2026 is the year of consumers. At the beginning of the year, the legal category of consumers was expanded, and as a result, in certain matters SMEs also gained a stronger legal position vis-à-vis sellers. In September and December, further tightening of greenwashing regulations and easier enforceability of product liability claims are expected. However, the “headline” rule of the year is the one entering into force in two weeks: operators of web shops must ensure that consumers can withdraw from contracts online.
SMEs to be considered as consumers
Regulations have always provided broader protection for customers qualifying as so-called consumers compared to other buyers. For example, mandatory warranty rights apply only to consumers against sellers, consumers may enforce their rights under more favourable conditions in the event of defects in purchased products, and only consumers may turn to conciliation bodies. The limitation period for statutory warranty claims applicable to consumers is also longer.
In the first half of the year, several changes entered into force that brought small and medium-sized enterprises within the category of consumers. As a result, SMEs are granted equivalent protection to natural persons in relation to certain purchases. This means that SMEs may now rely on rights that previously applied exclusively to private individual consumers.
SMEs are only entitled to this additional protection if they purchase in retail and act outside their independent economic activity; a typical example is when a dentist purchases a refrigerator. For the purposes of protection, it is irrelevant whether the SME requested an invoice or not.
It is nevertheless important to note that the definition of “consumer” has not been uniformly amended, and the legislator has extended protection to SMEs only in a narrowly defined scope. This means that in each case it must be assessed separately whether the rights granted to consumers also apply to SMEs.
The withdrawal button – the hit of the year
On 19 June 2026, a rule will enter into force under which companies operating web shops must ensure that consumers can withdraw from their purchases online, essentially in a few clicks.
The regulation covers all off-premises contracts and distance contracts where a consumer purchases a product or service from an enterprise. This typically applies when a consumer buys a product in a web shop, regardless of whether the web shop is operated by a Hungarian or a foreign company.
Consumers already had the right to withdraw from online purchases within 14 days; however, in practice withdrawal was cumbersome and slow, with customers facing lengthy administration or complicated processes.
To address this, from 19 June 2026 all web shops must provide a clearly visible, easily readable and continuously available online withdrawal function (“withdrawal button”), through which consumers can directly indicate their intention to withdraw. In addition, businesses must send an automatic confirmation to consumers upon receipt of the withdrawal declaration.
In practice, this means that web shops must make the withdrawal function continuously available in a user-friendly manner, labelled as “withdrawal from contract”. It will therefore not be possible to comply with this obligation by hiding a link on a subpage.
What else can be expected during the year?
From September, rules on companies’ marketing communications will change. Companies will need to review whether their current practices comply with the new regulations. The amendment will particularly affect green claims; companies will need to be more cautious in how they communicate the environmental impact of their products.
In December of this year, the new product liability provisions of the Civil Code will enter into force. These, among other things, expand the concept of “product” to include digital manufacturing files and software, and make it easier for consumers to enforce product liability claims.
What is the message?
The consumer protection changes in 2026 clearly show the direction of European and national regulation: in online commerce, transparency and a high level of consumer protection are receiving increasing emphasis.
The number of online purchases is growing year by year; in 2025, in Hungary alone, online retail turnover increased by approximately 15% compared to the previous year. Accordingly, it is necessary for consumer protection rules to keep pace with this trend, ensuring that consumers can exercise their rights as easily as possible.
The “withdrawal button” may at first seem like a small technical detail, but it represents a change in mindset. In the web shop of the future, it must not only be easy to buy – it must also be easy to withdraw without difficulty.