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Every customer who cannot check out is a lost sale

Since 28 June 2025, online shops selling to consumers in the EU fall under national laws based on the European Accessibility Act. We test the whole path from search to payment the way your customers use it: with a keyboard, a screen reader, zoom and a phone.

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A young man in a wheelchair shops online at his kitchen table, laughing at something on his laptop, a parcel beside him.

Why accessibility is a retail problem, not just a legal one

The European Accessibility Act names e-commerce services: selling to consumers at a distance through a website or app. Each member state applies it through its own law, such as the BFSG in Germany, the BaFG in Austria or Ley 11/2023 in Spain. Micro-enterprises that provide services are exempt: fewer than 10 employees and a turnover or balance sheet total of no more than EUR 2 million.

The commercial side is simpler. A customer who cannot pick a size with the keyboard, cannot read a light grey price or loses the basket to a time-out leaves. They rarely complain. They buy somewhere else.

Not sure whether you are covered? Try the quick check. Already covered? You also need to publish how your service meets the requirements; our statement generator helps with the draft.

Two questions, one answer

Does the EAA apply to you?

Your industry is already selected. Answer two questions and the EAA check shows an assessment, the reasons and next steps. You can change every answer there.

Who are your customers?
How big is your company?

A first orientation, not legal advice. Nothing is stored.

Where online shops usually fail

These are the places our reviewer looks at first.

Filters and sorting

Custom checkboxes and price sliders that do not work with the keyboard, and result counts that change without anyone being told.

Product variants

Colour swatches that show only a colour and no name, size buttons that are too small, and “sold out” shown only by a strike-through.

Cart feedback

“Added to cart” appears on screen, but a screen reader user hears nothing and does not know whether it worked.

Checkout forms

Fields without labels, no autocomplete for name and address, and errors marked only with a red border.

Login and payment

One-time codes that expire quickly, puzzles to prove you are human, and payment frames that trap the keyboard.

Cookie banner

The first thing every visitor sees. If it cannot be closed with the keyboard or hides the focused element, the shop is closed too.

The criteria that decide whether people can buy

  • 2.1.1Keyboard

    Every filter, swatch, quantity field and checkout step must work without a mouse. Some shoppers use only a keyboard or a switch device.

  • 1.4.3Contrast (Minimum)

    Prices, discount labels and placeholder text are often light grey on white. If customers cannot read the price, they will not buy.

  • 1.3.5Identify Input Purpose

    Name, address, e-mail and card fields need the right autocomplete value, so browsers and assistive technology can fill them in.

  • 3.3.1Error Identification

    When an entry is wrong, the error must be named in text next to the field, not only shown in red.

  • 4.1.3Status Messages

    “Added to cart”, “12 results” or “Voucher applied” must be announced to screen readers without moving the focus.

  • 3.3.8Accessible Authentication (Minimum)

    Logging in must not depend on solving a puzzle or retyping a code from memory. Allowing paste and password managers usually solves it.

How we test a shop

  1. Agree the scope

    One page per template (home, category, search, product, cart, checkout, account, legal pages) and the journey “find a product and pay”. Up to 15 pages and one journey from €1,490.

  2. Scan

    Automatic checks on every page. The scanner never adds anything to the cart and never submits a form.

  3. Walk the purchase

    The reviewer goes through the checkout with keyboard and screen reader, using a test account and your payment test mode. We never place real orders.

  4. Report and certificate

    Findings per criterion with locations and fix hints. After your fixes we test again; the certificate follows when nothing fails.

What the law asks of online retailers

E-commerce services for consumers must meet the accessibility requirements of the national law since 28 June 2025. There is no general transition period for websites or online shops. Contracts concluded before that date may run on unchanged, at most until 28 June 2030.

Who checks depends on the country: for example the MLBF in Germany, the ACM in the Netherlands, the CCPC in Ireland or PTS in Sweden. Penalties differ too; in Germany, offering a non-compliant service can be fined up to EUR 100,000. Details for every member state are in our law overview.

Frequently asked questions

We sell only to businesses. Does the EAA apply?

Offers aimed only at businesses are outside its scope. If consumers can also order from your shop, it is very likely covered. Check how your shop is set up, and ask a lawyer if in doubt.

Our shop runs on a standard platform. Isn’t that the platform’s job?

The rules address whoever offers the service to consumers, which is usually the shop owner. The platform matters, but your theme, apps, product content and checkout settings are in your hands. We test what your customers actually get.

Can an accessibility widget solve this?

No. A widget does not change your code, and it can get in the way of the tools people already use. We neither use nor sell overlays. Read why an overlay is not a fix.

Does the certificate cover products we add later?

No. The certificate is a snapshot of the tested version on the test date and is valid for twelve months. New templates or a new checkout app can bring new barriers. Monitoring scans regularly and tells you when something gets worse.

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