Subscription cancellation rights in the UK

Cooling-off periods

For most contracts made online, by phone or otherwise at a distance, consumers generally have a 14-day cancellation period starting from the day after the contract is made for services. There are exceptions, including where you asked for the service to start immediately, in which case you may owe a proportion of the cost for what you used.

Digital content that you have begun downloading or streaming with your agreement is treated differently again. Check Citizens Advice for the detail before relying on a cooling-off period.

Minimum terms and notice

Outside a cooling-off period, the contract governs. A minimum term means you may owe an early-exit charge if you leave sooner; a notice period means cancellation takes effect after a set number of days, so you may pay for one more cycle. Both should be stated in the terms you agreed to.

Gym and similar memberships often combine a minimum term with a notice period, which is why cancellation feels slower than expected.

Auto-renewal

Most subscriptions renew automatically until you stop them. Terms that are unfair may not be binding under consumer protection law, but whether a specific term is unfair is a judgement, not something you can assume. Where a provider must give notice before renewal, that notice is worth keeping.

Phone, broadband and TV

Telecoms has its own layer of Ofcom rules, including end-of-contract notifications, annual best-tariff information, and protections around contract changes. In some cases a price rise that was not clearly set out at the point of sale can allow you to exit without an early-exit charge.

Cancelling the contract is not cancelling the payment

These are separate actions. The FCA says you can ask either the business or your card issuer to stop a recurring card payment, and if payments continue after a request made in time, they are treated as unauthorised and must be refunded. Stopping the payment on its own, though, does not end the contract, and you may still owe money under it.

• Cancel with the provider and get written confirmation.
• Then stop the recurring payment or Direct Debit if appropriate.
• Keep dates, references and copies of everything.

If a provider refuses

Use their formal complaints process in writing. If that does not resolve it, check for an ombudsman or approved alternative dispute resolution scheme covering the sector, and take free advice from Citizens Advice. For anything significant, get advice specific to your circumstances.

What I'd do next

• Find the terms you agreed to and check the minimum term and notice period.
• Work out whether a cooling-off period could still apply.
• Cancel in writing and ask for confirmation of the end date.
• Deal with the payment separately once the contract is ended.
• Escalate through complaints and free advice if it is refused.

Official sources

• Citizens Advice — Cancelling a service you've arranged
• FCA — Recurring card payments
• Ofcom — In or out of contract?

Last reviewed: September 2026

Related guides

• How to cancel a subscription that won't let you cancel
• Charged after cancelling a subscription? What to do in the UK
• How to cancel a phone, broadband or TV contract in the UK