Wix Stores: Increasing Compliance for Online Stores Based in Germany
3 min read
Wix Stores is an all-in-one business solution that helps you build a sleek, professional online store and grow your eComm business. It has numerous the tools to create an optimized shopping experience and comply with German regulations for online shops. These include for example:
- GDPR
- The consumer protection law
- Price information regulations
- Copyright law
Legal Disclaimer
As per our Terms of Use, you are responsible for making sure that the use of Wix services are permitted and that they abide by local laws. The information provided in this article should not be considered legal advice and should not be relied upon. If you have questions about your responsibilities, we recommend seeking legal advice from an expert.
Legal Requirements for Websites
There are a number of general legal requirements online stores in Germany have to comply with before you can hit the publish button. It's important to meet these requirements in order to avoid legal consequences and substantial fines.
Imprint
In Germany, most site owners are required to have an imprint (Impressum). This should be the first thing you create for your online store.
Additional information (in German)
Cookie Banner
According to the GDPR, you need to inform site visitors about cookies used on your site. The best way to do so is with a cookie banner that appears as a pop-up.
Additional information (in German)
GDPR Compliant Privacy Policy
A privacy policy describes how a site collects, uses, discloses, manages, and shares its visitor's data. To comply with GDPR, you need to add a privacy policy to your site. This policy should always be up-to-date and easy to locate.
Additional information (in German)
Terms and Conditions
Your Terms of Use or Terms and Conditions are a legal agreement between you as a site owner and your customers. Make sure to add it to your site.
Additional information (in German)
Right to Cancel
The cancellation and return policies of your online store are part of your terms and conditions. According to European consumer law, you must grant your customers a 14-day right of cancellation and inform buyers about this right along with the associated conditions and deadlines.
Additional information (in German)
Subscriber Double Opt-In
With Subscriber Double Opt-in, you can ensure that your marketing campaigns and newsletters reach only those customers who have explicitly agreed beforehand to receive emails from you.
Additional information:
Legal Requirements for Online Stores
In addition to the requirements listed above, there are other conditions that apply specifically to online stores.
Price Breakdown
As a store merchant, you are required to indicate a product's exact price and a total price, i.e. the price including VAT, shipping, tax and any other charges. In addition, it must be stated whether or not the price includes VAT. Whether or not you charge shipping or delivery fees must also be indicated.
Displaying Store Policies on the Checkout Page
You are required to give customers the opportunity to read and save the policies text for example the terms and conditions while checking out. We recommend adding checkboxes to make sure that the customer has read your policies.
Additional information:
Email Confirmation
Additional information:
Button Text
According to German regulations, the button on the Cart Page must say "Payable Order" (Zahlungspflichtig bestellen) or "Buy" (Kaufen). Other button text is not permitted.
To comply with the legal requirements, the button on the Checkout Page at Wix Stores is "Order with costs" (Kostenpflichtig bestellen) and cannot be edited.