Creating an online training sales site with a platform like Podia is now simple and accessible. But beyond the technical aspects, an e-commerce site - even one dedicated to training - must comply with a number of legal obligations.
Essential documents include legal notices, general terms and conditions of sale (GTCS) and privacy policy. These three elements structure the relationship with your customers, secure your sales and guarantee compliance with regulations (Consumer Code, RGPD, LCEN).
Failure to do so can expose the trainer to penalties (fines, customer disputes, site blocking) 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 need an e-commerce lawyer,contact me!
Legal notices for an online training site
Legal notices are the first mandatory component of any e-commerce site, even when you sell online training courses via Podia or another platform. They clearly identify the site's publisher and host, so that Internet users know who they're dealing with.
In concrete terms, your legal notices must contain :
- Your full identity: surname, first name if you are a micro-entrepreneur, or company name if you have a company.
- Your contact details: postal address, email address, telephone number.
- Your registration number (SIRET, RCS or RM depending on your activity).
- The name and address of your site host (even if you use Podia, you must mention your host).
- The publication director (yourself or the legal representative of your company).
Penalty for failure to comply: a fine of up to €75,000 for an individual and €375,000 for a company (article 6, LCEN law).
On Podia, it's easy to put your legal information online, but it's up to you to provide the content. Don't copy and paste a generic template, as your information must be adapted to your training activity.
General terms and conditions of sale (GTCS) for an online training site (Podia, Systeme.io, Learnybox...)
The GTC are the legal core of your online training sales business. They define the contractual relationship with your customers, and set the ground rules from the outset.
To be compliant and protective, your T&Cs must specify :
- Prices and payment terms: amount of the course, payment method accepted (credit card, bank transfer, etc.), payment schedule if payment is to be made in instalments.
- Training access conditions: immediate access after payment, duration of availability (unlimited or time-limited), subscription access.
- Refund rules: refunds possible in case of error, possible exclusions.
- Right of withdrawal clause: mandatory for consumers (unless the customer waives this right in order to access the content immediately).
- Intellectual property: your videos, PDFs or modules may not be copied or distributed without your permission.
- Responsibility: specify the limits of your responsibility (for example, learning results are never guaranteed).
Good to know: CGVs are mandatory when selling to consumers (Code de la consommation, 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 terms and conditions directly into the order tunnel, so that each customer accepts them before payment.
Privacy and cookies policy, and compliance with the RGPD
Any online training site collects personal data: first name, last name, email address, payment data, progress in the course... This information is protected by the RGPD and must be handled with transparency.
Your privacy policy must specify :
- Data collected: identification, payment and platform usage data.
- Purpose of data collection: management of purchases, access to training courses, sending of newsletters.
- Retention period: for example, customer data is kept for as long as the commercial relationship is active, then archived for 3 years.
- Users' rights: access, rectification, deletion, opposition.
- The use of cookies and tracers: in particular to analyze navigation or measure the performance of your training courses.
- Any subcontractors: for example, Podia as host and technical manager of your content.
Important: even if Podia provides a compliant technical framework, legal responsibility remains in your hands. It's up to you to draw up a policy adapted to your activity and make it available to your customers.
A clear and personalized privacy policy is not only a legal obligation, but also a sign of seriousness that reassures your learners.
Set up your GTC, legal notice and privacy policy on Podia
Drafting your legal documents is an essential step, but you also need to make them visible and accessible on your Podia site.
Specifically, you must :
- Create dedicated pages in Podia: one for legal notices, one for terms and conditions, one for privacy policy.
- Insert clear links to these pages in the footer of your site and in the order process.
- Obtain customer consent before payment: Podia allows you to integrate a checkbox confirming acceptance of the T&Cs.
- Update your documents regularly: as soon as a rule changes (for example with the RGPD or consumer law), you need to adapt your texts.
- Adapt your texts to your activity: a trainer doesn't have the same obligations as a traditional e-merchant, especially when it comes to the right of withdrawal.
Tip: Avoid free templates found on the Internet. They are rarely complete and may not cover your specific needs. Poorly drafted terms and conditions or privacy policy can backfire in the event of a dispute.
In short, Podia gives you the technical tools to publish your documents, but it's up to you to provide clear, appropriate and legally compliant content.
Putting your training courses online on Podia or other e-learning sales sites is a unique opportunity to develop your business. But to secure your sales and inspire confidence in your learners, your legal notices, terms and conditions and privacy policy must be clear, accessible and compliant with the law.
If you'd like to create or check your legal documents for your e-learning website, I can help you to ensure full compliance, tailored to your business.
