The government has moved the start date for the UK’s new consumer subscription rules. The regime in Part 4, Chapter 2 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) will now take effect in January 2027 rather than the spring 2027 date announced earlier this year. The reasoning is seasonal: January is when consumers sign up to most new subscriptions.
The policy is aimed at tackling the “subscription trap”: easy sign-ups, inconspicuous renewals and cancellation processes that are often anything but straightforward. The government estimates that the UK has around 155 million active subscriptions, with consumers spending approximately £1.6 billion each year on subscriptions they no longer want.
