Setting up your online bookings: a legal compliance guide If you use Jimdo Bookings to sell paid appointments, workshops, consultations, or services to customers, there are a few legal requirements you'll need to meet. This article walks you through what to fill in, what to set up in your Jimdo backend, and which documents to add to your site.
ℹ️ Note: This article gives general guidance — it isn't a substitute for individual legal advice. If you have a more complex setup (a regulated profession, a mix of B2B and B2C customers, or sales across multiple countries), we recommend checking with a legal advisor.
1. Describe your service clearly
Before a customer completes a booking, they need to understand exactly what they're paying for. A vague or empty description isn't enough — your service description should cover:
- What's being booked (e.g. "One-to-one coaching session", "Beginner yoga workshop", "Outdoor photoshoot")
- Duration (in minutes or hours)
- What's included (e.g. materials, drinks, a follow-up email, a recording)
- What's not included (e.g. travel costs, meals, optional add-ons)
- Format: in-person, online (specify the platform), or hybrid
- Any requirements (prior experience, minimum age, equipment to bring)
- Group size for group sessions (minimum and maximum participants)
- Location — either the full address, or a note like "Link sent after booking"
✅ Good example: "90-minute yoga workshop for beginners at our studio in Hamburg-Altona. Mats and a vegan tea included. Please wear comfortable clothing. Max. 8 participants. Address: Musterstraße 1, 22765 Hamburg."
❌ Not enough: "Yoga class"
2. Price and VAT
Your price must include all taxes and mandatory charges. Here's how to set this up correctly in Jimdo Bookings:
Setting your tax status
Small business / VAT-exempt: Enable the small business option in your Bookings settings. The booking flow will automatically show "No tax charged (small business exemption)" next to the price. We also recommend adding a short note to your terms and conditions as well — for example, "No VAT is charged (small business exemption applies)." The exact wording depends on your country’s regulations on VAT exemption.
VAT-registered: Leave the small business option off. Jimdo Bookings will automatically display "Tax included" next to the price, so customers can see it's a gross price. If you want to show the exact tax rate (e.g. "incl. 19% VAT"), add this manually to your service description or terms and conditions.
Discounted or promotional prices
If you're advertising a reduced price, EU rules require you to also show the lowest price you charged in the previous 30 days. This applies across all EU markets.
3. Payment terms
Customers need to know how and when they'll be paying. Add a short note to your service description or terms and conditions — for example:
"Payment by credit card or PayPal at the time of booking. Invoice sent by email."
"Payment in cash or by card on the day of the appointment."
"Invoice by email within 7 days of booking; payment by bank transfer."
⚠️ Important: A vague statement like "Payment will be arranged separately" doesn't meet the requirement. Be specific about the method and timing.
If you sell to customers in France: make sure the appointment date is visible in the confirmation email. Jimdo Bookings includes this by default — just make sure it doesn't get removed if you customise the email.
4. Legal notice
Your website needs to clearly identify you as the provider. This is required across all EU markets, and missing information can result in warnings or fines. Your legal notice should include:
Your full name (for sole traders: first and last name; for companies: legal name, business form, and authorised representatives)
Full address (no PO box)
Email address
Phone number
Commercial register number and court (if registered)
VAT number (if you have one)
For regulated professions: your professional body, title, and a reference to your professional code of conduct
A notice about consumer dispute resolution (see section 7)
Country-specific labels and requirements
Germany: "Impressum" — legal basis updated in May 2024
Austria: "Impressum" or "Offenlegung" — include your commercial register number
France: "Mentions légales" — also include SIRET number, RCS details, company capital, and publication director if registered
Italy: "Note legali" or "Informazioni legali" — limited companies must also include their Chamber of Commerce and REA number
Spain: "Aviso legal" — include your NIF/CIF and Registro Mercantil entry
Netherlands: "Colofon" or "Wettelijke information" — include your KvK and VAT number
Belgium: label depends on your language region ("Mentions légales" / "Wettelijke informatie" / "Impressum") — include your BCE number
⚠️ Important — remove the ODR link: If your legal notice still includes a link to the EU Online Dispute Resolution platform (ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr), remove it. That platform was shut down in July 2025. Keeping the link is now considered a misleading commercial practice.
5. Privacy policy
Your privacy policy needs to cover what happens to customer data during the booking process. Here's what to include:
Booking data
Who is responsible for the data (you — include your contact details)
Why you're collecting it (to process the booking and fulfil the contract)
What data is collected (name, email, phone, address where relevant, requested date, special requests)
Who receives the data (Jimdo GmbH as data processor; any payment service providers you use)
How long data is kept — this varies by country, typically between 4 and 10 years depending on local tax and commercial law
Appointment reminders
If you send reminder emails, mention this in your privacy policy. The legal basis is contract performance, and customers should know they can unsubscribe via an unsubscribe link.
Cookies and tracking
Jimdo automatically includes a cookie banner on your site. You still need to list all the cookies and tracking services you use in your privacy policy — what they are, why you use them, and how long they're stored.
Data subject rights
Include standard notices about customers' rights: access, correction, erasure, restriction, data portability, and the right to object. Also include the name of the relevant data protection authority in your country.
6. Terms and conditions, and cancellation policy
Do you need terms and conditions?
Terms and conditions are not legally required for B2C sales — you can offer bookings without them. Without your own T&Cs, standard national contract law applies. That means, e.g.:
You can't charge cancellation fees or processing fees if a customer cancels
If you cancel, statutory rules apply and the customer may have a claim for damages
Your liability defaults to the statutory standard — no contractual cap is possible
If you regularly run bookings that involve significant preparation costs (e.g. ordering materials, booking a venue), having T&Cs is worthwhile. For occasional low-prep bookings, the statutory rules are usually sufficient.
Useful things to cover in your T&Cs
When the contract is formed
Description of the service and what the customer needs to do
Prices and payment terms
Your cancellation conditions (in addition to the statutory withdrawal right)
Liability (limited to what's permitted by law)
Jurisdiction and applicable law
Cancellation policy — required in all EU markets
For online bookings, customers in the EU have a statutory 14-day right of withdrawal. This applies on top of any cancellation terms you set yourself. You must provide:
A withdrawal policy based on the statutory model for your country
A model withdrawal form (available to download or included in the confirmation email)
⚠️ Important: If your withdrawal policy is missing or incorrect, the withdrawal period extends to up to 12 months and 14 days. Also note: your own cancellation terms (e.g. "free cancellation up to 48 hours before") don't replace the statutory right of withdrawal — both apply in parallel.
Time-bound leisure events
For fixed-date leisure bookings — such as concerts, yoga workshops, city tours, spa appointments, or sports classes — there is no statutory right of withdrawal. Jimdo Bookings already includes a notice about this in the booking flow by default.
We still recommend adding a short note to your T&Cs or service description to make this clear and avoid questions. For example:
Sample text: "You are booking a leisure service on a specific date. In line with applicable law, the right of withdrawal does not apply. Cancellation is only possible according to the agreed terms."
7. Dispute resolution
EU rules require B2C businesses to state on their website and in their T&Cs whether they participate in consumer dispute resolution (ADR) procedures. Here's what applies in each market:
Germany: businesses with up to 10 employees are exempt from the general duty to provide this notice — but if a dispute arises, you must still inform the customer. The notice must appear in both your legal notice and T&Cs.
Austria: mention the relevant arbitration body if you've committed to it voluntarily.
France: stricter than other EU markets — every B2C seller must appoint a consumer mediator ("médiateur de la consommation") and publish their name and contact details on the website and in the T&Cs. There's no small business exemption.
Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium: indicate whether you participate voluntarily or are required to.
Sample text for non-participation (Germany): "We are neither willing nor obliged to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration body."
8. Language of your booking page
In most EU countries, there's no strict rule requiring you to use the local language — but your T&Cs won't be legally effective unless customers can understand them. In practice, always use the language of the market you're selling in.
Some countries have stricter rules:
France: all B2C communications aimed at French customers must be in French. This includes your service descriptions, confirmation emails, T&Cs, cancellation policy, and privacy policy. Other languages may be offered in addition.
Spain: Castilian Spanish is the minimum requirement for B2C offers. A booking page in English only is not compliant. Regional languages (Catalan, Galician, Basque) may also be required depending on your audience.
Belgium: the required language depends on the region — French in Wallonia, Dutch in Flanders, German in the German-speaking Community. Any language is accepted in Brussels.
9. Pre-launch checklist
Before you go live with your booking page, check the following:
- Service description covers all the essential details (see section 1)
- Tax status is correctly set in your Bookings settings
- If VAT-registered and you want to show the rate: add it manually to your description or T&Cs
- If VAT-exempt: add the relevant legal reference to your description or T&Cs
- Payment terms are clearly described
- Legal notice is complete and no longer contains an ODR link
- For sales to France: a consumer mediator (médiateur) is named
- For sales to France, Spain, or Belgium: booking page is available in the required language
- Privacy policy covers the booking process, reminder emails, and cookies
- For leisure bookings: withdrawal exclusion is explained in your T&Cs or description
- For non-leisure bookings: withdrawal policy and model withdrawal form are provided
- Dispute resolution notice is in your legal notice and T&Cs
ℹ️ Need help with legal texts? For a standard legal notice, privacy policy and T&Cs for certain businesses, we recommend our Legal Text Manager powered by Trusted Shops. For more complex situations — regulated professions, cross-border sales, B2B/B2C hybrid models — speak with a legal advisor.
FAQ
Do I need to add legal information to use Jimdo Bookings?
Yes. If you're selling paid services to consumers, EU distance selling rules apply. You need to provide accurate service descriptions, clear pricing, a complete legal notice, a privacy policy, and — for some bookings — a withdrawal policy.
Do I need terms and conditions?
No — T&Cs are not legally required for B2C sales. Without them, standard national contract law applies. We recommend having T&Cs if your bookings involve significant preparation costs (e.g. renting a venue or ordering materials).
What happens if I don't have a cancellation policy?
For most online bookings, EU customers have a statutory 14-day right of withdrawal. If you don't provide a correct withdrawal policy, that period can extend to up to 12 months and 14 days. For fixed-date leisure events, the right of withdrawal doesn't apply by law.
Does Jimdo Bookings include a cancellation notice automatically?
For time-bound leisure events (like workshops or fitness classes with a fixed date), Jimdo Bookings includes a standard notice about the exclusion of the right of withdrawal in the booking flow. We still recommend adding this to your own T&Cs or description for clarity.
Do I need to remove the ODR link from my legal notice?
Yes. The EU Online Dispute Resolution platform was shut down in July 2025. If your legal notice still links to ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr, remove the link — it's now considered a misleading commercial practice.
I'm a small business owner and don't charge VAT. What do I need to do?
Enable the small business option in your Jimdo Bookings settings. The booking flow will automatically display "No tax charged (small business exemption)" next to your price. We also recommend adding the relevant legal reference to your service description or T&Cs.
Do I need to offer my booking page in the local language?
In most EU countries, there's no strict language requirement — but your T&Cs won't be enforceable if customers can't understand them. In France, all B2C communications must be in French. In Spain, Castilian Spanish is required. In Belgium, the required language depends on the customer's region.
I sell to customers in France. Is there anything extra I need to do?
Yes — French law is stricter than the EU standard in two areas. First, you must appoint a consumer mediator (médiateur de la consommation) and publish their details on your site and in your T&Cs. Second, all customer-facing content (descriptions, emails, T&Cs, policies) must be available in French.
What data processing information needs to be in my privacy policy?
Your privacy policy should cover: who is responsible for the data, why it's collected (to process the booking), what data is collected, who receives it (including Jimdo GmbH as a data processor), how long it's kept, and customers' rights to access, correct, or delete their data.
Where can I get a legal notice, privacy policy, or T&Cs?
For standard legal texts, we recommend our Legal Text Manager powered by Trusted Shops. For more complex situations — such as regulated professions, international sales, or mixed B2B/B2C models — consult a legal advisor.
ℹ️ Note: This article gives general guidance — it isn't a substitute for individual legal advice. For complex situations, consult a legal advisor.