GTC, legal notices and privacy policy: what obligations apply to an online training sales website (Podia, Systeme.io, Learnybox…)?

Creating your online training sales website with a platform such as Podia is now simple and accessible. But beyond the technical side, an e-commerce website – even one dedicated to training courses – must comply with several legal obligations.

Among the essential documents are the legal notices, the general terms and conditions of sale (GTC) and the privacy policy. These three elements structure the relationship with your customers, secure your sales and ensure compliance with the applicable regulations (French Consumer Code, GDPR, LCEN).

Failing to put them in place can expose the trainer to penalties (fines, customer disputes, blocking of the website) and, above all, to a loss of trust. Conversely, clearly displaying these documents reassures your learners and positions you as a credible professional.

If you would like to call on an e-commerce lawyer, contact me!

The legal notices of an online training website

Legal notices are the first mandatory building block of any e-commerce website, including when you sell online training courses via Podia or another platform. They make it possible to clearly identify the website's publisher and host, so that visitors know whom they are dealing with.

In practical terms, your legal notices must contain:

• Your full identity: surname and first name if you are a micro-entrepreneur, or company name if you operate through a company.
• Your contact details: postal address, email, telephone number.
• Your registration number (SIRET, RCS or RM depending on your activity).
• The name and address of your website's host (even if you use Podia, you must mention its host).
• The publication director (yourself or your company's legal representative).

Penalty in the event of absence: up to €75,000 in fines for an individual and €375,000 for a company (article 6, LCEN).

On Podia, publishing the legal notices is done easily, but it is up to you to provide the content. You should not copy and paste a generic template, because your information must be tailored to your activity as a trainer.

The general terms and conditions of sale (GTC) for an online training website (Podia, Systeme.io, Learnybox…)

The GTC are the legal core of your online training sales activity. They govern the contractual relationship with your customers and set the ground rules from the outset.

To be compliant and protective, your GTC must specify:

Good to know: the GTC are mandatory as soon as you sell to consumers (French Consumer Code, art. L. 111-1 et seq.). Their absence can lead to penalties and disputes that are difficult to resolve.

On Podia, you can insert your GTC directly into the checkout funnel so that each customer accepts them before payment.

The privacy and cookie policy, and GDPR compliance

Every online training website collects personal data: first name, surname, email address, payment data, progress through the course… This information is protected by the GDPR and must be processed transparently. A CNIL lawyer can support you in achieving compliance.

Your privacy policy must specify:

• The data collected: identification data, payment data, platform usage data.
• The purpose of the collection: purchase management, access to training courses, sending newsletters.
• The retention period: for example, customer data kept for as long as the commercial relationship is active, then archived for 3 years.
• Users' rights: access, rectification, erasure, objection.
• The use of cookies and trackers: in particular to analyse browsing or measure the performance of your training courses.
• Any subprocessors: for example, Podia as the host and technical manager of your content.

Important: even though Podia provides a compliant technical framework, legal liability remains in your hands. It is up to you to draft a policy suited to your activity and to make it available to your customers.

A clear and personalised privacy policy is not only a legal obligation, but also a mark of seriousness that reassures your learners.

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Setting up your GTC, legal notices and privacy policy on Podia

Drafting your legal documents is an essential step, but you still need to make them visible and accessible on your Podia website.

In practical terms, you must:

• Create dedicated pages in Podia: one for the legal notices, one for the GTC, one for the privacy policy.
• Insert clear links to these pages in your website's footer and in the ordering process.
• Obtain customers' consent before payment: Podia allows you to integrate a checkbox confirming acceptance of the GTC.
• Update your documents regularly: as soon as a rule changes (for example with the GDPR or consumer law), you must adapt your texts. A website maintenance contract can provide for these regular updates.
• Adapt your texts to your activity: a trainer does not have the same obligations as a traditional e-merchant, particularly on the question of the right of withdrawal.

Tip: Avoid the free templates found on the Internet. They are rarely complete and do not cover your specific needs. Poorly drafted GTC or a poorly drafted privacy policy can backfire on you in the event of a dispute.

In summary, Podia gives you the technical tools to publish your documents, but it is up to you to provide content that is clear, tailored and compliant with the law.

Publishing your training courses on Podia or on other online training sales websites is a unique opportunity to grow your business. But to secure your sales and inspire confidence in your learners, your legal notices, your GTC and your privacy policy must be clear, accessible and compliant with the law.

If you would like to create or review the legal documents for your online training website, I can support you in order to ensure full compliance tailored to your activity.

I want reliable legal documents!