Buying something online is usually the easy part. A few taps on a phone, a quick payment and an order confirmation lands in your inbox before you’ve even had time to think twice about the purchase.

Cancelling it can be a very different experience.

The cancellation option is buried somewhere in your account settings. The website sends you in circles. A chatbot appears. An email form follows. Before long, a process that should take seconds can end up taking far longer than the original purchase itself.

That is exactly the kind of situation the European Union wants to address.

From 19 June 2026, online retailers and apps operating in the EU will be required to offer consumers a clear electronic way to withdraw from eligible online purchases and contracts. The change forms part of new consumer protection rules designed to make cancelling an online purchase much more straightforward when the law already gives customers the right to do so.

For millions of people who regularly shop online, it could remove one of the most frustrating parts of internet shopping.

Why the EU wants cancelling to be as easy as buying

Most people have experienced buyer’s remorse. Sometimes a product arrives and simply isn’t what you expected. Sometimes a subscription looked useful at the time but quickly loses its appeal. Sometimes an accidental purchase slips through because a payment card is already saved in an account.

European consumer law already gives shoppers important protections in these situations.

In most cases involving distance sales, consumers have a legal right to withdraw from a purchase within 14 days.

The problem is not the existence of the right. The problem is finding a simple way to use it.

Consumer organisations across Europe have long criticised online businesses for making cancellation procedures harder to locate than purchase options. While some companies already offer simple solutions, others require customers to navigate several pages before finding the correct option.

The new rules aim to create a more consistent experience.

If a contract was entered into through a website or app, consumers should be able to locate the withdrawal function without having to hunt through complicated menus or download additional software.

What online shoppers will notice from June 2026

The most visible change will be a dedicated cancellation feature on websites and apps.

Businesses covered by the rules will need to provide a clearly identifiable option allowing consumers to withdraw from a contract during the legal withdrawal period.

The wording may differ between companies, but the function must be clear, prominent and easy to access.Once a customer decides to cancel, they will be able to submit an online declaration confirming that decision.

The process will require basic information allowing the business to identify the contract correctly.

After that, a second confirmation step must be provided before the request is finalised.

Importantly, consumers will then receive confirmation that their request has been received, together with details such as the date and time of submission.

That confirmation could prove particularly useful if a dispute later arises about whether the cancellation was made within the legal deadline.

For shoppers, it means having a clearer digital trail showing exactly when the request was submitted.

The new button will not mean every purchase can be cancelled

The upcoming changes do not create new cancellation rights for every product or service sold online. Instead, they simplify access to rights that already exist under European consumer law.

The standard withdrawal period remains 14 calendar days for most distance contracts.

There are still important exceptions.

Custom made products produced according to a customer’s specifications generally cannot be cancelled in the same way as standard purchases. Certain perishable goods are also excluded.

The same applies to some sealed products that cannot be returned for health or hygiene reasons once opened.

Certain forms of digital content may also fall outside the withdrawal rules when specific legal conditions have been met.

The new cancellation function therefore does not change what consumers are allowed to cancel.What changes is how easily they can exercise those rights when they exist.

For businesses, the next year will involve updating websites and apps before the new requirements take effect across the European Union.

For consumers, the practical benefit is easier to understand.

The next time an online purchase starts to feel like a mistake, finding a way out may finally become as simple as finding the buy button in the first place.

Anyone who has ever looked at a used electric car has probably wondered the same thing : What condition is the battery really in?

Mileage is easy to check and service history can usually be verified. The battery, however, is a different story.

It is often the most expensive part of the vehicle, yet for many buyers it remains something of a mystery.

Sellers can provide information. Manufacturers publish official figures. There are battery health reports and specialist inspections available.

Even so, many drivers still feel they are making an educated guess when it comes to understanding the true condition of an electric vehicle’s battery.

That uncertainty is exactly what the European Union hopes to reduce with a major change arriving in 2027.

From 18 February 2027, electric vehicles sold in Europe will be required to carry a digital battery passport, known as the Battery Pass. Accessible through a QR code attached to the vehicle, it will allow drivers, buyers and repair professionals to access detailed information about the battery with a simple scan.

For anyone thinking about buying an electric vehicle in the future, it could make one of the most important parts of the car far easier to understand.

Why battery information has become such a big issue for drivers

The battery sits at the centre of almost every conversation about electric vehicles.

How long will it last?How much range has it lost?Will it still perform properly in five years?How expensive would it be to replace?

These questions matter because the battery influences everything from daily driving range to the resale value of the vehicle.

The challenge is that finding reliable information is not always straightforward.

Two electric cars may look identical from the outside and have similar mileage, yet their batteries may have experienced very different levels of wear.

One might have spent years fast charging several times a week.Another may have been driven gently and charged more slowly.

Until now, much of that information has remained difficult for ordinary buyers to access.

That has helped create uncertainty in the used EV market, particularly among people considering their first electric vehicle.

The new Battery Pass is designed to make some of those unknowns easier to understand.

What drivers will actually be able to see

The QR code will act as a digital record linked directly to the battery.Once scanned, it will provide information including the battery manufacturer, production date, place of manufacture, serial number and technical specifications.

Drivers will also be able to see details about the materials used in the battery, including recycled content and certain environmental information.

For many consumers, however, the most interesting part will be the information relating to performance and durability.

The aim is to provide greater visibility into how the battery has been designed and how it is expected to perform throughout its life.

The system will not apply only to electric cars.It will also cover plug in hybrids and other battery powered vehicles equipped with batteries of 2 kWh or more.

That includes certain vans, motorcycles, scooters and electric bikes.

The measure forms part of the EU Battery Regulation approved in 2023, which seeks to improve transparency, sustainability and traceability throughout the battery industry.

Why the used EV market could benefit the most

Many industry observers believe the biggest impact may be felt in the second hand market. Buying a used petrol car has become relatively familiar territory for most drivers.

People know what to look for. Electric vehicles are still newer territory.

For many potential buyers, battery health remains the biggest unknown.

A standardised system providing official battery information could help build confidence and make comparisons easier between different vehicles.

That does not mean every concern about battery ageing will suddenly disappear.

Drivers will still have questions, battery technology will continue evolving and different manufacturers will continue using different systems.

What may change is the level of transparency available to consumers.

The information that many buyers currently struggle to find could soon be available with a simple scan.

As electric vehicles become a bigger part of everyday life across Europe, that extra visibility may prove valuable not only for buyers, but also for sellers, dealers and repair specialists.

For years, battery health has been one of the hardest parts of EV ownership to understand.In less than two years, it could become one of the easiest.

Anyone who has ever looked at a used electric car has probably wondered the same thing : What condition is the battery really in?

Mileage is easy to check and service history can usually be verified. The battery, however, is a different story.

It is often the most expensive part of the vehicle, yet for many buyers it remains something of a mystery.

Sellers can provide information. Manufacturers publish official figures. There are battery health reports and specialist inspections available.

Even so, many drivers still feel they are making an educated guess when it comes to understanding the true condition of an electric vehicle’s battery.

That uncertainty is exactly what the European Union hopes to reduce with a major change arriving in 2027.

From 18 February 2027, electric vehicles sold in Europe will be required to carry a digital battery passport, known as the Battery Pass. Accessible through a QR code attached to the vehicle, it will allow drivers, buyers and repair professionals to access detailed information about the battery with a simple scan.

For anyone thinking about buying an electric vehicle in the future, it could make one of the most important parts of the car far easier to understand.

Why battery information has become such a big issue for drivers

The battery sits at the centre of almost every conversation about electric vehicles.

How long will it last?How much range has it lost?Will it still perform properly in five years?How expensive would it be to replace?

These questions matter because the battery influences everything from daily driving range to the resale value of the vehicle.

The challenge is that finding reliable information is not always straightforward.

Two electric cars may look identical from the outside and have similar mileage, yet their batteries may have experienced very different levels of wear.

One might have spent years fast charging several times a week.Another may have been driven gently and charged more slowly.

Until now, much of that information has remained difficult for ordinary buyers to access.

That has helped create uncertainty in the used EV market, particularly among people considering their first electric vehicle.

The new Battery Pass is designed to make some of those unknowns easier to understand.

What drivers will actually be able to see

The QR code will act as a digital record linked directly to the battery.Once scanned, it will provide information including the battery manufacturer, production date, place of manufacture, serial number and technical specifications.

Drivers will also be able to see details about the materials used in the battery, including recycled content and certain environmental information.

For many consumers, however, the most interesting part will be the information relating to performance and durability.

The aim is to provide greater visibility into how the battery has been designed and how it is expected to perform throughout its life.

The system will not apply only to electric cars.It will also cover plug in hybrids and other battery powered vehicles equipped with batteries of 2 kWh or more.

That includes certain vans, motorcycles, scooters and electric bikes.

The measure forms part of the EU Battery Regulation approved in 2023, which seeks to improve transparency, sustainability and traceability throughout the battery industry.

Why the used EV market could benefit the most

Many industry observers believe the biggest impact may be felt in the second hand market. Buying a used petrol car has become relatively familiar territory for most drivers.

People know what to look for. Electric vehicles are still newer territory.

For many potential buyers, battery health remains the biggest unknown.

A standardised system providing official battery information could help build confidence and make comparisons easier between different vehicles.

That does not mean every concern about battery ageing will suddenly disappear.

Drivers will still have questions, battery technology will continue evolving and different manufacturers will continue using different systems.

What may change is the level of transparency available to consumers.

The information that many buyers currently struggle to find could soon be available with a simple scan.

As electric vehicles become a bigger part of everyday life across Europe, that extra visibility may prove valuable not only for buyers, but also for sellers, dealers and repair specialists.

For years, battery health has been one of the hardest parts of EV ownership to understand.In less than two years, it could become one of the easiest.