If you sell subscriptions to consumers in the European Union, EU law may require you to offer them a self-serve withdrawal option for up to 14 days after their initial purchase. Thinkific's EU Withdrawal Right feature lets you meet that obligation directly from your site - no workarounds or manual contact forms required.
Applies to:
- Plan: All plans
- Role: Site Owner (to enable); learners (to exercise)
- Platform: Web
- Region: Relevant for sites with EU consumers; available to all tenants to opt in
- Products: Subscriptions
What's New
- A new opt-in toggle in your admin settings lets you enable the EU Withdrawal Right for your site
- When enabled, eligible EU consumers see a Withdraw from contract button on their learner billing page for up to 14 days after their initial subscription purchase
- A two-step confirmation flow collects the learner's declaration of withdrawal before any action is taken
- For Thinkific Payments: the refund, subscription cancellation, and access removal are handled automatically
- For Stripe Standard: the subscription is cancelled and access is removed automatically; you receive an email notification to process the refund within 14 days
Why This Matters
Under EU Directive 2023/2673 (and national implementations including Germany's § 356a BGB), consumers in EU member states must have access to a clearly labeled, self-serve "withdrawal function" when purchasing subscriptions or payment plans online. The withdrawal window is 14 days from the date of initial purchase.
Withdrawal is legally distinct from cancellation:
- Cancellation stops future billing; the learner retains access until the end of their billing period.
- Withdrawal unwinds the contract entirely: the learner receives a full refund, their subscription is cancelled immediately, and access is removed.
The legal obligation sits with you as the site owner - not Thinkific. However, you can only comply if your Thinkific site offers the withdrawal function. Enabling this feature makes that possible.
Disclaimer: Thinkific does not provide legal advice. If you are unsure whether this applies to your business, consult a legal advisor familiar with EU consumer law.
How to Enable the EU Withdrawal Right
- From your Admin Dashboard, go to Settings
- Select Orders & accounts
- Scroll down to EU withdrawal right
- Check Enable EU Withdrawal Right
- Click Save
Once enabled, the withdrawal button will appear automatically for eligible learners.
It is highly recommended to update your Terms of Service to inform EU consumers of their withdrawal right and direct them to the withdrawal function on their billing page. See the "Customer Responsibilities" section below for suggested language.
How It Works for Learners
When your site has the EU Withdrawal Right enabled, an eligible learner sees a Withdraw from contract button next to their subscription on their billing page (/account/billing).
Eligibility conditions (all must be true):
- The learner's billing address is in an EU member state
- The subscription was purchased within the last 14 days (from the date of initial purchase, not first charge)
- The learner is within the 14-day window measured from their original sign-up date (for free trials that convert to paid, the window starts on the trial sign-up date)
The withdrawal flow for learners:
- From their billing page, learner clicks Withdraw from contract
- A confirmation dialog displays the learner's name, order reference, and email address, and explains that withdrawing will cancel their subscription and trigger a refund
- Learner clicks Confirm withdrawal to proceed
- The learner receives confirmation of their withdrawal declaration
What happens next:
- Thinkific Payments: The refund, subscription cancellation, and access removal are processed automatically in the background. The learner receives a refund receipt and cancellation notification.
- Stripe Standard: The subscription is cancelled and access is removed automatically. The learner sees an on-screen confirmation: "Your subscription has been cancelled. You can expect a refund from [Your Site Name] within 14 days." You receive an email to manually process the refund.
Refund Details
- The full amount paid for the subscription must be refunded within 14 days of the withdrawal.
- Refunds are issued via the original payment method.
- Thinkific Payments: If more than one payment was collected before the learner withdrew (for example, on a weekly subscription billing cycle), all collected payments are refunded.
- Note that Thinkific's application fee is not returned when a withdrawal refund is issued - you absorb that fee.
- Stripe Standard: You are responsible for issuing the refund directly within 14 days; Thinkific will not process it on your behalf.
Customer Responsibilities
Enabling the EU Withdrawal Right is a compliance step, but you remain responsible for:
- Informing consumers: Your Terms of Use should disclose the withdrawal right and tell EU consumers where to find the withdrawal function. If you don't, the 14-day withdrawal window automatically extends to 12 months and 14 days under Article 10 of the Consumer Rights Directive. Learn more about how to update your Terms of Service: Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Pages
- Issuing refunds on time (Stripe Standard): You have 14 days from the learner's withdrawal to issue the refund. Thinkific will notify you by email when a learner withdraws. Learn more about processing refunds with Stripe: How to Process a Refund in Stripe
- Scope of this feature: At this time, this feature covers subscriptions only. If you sell payment plans to EU consumers, note that the withdrawal obligation may also apply to payment plans - consult your legal advisor.
Suggested Terms of Use Language
The following can be used in your Terms of Use to inform your learners (adapt as needed with your legal advisor):
EU Consumer Withdrawal Right. If you are a consumer located in the European Union, you may have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days of purchase without giving any reason, subject to applicable exceptions. To exercise your right of withdrawal, use the withdrawal function available in your account on your billing page. If you withdraw, we will reimburse all payments received from you within 14 days using the same payment method.
Important Considerations
- The withdrawal right applies to the initial purchase only, not to automatic renewals of an existing subscription.
- For free trials, the 14-day window starts on the trial sign-up date (when the learner provides payment details), not when the first charge is collected. If the trial converts to paid before 14 days have elapsed, the withdrawal function remains available for the remainder of the window.
- PayPal subscriptions are not supported at this time.
Withdrawal is only available for subscriptions; payment plan withdrawal support is not supported at this time. - This feature does not affect the existing admin-initiated cancellation flow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to enable this feature?
The feature is opt-in. However, if you sell subscriptions to EU consumers, EU law may require you to provide a withdrawal function. Thinkific does not enforce this - it is your responsibility to determine whether the requirement applies to your business.
What's the difference between withdrawal and cancellation?
Cancellation stops future billing and keeps the learner's access active until the end of their billing period. Withdrawal unwinds the contract: it cancels the subscription immediately, removes access, and requires a full refund of all payments made.
What if a learner contacts me directly to withdraw instead of using the button?
You can also accept a withdrawal statement sent directly by the learner (e.g., by email). You must still process any refund due within 14 days. The withdrawal button is the easiest way for learners to submit their declaration and trigger the automated flow.
Does withdrawal affect my payout?
Yes - if a Thinkific Payments refund is issued as part of a withdrawal, the refunded amount is deducted from your payout. Thinkific's application fee is not returned.
Will learners in other regions see the withdrawal button?
No - the button only appears for learners whose billing address is in an EU member state and who are within the 14-day window.
Related Articles
- Learn more: Thinkific Payments
- Learn more: Thinkific Payments: Manage Student Payments
- Learn more: Thinkific Payments: Refunds