Online contracts easier to cancel from July 1

Consumers in Germany will find it easier to cancel contracts they have concluded online from July 1. This is the result of a new law.

An online subscription is quickly concluded with just a few clicks. But if you want to cancel the contract again, it becomes more difficult. You have to call customer service or first find out the right e-mail address.

From July 1, 2022, this will be a thing of the past. Because from then on, the obligation to offer a so-called "cancellation button" will apply. This means that if you can take out a subscription on a website, you must also be able to cancel it again on the same website - by clicking a button clearly marked "Cancel".

The buttons must be permanently available and easily accessible. You don't have to be logged in to the website, nor do you have to have concluded your contract online. It is sufficient that the subscription is offered there.

The reason for this new rule is the "Fair Consumer Contracts Act", which was passed by the grand coalition in June 2021. This law also contains other consumer protection measures.

For example, since March 1, 2022, automatic contract extensions are no longer possible as easily as before. Many contracts, including old mobile communications contracts, must also offer a maximum cancellation period of one month.

Consumers who prefer to terminate their contracts by analog means can continue to do so. The "cancellation button" is an additional function that must be offered. But cancellations are still possible by phone or mail.

Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke