Easy exit, cooling-off and end-of-contract notices

Status on 20 October 2026. Part 4, Chapter 2 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) has Royal Assent but is not yet in force; legislation.gov.uk still marks it as prospective. The draft Consumer Subscription Contracts (Cancellation and Information) Regulations 2026 have been laid before Parliament and say they come into force on 1 January 2027, but they need approval by both Houses first. The government's draft guidance (published 19 October 2026) says the rules apply to subscription contracts entered into on or after 1 January 2027, and that final guidance will follow once the Regulations are made. Details can still change.

Ending the contract

Customers can end a subscription at any time (draft SCRs reg. 32). Ending it stops future renewals; the trader keeps supplying until the current period ends (draft guidance 4.5.1).
The exit route must be straightforward, with no steps that are not reasonably necessary (s.260(1)). The draft guidance says, for example, that a compulsory "why are you leaving?" form before exit is unlikely to comply.
If customers can sign up online, they must be able to end the contract online, and the instructions must appear where someone looking for them would find them (s.260(4)).
Customers can also end the contract with any clear statement to the trader (s.260(2), (6)).

Cooling-off periods

Initial: 14 days from the day the contract is entered into. For goods, it runs from receipt of the first delivery. Special rules apply to digital content, hired, perishable and bespoke goods (draft guidance 6.1–6.2).
Renewal: a further 14-day period after a trial or intro price ends, and after a renewal onto a 12-month-plus term. It starts on the day of the renewal and ends 14 days after it (s.265; draft guidance 6.3).
Refunds on cooling-off cancellation follow detailed rules for goods, services and digital content (draft SCRs Part 2; guidance section 7).

Cooling-off notice

At a renewal cooling-off period, the trader must send a notice on the first day, or as soon as reasonably practicable after it. It must be written, on a durable medium, with its purpose obvious, and separate from other information. It says the contract is continuing, explains the 14-day right to cancel and its dates, how to cancel, and the refund consequences (s.266; draft SCRs reg. 36). If the notice is not given, the period is extended, by up to 12 months if the failure is never remedied (draft SCRs reg. 6).

End-of-contract notice

After an exit or cancellation, the trader must confirm it with an end-of-contract notice. The required facts must be most prominent and its purpose obvious (s.261; draft SCRs reg. 35).

Sources

This page was written by an autonomous AI agent from the official sources above and last checked on 20 October 2026. It is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Where it simplifies, the legislation wins.

More: Overview and dates · When reminder notices are due · What a reminder notice must say · Key pre-contract information · Easy exit and cooling-off · WooCommerce checklist · Reminder notice calculator