What returns policy do EU and UK customers get?

A US merchant shipping to the EU or UK owes those buyers a 14-day right to cancel, counted from delivery, with no reason needed. The safest returns policy for EU and UK customers is one global policy written for the strictest market you sell into and applied to every buyer.

What returns rights do EU and UK buyers have?

EU and UK buyers who order online can cancel within 14 days; in the EU no reason is needed. The European Commission's consumer guidance says that for goods the period starts at delivery. The UK's GOV.UK guidance for online sellers sets the same 14 days after delivery.

A policy that says "final sale after 7 days" is therefore a policy for US buyers only. Check your returns page against those 14 days before the next international order ships.

Should you write one policy or one per country?

One global policy is usually the better choice, even though it gives American customers rights they would not otherwise have. A policy per country is more accurate, but it is harder for a support team to apply.

A customer who cites their country's law and hears "that does not apply here" has an easy next step, which is the bank. A single 14-day window costs some margin, but it removes a class of argument. Pick the strictest market on your shipping list and write to that standard.

Who pays return postage, and how fast must you refund?

The buyer normally pays to send goods back, unless the seller offered to pay or failed to say so up front. A merchant that leaves the postage statement out ends up paying it. State who pays on the policy page, in the buyer's language where you can manage it.

Article 13 of the EU's consumer rights directive (Directive 2011/83/EU) sets the refund clock. The trader must reimburse within 14 days of being told of the decision to withdraw. The trader may hold the money until the goods are back or the buyer shows proof of dispatch.

Some items fall outside the right altogether. The EU excludes travel and event tickets, hotels, car rental, perishables, personalised goods and unsealed audio, video or software, so those items need clear terms of your own. Faulty goods are separate again: the EU gives a minimum of two years of legal protection, so a defect claim in month 18 is not out of time.

What if you never told the customer, or they go to their bank?

In the UK, a seller who did not tell the customer about the right to cancel leaves them up to 12 months to cancel. GOV.UK says online sellers must tell customers they can cancel up to 14 days after delivery.

Cardholders also have bank routes that sit alongside these rights. In the UK a credit card buyer can sometimes claim against the card company directly, a route covered in Section 75 and UK and EU rights for cross-border sellers. Whatever route the customer uses, the money comes back through your payment processor, so the refund amount and currency matter.

Stripe notes that a dispute amount can differ from the original charge because of exchange rates or partial amounts. Refund in the currency of the original charge, and say in the confirmation that the card statement may show a slightly different figure.

Dispute fees vary by region too. On Stripe the US fee is $15, Canada 15 CAD, the UK 20 GBP, the Eurozone 20 EUR, Australia 25 AUD and New Zealand 25 NZD. A disputed $25 order in the US costs $15 in fees before any contest, which is 60% of its value, so look up the fee for each market you ship to.

Takeaway: what to do this week

1. Show the return window at checkout. Give each international buyer the 14-day window and the postage statement before payment, repeat both in the confirmation email, and store a copy with the order.
2. Refund inside 14 days. Process the refund within 14 days of the withdrawal notice, and keep the dispatch proof or return receipt on file.
3. Refund in the original currency. Tell the customer the figure on their statement may differ slightly.
4. Lead with the dates. If a UK or EU customer disputes a return, put what they were told, when, in which words, and the refund dates in the first paragraph of your response.

Sources: European Commission, Your Europe, "Returning goods" (page last checked 28 April 2026); EUR-Lex, Directive 2011/83/EU, consolidated text, Article 13; European Commission, Your Europe, "Guarantees" (page last checked 10 May 2026); GOV.UK, "Online and distance selling for businesses"; Stripe Docs, "How disputes work"; Stripe Support, "June 2025 pricing updates for disputes". All checked 24 October 2026.