{"id":1376,"date":"2023-08-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-17T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/retail\/distance-selling-regulations\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T11:43:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T11:43:30","slug":"distance-selling-regulations","status":"publish","type":"knowledge","link":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/retail\/distance-selling-regulations\/","title":{"rendered":"Consumer protection \u2013 distance selling regulations for your business"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you\u2019re passionate about your business, you\u2019ll believe in the value of your products and want to share them with as many customers as possible. Historically, you\u2019d be limited to your location and marketing reach \u2013 but not anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Distance selling allows you to sell and ship your products far and wide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But selling from a distance comes with regulations that businesses have to follow. Read this guide to find out how you can sell your goods legally and effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-distance-selling\">What is distance selling?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Distance selling is the sale of products without the buyer or seller needing to be in the same place. This is something that has become easier thanks to modern technologies allowing you to make sales from almost anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From online shops to deals made over the phone, as long as you\u2019re not in the same room as one another, you\u2019re completing a distance sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some other examples of distance selling include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">online sales (ecommerce)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">telephone orders <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">text message orders (SMS\/WhatsApp)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">email orders<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">postal orders<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Distance selling crosses a range of industries and sectors and creates a great opportunity to widen your customer reach and expand on new markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-online-selling\">What is online selling?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One common business model which relies on distance selling is online selling. Online selling is often called ecommerce and, much like distance selling, doesn\u2019t require the two transactional parties to be in the same place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Long gone are the days of needing a brick-and-mortar shop to conduct your retail business, as online stores can be less limiting to sellers who embrace this technology. As well as giving business owners more flexibility and market reach, running an online store means you can save on some associated costs such as shop rent or employing sales staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can find out more about <a href=\"\/knowledge\/retail\/how-to-set-up-an-online-shop\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"985\">starting an online shop<\/a> in our guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"nba-body-001\">\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-distance-selling-laws-and-regulations\">Distance selling laws and regulations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While there are many benefits to distance selling, there are also regulations and laws that you\u2019ll need to follow. You may be familiar with the term \u2018distance selling regulations\u2019 \u2013 but these rules were replaced in 2014. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To make sure you\u2019re compliant in 2026, you must follow the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.uk\/uksi\/2013\/3134\/contents\/made\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These regulations set out the criteria you need to meet to make a distance sale \u2013 whether online, over the phone, or by mail order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-before-an-order-is-placed\">Before an order is placed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You must provide specific information to your customer before they commit to buying. This information must be clear, easy to understand, and available in a format they can save (like an email or paper copy).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You must include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">your business name, contact information, and address<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">a clear description of the product or service<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">price (including taxes)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">payment methods<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">delivery options \u2013 including any costs and shipping times<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">the minimum length of contract and billing period (for subscriptions)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">conditions for ending the contract \u2013 including how and when the customer can cancel (and any reasonable costs they\u2019ll need to pay)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">how and when the customer can cancel (and a model cancellation form)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">who pays for returning goods if the order is cancelled<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">details on digital content functionality and compatibility (if applicable)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All this information will need to be written in a way that\u2019s easy for your customer to understand. It must be easily available and your customer needs to be able to save it for future reference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Depending on your business, you may need to provide even more information. This can include details on paid deposits, information on digital content, or any further associated costs of the product. You can find out more about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/online-and-distance-selling-for-businesses\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">what you need to include when distance selling<\/a> on the government website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-300-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-69910985 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:10px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90)\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><strong>Note for online sellers:<\/strong><\/strong> You must explicitly label the final button for placing an order with words that show an obligation to pay, such as \u2018pay now\u2019 or \u2018buy now\u2019.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-after-an-order-is-placed\">After an order is placed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once an order has been placed, you\u2019ll need to provide your customer with a copy of the contract of sale that can be saved for future reference. This is often sent by email but can be in any format that can be easily saved to look back at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You need to provide the contract no later than when the goods are delivered \u2013 and you\u2019ll need to deliver the product within 30 days, unless this has been communicated otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/online-and-distance-selling-for-businesses\/online-selling\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">selling online<\/a>, there\u2019s also additional requirements you need to fulfil when distance selling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Make sure you read our guide on <a href=\"\/knowledge\/retail\/international-shipping-from-uk\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1307\">international shipping from the UK<\/a> if you plan to sell overseas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-right-to-cancel-and-returns\">Right to cancel and returns <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your customer has the right to return a product bought by distance selling. This is often called the right to cancel or a cooling off period. You need to let your customer know that they can cancel their order up to 14 days after it has been delivered. Your customer doesn\u2019t need to provide a reason for cancelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you fail to tell your customer about their right to cancel, they\u2019re able to cancel their order at any time in the next 12 months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you inform them about their right to cancel during this time period, they then have 14 days to cancel their order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-300-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-69910985 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:10px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90)\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>More on refunds:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">you must refund the basic delivery cost. You don&#8217;t have to refund extra costs for faster or enhanced delivery options chosen by the customer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">the customer is responsible for paying return postage costs, but only if you informed them of this beforehand. If you didn\u2019t tell them, you must pay the return costs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The government website has more information about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/accepting-returns-and-giving-refunds\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">accepting returns and issuing refunds<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-distance-selling-regulations-exceptions\">Distance selling regulations exceptions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whilst it\u2019s a good idea to follow the above guidelines, there are occasionally exceptions to the rules. These will differ by industry and business model, and you can find out more about times these <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/online-and-distance-selling-for-businesses\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">regulations don\u2019t apply<\/a> here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-consequences-of-not-following-distance-selling-rules\">Consequences of not following distance selling rules<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s important that you follow the consumer contract regulations. If your business fails to follow these regulations, you could have to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">provide the goods or services<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">pay compensation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">pay an unlimited fine or serve a prison sentence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By following these rules, your business should be able to sell its products and offer services regardless of distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-more-selling-guides-for-small-businesses\">More selling guides for small businesses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/marketing\/how-small-businesses-can-tackle-fake-online-reviews\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1077\"><strong>How small businesses can tackle fake online reviews <\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/retail\/how-to-start-an-online-business\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1452\"><strong>How to start an online business \u2013 in 7 simple steps<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/knowledge\/retail\/how-to-set-up-an-online-shop\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"985\"><strong>A guide to tax for online sellers<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/business-insurance\/faq\/is-business-insurance-a-legal-requirement\/\"><strong>Is business insurance a legal requirement?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"nba-upsell-001\" class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-200-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-94e519ba wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"h-ready-to-set-up-your-cover\">Ready to set up your cover?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">As one of the UK&#8217;s biggest <a href=\"\/business-insurance\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"5152\">business insurance<\/a> providers, we specialise in <a href=\"\/business-insurance\/public-liability-insurance\/\">public liability insurance<\/a> and protect more trades than anybody else. Why not take a look now and build a quick, tailored quote?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/quote.simplybusiness.co.uk\/\">Start your quote<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"nba-body-end\">\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The sale of products without the buyer or seller in the same place comes with rules.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":26272,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"sb_hreflang":"","sb_hreflang_url":"","disable_breadcrumbs":false,"sb_breadcrumbs":[],"sb_reviewed_by":"catriona-smith","sb_review_date":"2026-03-04T11:22:31","sb_enable_content_gating":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[336,347],"hidden-category":[],"coauthors":[24],"class_list":["post-1376","knowledge","type-knowledge","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-structure","category-retail"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Distance selling regulations and consumer protection<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Selling products or services without the buyer and seller being in the same physical place is known as distance selling. Check the law.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/retail\/distance-selling-regulations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Consumer protection \u2013 distance selling regulations for your business\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Distance selling regulations no longer exist, but there are still guidelines you need to follow.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/retail\/distance-selling-regulations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Simply Business UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/simplybusiness\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-04T11:43:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/06\/distance-selling-regulations.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@simplybusiness\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"Rosanna Parrish\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/retail\/distance-selling-regulations\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/retail\/distance-selling-regulations\/\"},\"author\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Rosanna Parrish\",\"description\":\"Rosanna Parrish is a Copywriter at Simply Business specialising in side hustles \u2013 as well as all things freelance, social media, and ecommerce. 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Starting her career in health insurance, she also worked in education marketing before returning to the insurance world. <a href=\\\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rosannaparrish\/\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\" rel=\\\"noopener\\\">Connect with Rosanna on LinkedIn.<\/a>\"},\"headline\":\"Consumer protection \u2013 distance selling regulations for your business\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-17T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-04T11:43:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/retail\/distance-selling-regulations\/\"},\"wordCount\":1138,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/retail\/distance-selling-regulations\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/06\/retail-ecommerce.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Business structure\",\"Retail sector\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/retail\/distance-selling-regulations\/#respond\"]}],\"reviewedBy\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Catriona Fuller\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/aaab232820edf6154586490d651d7a0a\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/retail\/distance-selling-regulations\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/retail\/distance-selling-regulations\/\",\"name\":\"Distance selling regulations and consumer protection\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/retail\/distance-selling-regulations\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/retail\/distance-selling-regulations\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/06\/retail-ecommerce.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-17T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-04T11:43:30+00:00\",\"description\":\"Selling products or services without the buyer and seller being in the same physical place is known as distance selling. 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