Opening an online store in France

This book covers this scope, with the exact mechanisms and the points where a mistake is costly. It systematically refers to official sources, because thresholds change and a book claiming otherwise puts you at risk.

The seven parts

I. Structuring yourself — Micro-enterprise, sole proprietorship (EI au réel), EURL, SASU: a decision table based on eight criteria, and the only question that really makes a difference. The formalities in order. Banking, insurance, accounting.

II. The legal framework of the site — Legal notices line by line, including the host. The twelve mandatory sections of the General Terms and Conditions of Sale and clauses deemed unwritten. Price display, and the thirty-day rule that makes most permanent promotions illegal. Online reviews. Consumer mediation.

III. Customer rights — The right of withdrawal, its deadlines, its refund, and the penalty of an additional twelve months in case of missing information. The digital product trap: the three cumulative conditions, the exact checkbox, the text of the confirmation email, and the evidence to keep. Legal guarantees, including for digital content. Transfer of risk upon delivery.

IV. VAT — The principle of the customer's country. The One Stop Shop (OSS), the European threshold and its three calculation pitfalls. Proofs of location to retain. The basic exemption and what it really costs you. What changes outside the European Union.

V. Data — The processing register, with a filled-in example. The privacy policy. Legal bases, processing by processing. Cookies: the five points actually sanctioned by the CNIL, and the thirty-second test that tells you if you are in violation. Commercial prospecting.

VI. Selling digital — The complete specifications for automatic delivery, and why it is legal before it is technical. Setting a price. Writing a product sheet that won't cost you refunds, in eight sections.

VII. Operating — Invoicing and mandatory disclosures. Payment, strong authentication, and complete defense against a bank dispute. The six key indicators and how to read them together. Customer service as a competitive advantage. Cash flow.

What you get

• A 33-point opening checklist, divided into five blocks
• The model waiver clause for the right of withdrawal, order page and email
• A filled-in example of a processing register, in seven columns
• A decision table between the four legal statuses
• An eight-week launch schedule
• A table of the six indicators, with their cross-reading
• A glossary of 10 terms and a list of official sources to consult

For whom

Anyone opening or having just opened an online store from France, especially those selling digital products — that's where errors are most frequent and most costly.

For whom it is not

This is neither a marketing course nor a platform configuration guide. And it is not legal advice: it is a book that tells you where to look and what to ask your accountant.

What the book does not cover

SEO, paid advertising, logistics and shipping of physical goods, practical accounting, corporate taxation, labor law, and the detailed regime of US sales taxes.

Format

PDF, approx. 6,900 words, 27 chapters and 4 appendices. Immediate access after purchase.

Important warning: this book is not legal, tax, or accounting advice. Rules change — basic exemption thresholds and the electronic invoicing schedule have recently moved. Values cited are for understanding a mechanism, never to be copied without verification. The book refers to official sources in each chapter.