"What exactly do I have to have on my website to avoid a fine?" is one of the most common questions from new clients. The answer fits into one checklist, most articles just either inflate it with fear or leave outdated items in it. This overview is updated on 3 October 2026, with links to the regulations so you can verify everything.
The usual caveat: I'm not a lawyer and this isn't legal advice. It's a practical summary for an ordinary Czech business website and e-shop; for more complex cases (regulated industries, financial services) consult an attorney. If you'd like me to check and complete the required details on your website, get in touch.
Business identification on a website comes from Civil Code § 435: name, registered office, company ID and register entry. A shop must also tell consumers about the 14-day withdrawal, the complaints procedure and the ČOI body. For a product discount you generally start from the lowest price in the preceding 30 days. The European ODR platform closed on 20 July 2025, so update any old link to it. I go through this checklist on every custom e-shop from €3,200.
What every business website must have (even without a shop)
The basics come from § 435 of the Civil Code, it applies to business documents and websites:
- Name / company name, exactly as registered.
- Registered office (for sole traders, place of business).
- Company ID (IČO), if assigned.
- Register entry: companies state the commercial register including section and file (e.g. "registered in the Commercial Register at the Regional Court in Ostrava, file C 12345"); businesses not in the commercial register identify another applicable register if registered there.
- Further identification depending on activity, such as tax or regulated-profession details. Do not derive all such duties solely from § 435.
Keep identification easy to find, for example on Contact and in the footer. Additional disclosure depends on the activity and how contracts are concluded.
What an e-shop must have on top
An e-shop concludes distance contracts with consumers, so the Consumer Protection Act and the Civil Code's pre-contract duties apply:
What an e-shop adds to a company website
- Terms and conditions description of the goods or service, price including VAT, payment and delivery methods and their cost
- Withdrawal within 14 days notice including the model form, and information on when the right doesn't arise (for example goods made to consumer specifications; hygiene exceptions depend on the statutory packaging and return-suitability conditions)
- Complaints procedure how, where and within what deadlines
- Out-of-court dispute resolution (§ 14) information about the competent ADR body, usually the Czech Trade Inspection Authority; this duty continues
- Contacts delivery address, phone, e-mail
Worked example: Before committing: what the customer reads
ORIGINAL EXAMPLE · FICTIONAL DATA
| Information | Example content |
|---|---|
| Goods | Alba lamp / orange / 1 item |
| Costs | Item, delivery and payment costs; total |
| Seller | Identity and working contact |
| Terms | Delivery, complaints and withdrawal information |
Content example, not a complete legal checkout audit.
The 2026 trap: linking to an ODR platform that no longer exists
The European ODR platform closed on 20 July 2025. Update old links because they no longer direct customers to a working dispute service. Do not present the end of the former information duty as a separate new statutory order to remove links.
Information about the competent consumer ADR body remains a separate requirement. Official ODR closure notice.
Discounts: the lowest-price-in-30-days rule
An announced product price reduction normally requires the lowest price at which the seller offered and sold the product in the preceding 30 days. The advertised reduction is calculated from that price. A product marketed for less time uses that shorter period; uninterrupted progressive reductions have a special baseline preceding the first reduction. Perishable goods and goods with a short shelf life are exempt. This is not a universal rule for every service or price statement. ČOI discount rules and examples.
What an announced discount is calculated from
- Ordinary product the lowest price at which the seller offered and sold it in the preceding 30 days
- Product sold for less time the shorter period is used
- Uninterrupted progressive reductions a special baseline preceding the first reduction
- Perishable or short shelf life exempt from the rule
Reviews: explain whether and how you verify them
The second big Omnibus topic: if you display consumer reviews, you must state whether and how you verify that they come from real customers. Verification itself is not universally required. If you label reviews as verified, the actual process must support that claim. Czech Trade Inspection guidance. Do not present unchecked reviews as verified or commission fabricated reviews. Assess disclosure of gifted test products separately from a platform-specific ban on incentives.
The explanation beside the reviews must reflect reality: say whether you verify them and, if so, how. (How fake reviews also damage customer trust is covered in my article on fake reviews.)
Reviews on an e-shop step by step
- You display reviews from consumers on the e-shop
- State whether you verify them verification itself is not universally required
- If so, describe how the explanation must reflect reality
- The label "verified" only with an actual process; do not commission fabricated reviews
The rest of the checklist: GDPR, cookies, accessibility
- A privacy policy, whose data, what, why and for how long you process; the controller's contact. Mandatory for any site with a form or analytics.
- A cookie banner, analytics and marketing cookies need prior consent; "necessary" cookies don't. The banner must not force consent by design (a "reject" button hidden in a second layer is a repeatedly criticised practice).
- Accessibility, since 28 June 2025, e-shops above the microenterprise limits fall under Act No. 424/2023 Coll. Who is obliged and who isn't is covered in a separate article.
Worked example: Three separate website checks
working map
| Function | What to inspect | Record / choice |
|---|---|---|
| Enquiry form | Email + message text | Processing information |
| Visit analytics | Events and identifiers | Measurement and choices |
| Keyboard navigation | Menu, form, dialog | Interaction test + record |
A worksheet is not legal certification or evidence of accessibility.
A quick closing checklist
| Item | Website | E-shop |
|---|---|---|
| Name, registered office, IČO, register entry (§ 435) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Further identification depending on activity | check | check |
| Privacy policy | ✓ | ✓ |
| Consent for non-essential cookies, if used | by feature | by feature |
| Terms with prices incl. VAT | no | ✓ |
| 14-day withdrawal notice + form | no | ✓ |
| Complaints procedure | no | ✓ |
| ČOI information (§ 14) | no | ✓ |
| no | ✓ | |
| Prior price for announced product reductions, with exceptions | by offer | by offer |
| Whether/how displayed reviews are verified | by content | by content |
| Accessibility | by statutory scope | by statutory scope |
Summary
The mandatory minimum for a business website is identification under § 435 of the Civil Code, name, registered office, IČO, register entry. An e-shop adds pre-contract information, withdrawal, complaints, the ČOI notice, the 30-day discount rule and information about review verification; the link to the discontinued EU ODR platform belongs in the bin. Check the actual purchase journey and content; a summary table alone does not establish legal compliance.
I go through this checklist as standard when building websites, planning a custom e-shop and maintaining Shoptet stores; if you're unsure about your current site, get in touch and I'll walk through it with you.
Sources and links
- § 435 of Act No. 89/2012 Coll., the Civil Code, details on business documents and websites
- Act No. 634/1992 Coll., on Consumer Protection, pre-contract information, § 14, discounts, reviews
- Ministry of Industry and Trade: the ODR information duty has ended, discontinued 20 July 2025
- Czech Trade Inspection Authority (ČOI), the supervisory body
A practical overview, not legal advice. Current as of 3 October 2026.