E-commerce GDPR : A Complete Guide to 2025 Compliance

In a context where personal data protection is becoming a major concern for consumers, GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) compliance is no longer an option but a necessity for all e-tailers. Whether they use WooCommerce, Shopify, PrestaShop or Magento, online store owners must understand and apply this European regulation, or face heavy penalties.

E-commerce GDPR : Why You Should Care

The GDPR concerns all companies that collect and process personal data from European residents. As an e-tailer, you are particularly exposed since you collect sensitive information on a daily basis:

• Identification data (surname, first name, e-mail address)
• Delivery and billing addresses
• Banking information
• Purchasing history
• Navigation data and preferences

Did you know that 70% of e-commerce sites are still not GDPR in 2025? This non-compliance exposes these companies to considerable risks:

• Fines of up to 20 million euros or 4% of worldwide sales
• Loss of clients confidence
• Damage to reputation
• Competitive disadvantage

The 5 Pillars of GDPR Compliance for Your E-commerce

1. Cookie Management and Consent

Cookies are at the heart of the modern e-commerce experience, making it possible to personalize the user experience, analyze visitor behavior and optimize marketing performance. But their use is strictly regulated by the GDPR.

What you need to do:

• Compliant cookie banner: Offer a banner with "Accept all" and "Reject all" buttons with the same visibility.
• No marketing cookies before consent: Non-essential cookies should only be deposited after explicit consent.
• Detailed settings: offer users the possibility of choosing precisely which cookies they accept
• Renewal of consent: Re-display your cookie banner every 6 months

Dipeeo's expert advice: There's no such thing as a magic extension that guarantees one-click compliance. The real issue is configuration! Solutions like Axeptio, Cookiebot or Didomi can help you achieve compliance if you configure them in the right way.

2. Privacy policy adapted to e-commerce

A transparent and comprehensive privacy policy is the cornerstone of your compliance. For e-commerce, it needs to be particularly detailed and easily accessible.

Essential elements :

• Identity of the data controller (your company)
• Complete list of data collected during a purchase, newsletter subscription, etc.
• Purpose of processing (order management, marketing, etc.)
• Data retention periods for different categories of data
• Legal basis for each processing operation (contract, consent, legitimate interest)
• Individual rights and how to exercise them
• List of processors with access to data (host, payment solution, etc.)
• Safety measures in place

Good to know: 63% of consumers say they check the privacy policy before making an online purchase. A clear policy builds trust and can improve your conversion rate.

3. clients rights management

The GDPR individuals fundamental rights over their personal data. As an e-merchant, you must not only inform your users of their rights, but also enable them to exercise those rights easily and without delay.

 The main rights to be guaranteed :

• Right of access: To be able to provide a client with all the data you hold on him/her
• Right of rectification: Enable the modification of inaccurate information
• Right to erasure: Delete data on request (with certain legal exceptions)
• Right to portability: Provide data in a reusable format
• Right of opposition: Respecting the refusal of processing for canvassing purposes

Practical implementation :

• Create a clear process for receiving and handling these requests
• Train your client service to recognize and handle these requests
• Set up a dedicated form or email address
• Document all requests and action taken

"99% of e-commerce legal requests concern the deletion of data. However, deletion does not mean deleting all data. Some must be retained to comply with the lawe.g : Invoices = 10 years)."

Samia, GDPR legal expert at Dipeeo

4. Security and Data retention

clients data security is a fundamental obligation of the GDPR, particularly critical for e-retailers handling sensitive data such as payment information.

Key measures :

• HTTPS protocol for secure data exchange
• PCI-DSS-compliant secure payment
• Encryption of sensitive data
• Limiting access to clients data (principle of least privilege)
• Regular backups and business continuity planning

Example of compliant Data retention retention periods in the e-commerce sector 

Type of dataRecommended Data retention periodActive client account dataAs long as the account is activeInactive account data3 years after the last activityOrder data10 years (accounting obligation)Credit card dataNo Data retention beyond the transactionProspecting data3 years after the last contact

5. processors control and data transfer

As an e-merchant, you probably use many third-party services (hosting, payment, logistics, marketing...). Under the GDPR, you're responsible for devos processors compliance.

Actions to be taken :

• Map all your processors with access to clients data
• Sign subcontracting agreements (DPA - Data Processing Agreement) that comply with Article 28 of the GDPR.
• Check the safety guarantees offered by each processor
• Pay particular attention to transfers outside the EU (especially to the USA)

Dipeeo legal alert: Following the Schrems II decisions and the recommendations of the CNIL (National Commission for Information Technology and Civil Liberties)), the use of American tools (such as Google Analytics, Amazon AWS, or certain Shopify functionalities) requires the implementation of robust additional guarantees. Our lawyers and e.g can advise you on the most appropriate solutions.

GDPR By Platform: Specific Guide

GDPR WooCommerce

WooCommerce, as a WordPress extension, benefits from numerous plugins dedicated to GDPR compliance. Here are the specific points to watch out for:

• Hosting: Choose a European host such as OVH or o2switch
• Recommended plugins:
• WP GDPR Compliance
• Cookie Notice & Compliance for GDPR / CCPA
• GDPR Cookie Consent
• Points of attention:
• Managing comments that collect personal data
• Registration and contact forms
• Third-party extensions that can add cookies or trackers

WooCommerce configuration: Make sure you activate the option to explicitly agree to the T&Cs and privacy policy during checkout.

GDPR Shopify

Shopify, as a SaaS solution, supports some of the GDPR obligations, but not all. Pay attention to the following points:

• Data location: Data is mainly stored in the United States or Canada, which requires precautions for transfers outside the EU.
• Third-party applications: Each application added to your store may introduce new data processing operations.
• Integrated tools:
• Privacy policy generator (customizable)
• clients data export tool
• Data deletion function

Dipeeo tip for Shopify: Activate the "Restrict data processing" feature in your store settings to reinforce data protection for your European clients .

GDPR PrestaShop

PrestaShop, a very popular open-source solution in France, offers several modules to facilitate compliance:

• Official GDPR module: Free and developed by PrestaShop
• Other useful features:
• Cookie Consent Manager
• clients data export
• Data anonymization

Please note: PrestaShop is highly customizable, so check the compliance of every third-party module you install, especially those that collect user data.

GDPR and Magento

Magento (Adobe Commerce) is a robust e-commerce solution often used by large companies:

• Recommended extensions:
• Magento 2 GDPR
• Cookie Law Compliance
• Native features:
• Consent management
• Personal data protection
• Activity logging

Recommendation for Magento: Due to the complexity of Magento, consider a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) to identify all potential risks.

BtoC prospecting and GDPR : What you can do (and not do) depending on the type of contact

Prospecting is a strategic lever for developing sales and building customer loyalty. But in a BtoC setting, the GDPR imposes strict rules on the use of personal data. Here's what you can (or can't) do, depending on the contact's profile.

🔴 Prospects without purchase: consent required

This includes :

• Non-converted visitors (browsing the site without registering)
  
• Non-buying registered users (have created an account but have not ordered anything)
  

In both cases, commercial canvassing (email, SMS, telephone) is only possible if the person has given their explicit consent, via :

• A checkbox that is not pre-checked
  
• Voluntary subscription to a newsletter
  
• A clear statement of the type of communications expected
  

Conclusion: No clear opt-in = prospecting prohibited

Case in point: the CNIL (National Commission for Information Technology and Civil Liberties) fined Nestor €20,000 for sending prospecting emails to people who had simply created an account without giving their consent to receive commercial communications.

🟢 Clients (with or without account): consent not required, subject to conditions

This includes :

• clients with an account (who have already ordered via an account)
  
• Guestclients (who have ordered without creating an account)
  

You can send them marketing emails without consent, if all these conditions are met:

• Messages about products or services similar to those purchased
  
• The person was given the opportunity to object to the prospecting when his/her data was collected
  
• Each message contains a clear, functional unsubscribe link

The 3 GDPR best practices to follow in all cases :

• Add a functional unsubscribe link to each message
  
• Mention your privacy policy with a direct link
  
• Keep proof of consent (date, method, channel, version of form)

GDPR sanctions: The real risks for e-tailers

Penalties for non-compliance with the GDPR can be severe, and CNIL (National Commission for Information Technology and Civil Liberties) checks are steadily increasing in the e-commerce sector.

Examples of recent sanctions

• Carrefour: €3 million for failure to provide information and respect people's rights
• Amazon: €35 million for non-consent to cookies
• EDF: €600,000 for lack of consent to commercial prospecting
• Nestor: €20,000 for lack of consent and breach of access rights

Beyond fines

• Bad publicity: CNIL (National Commission for Information Technology and Civil Liberties) sanctions made public
• Loss of trust: 83% of consumers say they won't return to a site after a data breach
• Legal risks: Possible collective action by those concerned

How to comply effectively?

GDPR compliance for an e-commerce business may seem complex, but it can be approached methodically:

1. Conduct a compliance audit

• Mapping the personal data collected
• Identify treatments performed
• Assess the risks specific to your business

2. Implement technical and organizational measures

• Securing data
• Update your legal notices and privacy policies
• Configure your cookie banners
• Establish procedures for exercising rights

3. Train teams

• Make all your employees aware of the GDPR principles
• Specific training for marketing and client service teams
• Appoint an internal GDPR officer

4. Document your compliance

• Create and update your data processing register
• Keep proof of consent
• Document all safety measures

Dipeeo's expertise for your e-business

The all-in-one GDPR solution, designed by lawyers, for ambitious companies

Dipeeo is the only solution that combines the power of a SaaS platform with the human expertise of an outsourced DPO, to guarantee full GDPR compliance.

How? By automating 80% of low value-added tasks, our team of lawyers ande.g focus on the essentials: personalized day-to-day support, on all your GDPR issues.

Our mission: to make GDPR your best business ally

Our unique approach offers you total GDPR management: 

• An outsourced DPO, officially registered with the CNIL (National Commission for Information Technology and Civil Liberties)
  
• Complete compliance management, without complexity
  
• Tailor-made legal support to secure your business for the long term
• Save valuable time by fully delegating GDPR management

Conclusion: Making GDPR a competitive advantage

GDPR compliance shouldn't be seen simply as a regulatory constraint, but as an opportunity to boost your clients ' trust and set yourself apart from the competition.

By taking a proactive approach and making data protection a pillar of your e-commerce strategy, you're building a lasting relationship with your clients, based on transparency and respect for their privacy.Ready to make your e-commerce GDPR ? Our experts are at your disposal for a free audit of your site and to propose tailor-made solutions, whether WooCommerce, Shopify, PrestaShop or Magento.