Key pre-contract information at checkout

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 The government's draft guidance (published 19 October 2026) says the rules apply to subscription contracts entered into on or after 1 January 2027, and that final guidance will follow once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.

Key information, shown together before the customer commits

Before the customer enters the contract, and as close as possible to the moment they commit (for example just before the order button), the trader must give the key pre-contract information. It must be in clear and plain language and shown all together, set apart from other information (s.256; draft guidance 4.1). Online, the customer should be able to read it in the purchase journey without clicking through to another page.

Summary of the items (Schedule 23 Part 1, draft guidance Annex A):

That the contract continues or renews, and the customer keeps paying, unless they act to end it.
Any minimum period before the customer can end it.
For a trial or intro price: that it will turn into a higher or paid charge unless ended, when that happens and how much it will be.
Payment frequency and minimum amount each time, plus the monthly equivalent for plans that are not billed monthly (for example £120 a year is £10 a month).
The minimum total the customer will be liable for.
Any terms that let the trader change the amount or frequency of payments.
How to end the contract, including any contact details needed, and any notice period.
When reminder notices will be sent (the period before the last cancellation date).
A summary of cooling-off rights, with a pointer to the full information.

Full pre-contract information

This is the key information plus items such as the trader's name and address, the product's main characteristics, costs, complaints handling and full cooling-off details (Schedule 23 Part 2, Annex B). Online it can be "made available" through a prominent, clearly labelled link. It must then also be sent on a durable medium, such as an email, as soon as reasonably practicable after the contract is made (s.257(9)).

The order button

Online, the final step must expressly acknowledge that the customer will have to pay, for example a clearly labelled "Subscribe and pay" button. Otherwise the customer is not bound (s.257; draft guidance 4.3).

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