depends less on your industry than on your product range.
What’s changing
The cancellation button does not create a new right of cancellation. The 14-day right of cancellation in distance selling has long existed. What’s new is the method: In the future, consumers must be able to cancel their contract online via a clearly visible, clearly labeled button - in a two-step process, without requiring a login, and also via mobile and in the app. After cancellation, the customer immediately receives a confirmation of receipt via email.
There is no transition period. Anyone who fails to provide the button risks warnings - and, above all, an extension of the cancellation period to up to twelve months and 14 days. In case of doubt, this means you’ll have to process order cancellations that are nearly a year old.
Am I even affected?
This is the most important point for the leisure industry. For time-specific services - such as a ticket for Saturday at 2 p.m., a booked tour with a fixed date, or a slot in an escape room - the so-called leisure exception applies (Section 312g(2)(9) of the German Civil Code). There is no right of withdrawal for these products, and the button is not required for them.
However: As soon as your product range includes even a single product that can be canceled, you need the button - and that applies to the entire shop. This is exactly the case for most amusement parks, zoos, aquariums, and adventure providers. Typical triggers are:
- Gift certificates without a fixed redemption date
- Flex tickets without a fixed date
- Annual and seasonal passes
- Merchandise from the online shop
A provider that sells only dated tickets can theoretically do without the button. As soon as gift certificates or annual passes are added, this is no longer the case.
The point many overlook
The biggest pitfall isn’t the button itself, but the question of when the right of withdrawal expires for services that have already been used. A common misconception is: “The customer has already used their annual pass, so the right of withdrawal is gone.” That’s not entirely true.
The right of withdrawal for a service that has been used only lapses if the customer has expressly agreed in advance - that the service should begin during the withdrawal period and that they are aware of the consequences for their right of withdrawal. Without the proper consent at checkout, a customer can use their annual pass for two weeks and still withdraw - and in case of doubt, you must refund the full price. Only if you have properly obtained consent may you retain a pro-rata compensation for the time already used.
In practice, this means: For annual passes, gift cards, and similar immediately usable products, this consent must be clearly included in the checkout - actively checked, not preselected, and documented. Anyone who fails to do so risks losing money in case of doubt.
What to do
Implementation involves three levels: technology (button, two-step process, automatic confirmation email), legal texts (cancellation policy, terms and conditions, privacy policy), and internal processes (who handles incoming cancellations? Clearly separate cancellations and returns).
At ToucanTix, the technical component is already built into the platform. The cancellation button, the two-step process, the automatic confirmation of receipt, the proper handling of mixed shopping carts, and the checkout consent for annual passes are all integrated - you don’t need to modify your shop yourself. All that’s left for you to do is classify your products correctly and have your legal texts reviewed. We’ll support you in this process.
Timeline
The deadline is June 19, 2026, and it applies throughout the EU - including Austria. Those who act now will have enough time to implement the changes calmly and correctly. Those who wait will put themselves under unnecessary pressure.
