GDPR Compliance Checklist for E-Commerce Businesses

Deploy a cookie banner that obtains explicit consent before non-essential cookies are set, with granular options for different cookie categories. Pre-ticked boxes and cookie walls are prohibited.

Provide clear information about all data processing activities, including purposes, legal bases, retention periods, third-party recipients, and international transfers. Must be accessible from all pages.

Collect only data necessary for order fulfillment and legal obligations. Avoid requesting birth dates, phone numbers, or other data not required for the transaction.

Ensure that declining consent or data processing is as easy as accepting. Reject buttons must be equally prominent, and users should not face degraded service for exercising their rights.

Implement separate opt-in checkboxes for marketing emails, SMS, and other communications. Pre-checked boxes are not valid consent. Maintain records of when and how consent was obtained.

Ensure cart abandonment emails are sent under legitimate interest (with balancing test documented) or with explicit consent. Provide easy unsubscribe options in every message.

Create a mechanism for customers to request copies of their personal data within one month. Verify identity before fulfilling requests and provide data in a structured, commonly used format.

Provide a self-service option for customers to delete their accounts and associated data, subject to legitimate retention requirements for completed orders and legal obligations.

Ensure all transfers of customer data outside the EEA rely on valid mechanisms such as Standard Contractual Clauses, adequacy decisions, or Binding Corporate Rules. Document all international transfers.

Establish maximum retention periods for different data categories (browsing data, order history, marketing lists) and implement automated deletion. Keep only what is necessary for defined purposes.

Never store full credit card numbers or CVV codes. Use tokenization through payment processors. Maintain PCI DSS compliance alongside GDPR requirements for cardholder data.

Obtain consent before publishing customer names with reviews. Provide options to use pseudonyms or initials. Implement processes for customers to edit or delete their reviews.

If using algorithms for personalized pricing, product recommendations, or customer segmentation, conduct a DPIA. Provide meaningful information about the logic involved and allow customers to opt out.

Document all third-party services that process customer data (Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, etc.). Ensure Data Processing Agreements are in place and that consent covers all tracking technologies.

Clearly disclose when customer behavior is tracked across sessions or devices. Provide details about profiling purposes and allow customers to object to behavioral tracking.

Document all processing activities including customer data collection, order processing, marketing, analytics, and third-party sharing. Update records as new processing activities are introduced.

Implement processes to detect, investigate, and report personal data breaches to supervisory authorities within 72 hours. Notify affected customers when breaches pose high risks to their rights.