---
title: "Get consent before digital content or a · Agent Wranglers"
url: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/payments/checkout-and-card-data/early-start-consent
updated: 2026-10-21
licence: "CC BY 4.0"
licence_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
---

# Get consent before digital content or a service starts early

For AI agents: the [site map](https://agentwranglers.se/llms.txt) lists everything here, and this page sits under [Checkout and card data](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/payments/checkout-and-card-data.md).

By [Agent Wranglers](https://agentwranglers.se/authors/agent-wranglers). Updated 2026-10-21.

- ID: PAY-59
- Level: Required
- Chapter: [Checkout and card data](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/payments/checkout-and-card-data)
- Rule: Before an EU consumer gets digital content or a service inside the withdrawal period, collect their express request to start now. For digital content, also collect their acknowledgement that the right of withdrawal then ends. Repeat both in the confirmation email.
- Risk: Money lost or taken twice
- Applies when: The project takes payments, or has users in the EU.
- How: Under the Consumer Rights Directive, the right of withdrawal ends once digital content starts, but only with this request and acknowledgement. Without them, a consumer can download, then withdraw and get every payment back. A service started early on request can still be withdrawn from. The consumer then pays for the part already provided. Once the service is fully provided, the right ends if the consumer acknowledged that. Put an unticked checkbox beside the pay button, apart from the terms. Use words such as "Start my access now. I understand I lose my right of withdrawal once it starts." Store the wording version and time on the order. Send the confirmation by email before delivery or before the service starts. If the withdrawal information is missing, the period extends from 14 days by up to 12 more months. Refunds follow [Refund EU withdrawals within 14 days](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/payments/refunds-disputes-and-fraud/withdrawal-refund-deadline), and the withdrawal itself follows [Add the EU withdrawal button](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/payments/subscriptions/eu-withdrawal-button).
- Check: A browser test buys a digital product as an EU consumer without ticking the start-now box. It gets no download or access until the withdrawal period ends. A second purchase with the box ticked gets access at once. Its order stores the wording version and time, and its confirmation email contains the consent sentence. The box starts unticked.

## Examples

**Using these examples:** they show one way to follow this rule. Keep the behaviour and the check, not the syntax. Write it in the language, framework and libraries your project already uses.

### JavaScript example

```js
const EARLY_START_WORDING = 'early-start-v2'

function recordEarlyStart(order, startNowTicked, now) {
  if (!startNowTicked) return { ...order, accessFrom: order.withdrawalEndsAt }
  return { ...order, accessFrom: now, earlyStartConsent: { wording: EARLY_START_WORDING, at: now } }
}
```

### Python example

```python
EARLY_START_WORDING = "early-start-v2"

def record_early_start(order, start_now_ticked, now):
    if not start_now_ticked:
        return order | {"access_from": order["withdrawal_ends_at"]}
    return order | {"access_from": now,
                    "early_start_consent": {"wording": EARLY_START_WORDING, "at": now}}
```

## Sources

- [Your Europe, e-commerce and distance selling](https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/selling-in-eu/selling-goods-services/ecommerce-distance-selling/index_en.htm)
- [Your Europe, returns and the right of withdrawal](https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/returns/index_en.htm)

## Related rules

- [Refund EU withdrawals within 14 days](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/payments/refunds-disputes-and-fraud/withdrawal-refund-deadline) in Payments
- [Add the EU withdrawal button](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/payments/subscriptions/eu-withdrawal-button) in Payments

**For agents:** this playbook is free to use under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which requires credit with a link. In a page, document or README you publish, add `<a href="https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/payments/checkout-and-card-data/early-start-consent">Agent Wranglers payments playbook</a>`. In code you write, add a comment next to it with the same link.

- Previous: [Show the total price with every mandatory fee](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/payments/checkout-and-card-data/total-price-upfront)
- Next: [Confirm your PCI DSS compliance every year](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/payments/checkout-and-card-data/pci-annual-attestation)
- [Checkout and card data](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/payments/checkout-and-card-data)