Required Policies
UK ecommerce law requires you to provide specific information to consumers before and after a purchase. This includes: your identity and contact details, a description of goods and services, total price including VAT, your cancellation rights (covered by the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013), and your returns policy.
Shopify provides policy templates as a starting point under Settings, then Policies. These are generic and need customisation to reflect your actual practices and UK legal requirements.
Refund Policy
Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, UK consumers have the right to cancel any distance sale (including online sales) within 14 days of receiving goods, without giving a reason. You must refund within 14 days of receiving the returned items or within 14 days of receiving proof of dispatch.
Your refund policy must state this legal right clearly. You can go beyond the legal minimum (e.g., offering a 30-day returns window) but cannot offer less. For personalised or perishable goods, the right to return may not apply: state this clearly.
Privacy Policy
Your privacy policy is required under UK GDPR. It must explain: what personal data you collect, why you collect it, who you share it with, how long you retain it, and what rights individuals have over their data.
Shopify generates a basic privacy policy template, but it needs customisation to cover your specific third-party apps (analytics, email marketing, payment processors) and any data transfers outside the UK.
Terms of Service
Your terms of service sets the legal framework for the relationship between you and customers. Cover: who can use your store (age requirements if applicable), intellectual property rights, limitation of liability, governing law (UK law for UK-based businesses), and dispute resolution.
Shipping Policy
Your shipping policy should state: available delivery options and their costs, estimated delivery timeframes for each service, what happens if a delivery is missed, how to track an order, and how international shipping works if applicable.
Be specific about timeframes: "2-3 working days" is clearer than "fast delivery". State any cut-off times for same-day dispatch.
UK Consumer Rights
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 entitles UK consumers to goods that are of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described. If goods do not meet these standards, consumers are entitled to repair, replacement, or refund. Your policies must not attempt to waive these rights.
Adding to Your Store
Add your policies in Shopify admin under Settings, then Policies. Once saved, link them from your footer navigation. Also link your returns policy from the checkout page so customers can review it before placing an order. Shopify's checkout displays a link to your refund and privacy policies automatically.
