Distance Sales Contracts in Turkey: A Guide for Online Stores

A distance sales contract is a sales contract formed between a seller and a consumer without both being physically present, using the internet, phone or other remote means. Under Turkish law, an online store must give the consumer specific pre-contract information, have them confirm it, and clearly explain the 14-day right of withdrawal. This guide is for anyone running an online store that sells to consumers in Turkey, including foreign-owned businesses. It is general information, not legal advice.

The legal basis

Two texts matter most (both in Turkish):

• Law No. 6502 on Consumer Protection, Article 48. Defines distance contracts and sets out pre-contract information and the 14-day right of withdrawal.
• Distance Contracts Regulation. Published in the Official Gazette on 27 November 2014 (No. 29188) and amended in 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Most of the detail is here.

The regulation changes often. Some of the 2025 amendments took effect on 1 January 2026, and a 2026 decision of the Council of State (Danıştay 10th Chamber, 06.05.2026, E.2022/5534, K.2026/2753) annulled several of the exceptions to the right of withdrawal. A contract text written a few years ago may now be incomplete or wrong. This article follows the current consolidated text on mevzuat.gov.tr.

Who is covered, and who is not

Any business selling goods or services online to consumers is covered: your own store, and also orders taken on Instagram or WhatsApp and paid through a payment link. On marketplaces, the platform shares some obligations with you as an "intermediary service provider".

Article 2 excludes certain contracts, including financial services, sales of real estate, residential rentals, package tours, timeshare and holiday clubs, passenger transport (with some information duties still applying) and the assembly, maintenance and repair of goods. If you sell package tours or rent villas, confirm with your lawyer which rules apply to you.

What the pre-information form must cover

Article 5 requires the consumer to be informed about all of the following before the contract is formed. The list below is not a template; it is a checklist to review your own text against:

• [ ] The main characteristics of the goods or service
• [ ] The seller's name or trade name and its MERSİS (central trade registry) or tax ID number, plus the marketplace's details where relevant
• [ ] The full address, phone number and other contact details
• [ ] Separate complaint contact details, if any
• [ ] The total price including all taxes, and delivery and other extra charges
• [ ] Payment details, a delivery time consistent with what your ads promise, and complaint handling
• [ ] The conditions, period and method of withdrawal, and the carrier you designate for returns
• [ ] The address, fax or email for withdrawal notices
• [ ] Where there is no right of withdrawal, a statement saying so or explaining when it is lost
• [ ] Any deposit or guarantee terms
• [ ] For digital content, technical protection measures and compatible hardware or software
• [ ] That disputes can go to the consumer arbitration committee, or to the consumer court after mandatory mediation

Under the regulation, this information is an integral part of the contract. If the seller does not disclose extra charges in advance, the consumer does not have to pay them. The information must be at least 12-point size, clear and readable (Article 6). The burden of proving it was given lies with the seller.

Where and how to show it on your store

The regulation ties the information to specific points in the order flow. In practice the setup looks like this:

A few important details:

• Confirmation is required. Under Article 7, the seller must make sure the consumer confirms receiving the pre-information; otherwise the contract is deemed not to have been formed. So the box must not be pre-ticked and the system must record the confirmation.
• Button wording matters. Under Article 8, a consumer who is not clearly told that the order means an obligation to pay is not bound by it. Use clear wording such as "Confirm order and pay" rather than "Continue". We look at clear forms and button labels for steps like checkout in our UI/UX design article.
• No pre-selected paid extras. Article 19 requires explicit consent for any additional charge. Gift wrapping, insurance or express delivery must not be ticked by default.
• Order-specific text. The contract should fill in the product, price, address and date for that order. A generic text on a fixed page is not enough.

The right of withdrawal: periods and rules

The return shipping rule took its current form in the 2025 amendment. Naming the return carrier in the pre-information makes things easier for the consumer and protects you from unnecessary costs. If the named carrier has no branch where the consumer is, you must arrange collection at no extra cost.

Exceptions to the right of withdrawal

Under Article 15, unless the parties agree otherwise, the consumer cannot withdraw from certain contracts. The main ones are:

• Goods or services whose price depends on financial market fluctuations outside the seller's control
• Goods made to the consumer's specifications or personal needs (personalised or made-to-measure items)
• Perishable goods or goods that may pass their expiry date
• Sealed goods unsuitable for return for health or hygiene reasons once the seal or packaging is opened
• Goods that become inseparably mixed with other items after delivery
• Books, digital content and computer consumables whose protective packaging has been opened
• Newspapers and magazines, except under a subscription
• Accommodation, removals, car hire, catering and leisure services that must be provided on a specific date or period
• Services performed instantly online and intangible goods delivered instantly
• Services started with the consumer's consent before the withdrawal period ends

An exception does not apply automatically; the consumer must be told about it in the pre-information (Article 5, point h). Some exceptions added in 2022 were later repealed or annulled by the Council of State (10th Chamber, 06.05.2026, E.2022/5534, K.2026/2753). Check the current text and your lawyer before relying on an exception.

Delivery and record-keeping

• Delivery time: The seller must deliver within the promised time. For goods, other than made-to-order items, this can never exceed 30 days (Law 48, Regulation 16).
• If delivery becomes impossible: The seller must tell the consumer within 3 days of finding out and refund within 14 days at the latest. Being out of stock does not count as impossibility under the regulation.
• Records: Information and documents on withdrawal, pre-information and delivery must be kept for three years (Article 20).

What the site needs technically

Your lawyer writes the legal text; the site's job is to show it at the right moment, with the right details, and keep a record:

• The contract and pre-information fill in automatically for each order (product, quantity, price, shipping, address, date).
• The text accepted at checkout is stored with the order; if the text is updated later, old orders keep their own version.
• The time of consent and the account that gave it are logged.
• The order-specific text is emailed to the consumer with the confirmation.
• A withdrawal request can be created from the account page, with an automatic confirmation of receipt.
• Text is readable on mobile, and shown as text, not as an image or scanned PDF.

We cover payment providers in our virtual POS comparison and the overall setup in our guide to starting an online store. We build order-specific contracts, consent records and withdrawal request flows as part of our e-commerce website service; the legal content of the texts remains the responsibility of you and your legal adviser.

Think about the other required texts too

The distance sales contract is not the only legal text on an online store. You also need a privacy notice under Turkey's data protection law (KVKK), explicit consent texts where required, a cookie policy and a cookie banner. We cover these in our data protection compliance and cookie policy and privacy notice articles.

Common mistakes

• Using a template found online years ago without updating it.
• Pre-ticking the consent box.
• Showing the contract only on a fixed footer page instead of generating an order-specific text.
• Adding shipping as a surprise at the last step.
• Saying "no returns" on personalised or hygiene products without stating the exception.
• Not naming the return carrier in the pre-information.
• Not confirming withdrawal requests and taking longer than 14 days to refund.
• Offering the contract as an image or a scanned PDF.

Checklist

• [ ] The pre-information form covers every point in Article 5
• [ ] The contract and form fill in automatically for each order
• [ ] Main characteristics, total price and withdrawal information are shown separately just before payment
• [ ] Delivery restrictions and payment methods are stated before ordering
• [ ] Consent boxes are unticked and consent is logged
• [ ] The order button clearly states the obligation to pay
• [ ] Paid extras are not pre-selected
• [ ] The return carrier and how to send a withdrawal notice are stated
• [ ] Products covered by an exception are flagged in the pre-information
• [ ] The order-specific text is emailed and kept for three years
• [ ] A lawyer has reviewed the texts against the current regulation

Summary

A distance sales contract is not a page tucked into the footer; it is a process built into the order flow. Set up properly, it reassures consumers and gives you evidence if a dispute arises. Prepare the text with your legal adviser and build the flow correctly on your site. To plan this flow for your online store, get in touch.