The UK government is fixing subscription hell, and now the US needs to catch up

If you have ever signed up for a free trial, forgotten to cancel, and watched money quietly vanish from your account, you know the pain of unwanted subscriptions. The UK government is now cracking down on the subscription trap with new rules. 

Announced on April 2, these new rules will make it easier to cancel subscriptions, escape sneaky free trials, and avoid being silently rolled onto expensive long-term contracts.

The government estimates these changes will save UK consumers around £400 million every year.

How bad is the subscription problem right now?

Pretty bad. There are 155 million active subscriptions across the UK, and nearly 10 million of them are believed to be unwanted. According to a UK government report, over 3.5 million people are being quietly moved from free or discounted trials into paid contracts, and another 1.3 million are caught by unexpected auto-renewals. 

On average, each unwanted subscription costs around £14 a month, which adds up to nearly £170 a year per person. That’s a big chunk of money vanishing from someone’s account for something they don’t even use. 

What do the new rules change?

Once the rules come into force in Spring 2027, companies will have to provide clear information before you sign up for any subscription. They will also have to remind you before a free trial ends or before a 12-month contract automatically renews.

Cancellations will also become easier. If you signed up online, you will be able to cancel online, without being forced to call a helpline. There will be a new 14-day cooling period after a free trial ends or a long-term contract renews automatically. The rules are part of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA), and they apply to businesses selling subscription services in the UK.

If you are currently stuck in a subscription you no longer want, you will have to wait until 2027 for these protections to kick in. For now, we recommend using a subscription tracking app to keep track of your unwanted subscriptions and cancel any you no longer use.