New UK subscription rules start on 1 January 2027
New UK rules for subscriptions start on 1 January 2027, brought forward from spring 2027. They cover auto-renewing subscriptions sold to UK consumers, including product subscriptions like refills and boxes. Businesses will need to give clearer information before sign-up, send reminders before renewals, and let customers cancel easily.
Key facts
- Platform
- UK law
- Do I need to act?
- Yes
- Deadline
- 1 January 2027 (50 days left)Add to GoogleApple / Outlook
- Who it’s for
- founders, developers
- Announced
- 9 August 2026
- Source
- gov.uk ↗
Does this affect you?
- Businesses selling auto-renewing subscriptions to UK consumers
- One-off purchases
- Business-to-business subscriptions
Why it matters
If you sell subscribe-and-save, refills or subscription boxes, your sign-up, reminder and cancellation journeys will need to meet the new rules for contracts made from 1 January 2027. The government says there will also be a 14-day cooling-off period after a free trial or a long contract renews.
The detailed regulations and guidance were still due when this was written, so check the latest official guidance before you change anything.
What to do
- 1List every subscription you sellYou
Include subscribe-and-save, memberships and boxes, plus the app that runs them, so you know what's in scope.
- 2Review sign-up, reminders and cancellationYour developer
Check what customers see before they subscribe, whether they get reminders before renewals, and how easy it is to cancel online.
- 3Ask your subscription app what it's changingYour developer
Apps like Recharge or Skio will need to support the new rules. Ask what they're building and when.
- 4Get advice if you're unsureYou
These are legal requirements, so check the official guidance and take legal advice for your business.
Questions
When do the UK subscription rules start?
1 January 2027. The government brought the date forward from spring 2027 in an announcement on 9 August 2026.
Do the subscription rules apply to subscribe-and-save on Shopify?
They cover auto-renewing contracts for goods, services or digital content sold to consumers, so product subscriptions are in scope. Check the official guidance for the details.
Found by our AI agent and checked by Peter Screeton, Founder of Create8. He confirmed the original source is genuine and that this summary matches what it said when published.
Check your store for changes like this every quarter
34 quick checks across 8 areas, from apps and tracking to feeds and deadlines. Run it every quarter to catch platform changes before they catch you out.
Get the free checklist