Handle a customer contract withdrawal (§356a)

Note: This applies to residential offers only. Commercial offers use a different signing flow, so there is no online signed contract to withdraw.

This is a flow you react to, not one you run. The customer does the withdrawing themselves from their signed-offer link, and you receive the notification. To pull back a not-yet-signed link instead, see Revoke or withdraw an offer signature request.

Who this is for

Account managers and installer admins on residential projects. This is residential-only. Today it is relevant for Germany, driven by §356a (the consumer's statutory right to withdraw from a contract within a cooling-off period).

Before you start

• The option is off by default. A user with the admin role turns it on under Settings > Company settings > Features, using the Customer contract withdrawal toggle. It is self-serve, so you can enable it yourself.
• The withdrawal-window length is set in the same place (Settings > Company settings > Features), right under the toggle. The default is 14 days from the moment the customer signed, and an admin can change it. In Germany, keep it at 14 days or more. §356a sets that as the legal minimum, and the Portal warns you if you set a shorter window.
• Once enabled, the customer withdraws from their signed-offer link themselves. You do not trigger it; you receive the notification.

What happens when a customer withdraws

1. The customer withdraws from their digital-offer link. They click Withdraw contract on the signed option and confirm. This is only possible while they are inside the window (default 14 days from signing) and only when the option is enabled for your workspace.
2. You get an email. An alert goes to the assigned account manager for that project, in the account manager's own language. The customer also receives their own confirmation email automatically, so you do not have to send one.
3. An activity is logged on the project ("Signature withdrawn by customer"), so the withdrawal shows in the offer's history.
4. The offer is visibly flagged. A red Withdrawn by customer badge appears on the Finalize tab for that offer and on the offer's kanban card, replacing the signed indicator once every signed option of the project has been withdrawn.
5. Follow up with the customer. Reach out to confirm whether they want to cancel entirely or move to a revised offer. To re-quote, add a new variant and send a fresh signature request.

Things to know

• The deal stays Won. A customer withdrawal keeps the offer at Won. The withdrawal shows as the recorded timestamp and the red Withdrawn by customer badges (digital offer, customer-portal row, Finalize tab, kanban card). If you want the deal reflected as lost in your pipeline or CRM, update the status yourself.
• The window is firm and counts from signing. A customer can only withdraw while it is within the configured window after they signed (default 14 days). After that the Withdraw contract link is gone for them, and a later change of mind becomes a direct conversation with you.
• Withdrawal is one-way and one-time. Once a customer withdraws a signed option, it is recorded permanently and cannot be reversed online by either of you.
• This is different from you withdrawing a pending signature. Two separate things share the word "withdraw": you pulling back a not-yet-signed link (see Revoke or withdraw an offer signature request) sends the customer no notification, while the customer withdrawing their already-signed contract (this page) emails both the customer and the account manager. On the offer, the two states are colour-coded differently.
• Multi-option offers withdraw per option. If the customer signed more than one option, each is withdrawn separately. The Withdrawn by customer badge on the kanban card appears once all signed options of the project are withdrawn.
• Re-quoting after a withdrawal. The signed record stays intact, so to offer a new deal you add a new variant and send a fresh signature request.

Related

• Revoke or withdraw an offer signature request: the other withdrawal, where you pull back a not-yet-signed link, edit an offer mid-flight, or fork a signed offer into a new variant.
• Remind customer: nudge the customer about a pending signature before the link expires.
• Track openings of offer: see whether the customer has viewed the offer.

Need help?

• Step-by-step questions about this flow. Contact Reonic support.
• Feature requests or something missing. Drop a note to your Reonic account manager.
• Bug reports. Include a screenshot and the URL where it happened in your support email.

Last updated on August 4, 2026