Do I always have 14 days to cancel a digital download?

Not always. EU rules can exclude digital content supplied without a tangible medium once performance starts after your prior express consent and acknowledgment that you lose the withdrawal right. Check the checkout record and the contract before assuming the right was lost.

Is a digital subscription the same as a digital download?

No. A subscription can involve a service that starts during the withdrawal period, while a download or stream is digital content. The timing, express request, consent and whether the service was fully performed can change the analysis.

What should I save before asking for a refund?

Save the order confirmation, terms, consent or checkbox wording, download or streaming date, payment record and your written request. These records help separate a withdrawal request from a defect or billing dispute.

EU Digital Content Refunds: When the 14-Day Withdrawal Right Applies

The EU 14-day withdrawal rule is easy to remember and easy to apply to the wrong purchase. Physical goods, services and digital content do not start the clock in the same way, and digital content can have a specific exception once delivery begins.

This guide is a practical checklist, not a promise that every download or subscription can be refunded. National rules, the contract and the exact checkout flow still matter.

Start with the type of purchase

Physical goods: the period generally runs from the day you, or a person you nominate other than the carrier, receive the goods.
Services: the period generally runs from the day the contract is concluded. If you expressly ask for performance to begin during the period, payment for the part already supplied may be relevant if you later withdraw.
Digital content without a tangible medium: examples include a download, stream, licence key or other content delivered online. The specific exception below is important.

For a general return workflow, see the EU 14-day right of withdrawal guide. This page adds the digital-content decision point rather than replacing it.

When digital content can lose the withdrawal right

Under Article 16(m) of the Consumer Rights Directive, the withdrawal exception for digital content without a tangible medium applies when performance has begun with the consumer's prior express consent and the consumer has acknowledged that this means losing the withdrawal right.

That means “I downloaded it” is not, by itself, a complete checklist. Look for the actual pre-download flow:

Was the item digital content rather than a physical product or an ongoing service?
Did you expressly ask for access or delivery before the 14-day period ended?
Did the seller clearly tell you that starting performance would remove the withdrawal right?
Did the confirmation preserve that consent and acknowledgment?

If the record is incomplete, do not state that a refund is automatically available or automatically impossible. Ask the seller to identify the contract term and the consent record that it relies on.

Downloads, streaming and subscriptions are not interchangeable

A one-time download and a streaming subscription can have different contractual structures. A subscription may be a continuing digital service; a download may be digital content supplied at once. A trial can also start a paid service after the trial terms are accepted.

Before sending a request, capture the product name, purchase date, first access date, renewal date if any, and the wording shown next to the payment button. If the problem is that the content is defective, inaccessible or not as advertised, describe that separately: a defect claim is not the same legal route as changing your mind.

A practical refund request

Save the evidence. Keep the invoice, terms, checkout confirmation, payment record and access or download history.
Identify the route. Say whether you are exercising a withdrawal right, reporting defective or non-conforming content, or disputing a renewal or payment.
Write to the trader. Include the order or account reference, date, product, and the remedy you request. Do not invent a legal conclusion; ask the trader to explain any relied-upon exception.
Keep delivery proof. Save the sent message, ticket number and response. If the trader refuses, use the relevant national consumer body or advice service for your country.

For faulty physical goods, use the separate EU legal guarantee guide. The two-year legal guarantee is about goods that are defective or do not match the contract; it is not the same as a no-reason withdrawal.

FAQ

Can I cancel a digital purchase after downloading it?

Possibly, but not automatically. Check whether the seller obtained prior express consent to start delivery and an acknowledgment that the withdrawal right would be lost. Also check whether your complaint is actually about a defect, missing functionality or an unauthorized renewal.

Does the seller have to refund a subscription immediately?

Do not assume a single deadline applies to every subscription. The contract type, whether performance started, what was expressly requested and national implementation rules can affect the result. Ask for a written explanation and keep the renewal record.

Is this legal advice?

No. It is general information based on official EU sources. For a disputed amount or a cross-border case, confirm the position with a qualified adviser or the consumer authority in the relevant country.