UK subscription rules checklist for Stripe merchants
Draft regulations laid in Parliament on 25 Oct 2026, approval pending, planned start 1 Jan 2027, details may change. Status of this page: 26 Oct 2026.
Short version
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act) adds new rules for consumer subscriptions in the United Kingdom. They are not in force yet: the chapter starts only when regulations say so, and the draft regulations were laid in Parliament on 25 October 2026 with a planned start of 1 January 2027. Contracts made before the start are not covered (s. 275(3)). Traders outside the UK are covered if they have a close connection with the UK, a term the Act does not define (s. 275(1)-(2)).
If you sell subscriptions to consumers through Stripe and have UK customers, eight things matter: the information shown before sign-up, a reminder before a trial turns into a paid plan, a reminder every six months, a second earlier reminder on annual plans, simple online cancellation, a cancellation confirmation within 24 hours, a cooling-off period with a pro-rata refund, and proof that you did all of this. Stripe already covers part of it. The gaps are narrow but real, and they sit mostly in timing, wording and refunds.
This is a plain checklist. It is not a ruling on your setup, and it does not replace advice from a lawyer who knows your business.
Draft notice
The rules below are based on the Act as passed and on the draft regulations. Several details, such as how refunds are calculated, the form of the notices and the exact timing, are left to regulations that Parliament has not approved yet. Each block carries its own date. As of 2026-10-26.
The rules, one by one
Each block names the rule, the section of the DMCC Act, what Stripe does today according to the sources listed at the end, and what you would need to set up yourself.
Straightforward online cancellation
- Rule
- Straightforward online cancellation.
- DMCC section
- DMCC Act 2024 s. 260 (source level P)
- What Stripe does today
- The customer portal lets customers cancel immediately or at period end.
- What to set up
- Switch on cancellation in the customer portal and link it from every reminder, so that customers who signed up online can cancel online.
As of 2026-10-26. Draft rules, details may change.
Reminder before the first payment after a trial
- Rule
- Reminder before the first payment after a trial.
- DMCC section
- DMCC Act 2024 s. 258(3)-(4) (source level P ✔)
- What Stripe does today
- Stripe emails the customer 7 days before a trial ends, with a cancellation link. The reason is a card network rule, not UK law; amount, comparison and last cancellation day are not covered.
- What to set up
- Switch on the trial-end email and add the amount, the date, the last day to cancel and how to cancel.
As of 2026-10-26. Draft rules, details may change.
Reminder every six months
- Rule
- Reminder every six months.
- DMCC section
- DMCC Act 2024 s. 258(1)-(2), (5) (source level P ✔)
- What Stripe does today
- Stripe has a switch for renewal emails. On monthly plans it sends one every month; there is no six-month rhythm and the content is not matched to Schedule 23.
- What to set up
- Switch on renewal emails and make sure one reminder goes out per renewal payment at the end of each six-month period, with the required content.
As of 2026-10-26. Draft rules, details may change.
Second, earlier reminder for annual plans
- Rule
- Second, earlier reminder for annual plans.
- DMCC section
- DMCC Act 2024 s. 259(6)-(8) (source level P ✔)
- What Stripe does today
- No additional earlier reminder is documented when the next payment is due after more than 12 months.
- What to set up
- Send an extra, earlier reminder before annual renewals, on top of the regular one.
As of 2026-10-26. Draft rules, details may change.
Cancellation confirmation within 24 hours
- Rule
- Cancellation confirmation within 24 hours.
- DMCC section
- DMCC Act 2024 s. 261 (source level P ✔)
- What Stripe does today
- No mandatory confirmation email is documented.
- What to set up
- Send a confirmation email within 24 hours of an online cancellation (3 working days otherwise).
As of 2026-10-26. Draft rules, details may change.
Cooling-off period with pro-rata refund
- Rule
- Cooling-off period with pro-rata refund.
- DMCC section
- DMCC Act 2024 ss. 265, 267 (see also s. 264) (source level P ✔ / I)
- What Stripe does today
- The portal refunds nothing on cancellation; refunds are manual or via the API.
- What to set up
- Set up a process that refunds pro rata within 14 days to the same payment method, for the 14 days after sign-up and after the first payment following a trial or discount, and after an annual renewal.
As of 2026-10-26. Draft rules, details may change.
Key information before sign-up, with explicit confirmation
- Rule
- Key information before sign-up, with explicit confirmation.
- DMCC section
- DMCC Act 2024 ss. 256-257, Schedule 23 Parts 1-2 (source level P)
- What Stripe does today
- Stripe Checkout and Payment Links show the price and a terms link, but no ready-made block of pre-contract subscription information and no wording for the reminder dates is documented.
- What to set up
- Show the key information (price, billing rhythm, when reminders come, how to cancel) before the customer pays, and record an explicit confirmation, for example a checkbox that is not pre-ticked. Without it the customer is not bound (s. 257(2), (5)).
As of 2026-10-26. Draft rules, details may change.
Proof that you informed the customer
- Rule
- Proof that you informed the customer.
- DMCC section
- DMCC Act 2024 s. 272 (source level I)
- What Stripe does today
- Stripe keeps email logs for 60 days, which is short for showing months or years later that a reminder went out.
- What to set up
- Keep your own record of every notice: what was sent, to whom, when, and which text version. No explicit retention period was found in the Act, so choose one that covers the length of the contract.
As of 2026-10-26. Draft rules, details may change.
Sources
Retrieved on 2026-10-26. Source levels: P is a primary source (the Act, the draft regulations, Stripe documentation), a tick means the wording was read directly, I is a secondary source such as a law firm or a government response, S is an estimate. "Not documented" means: not found with the searches behind this page.
- DMCC Act 2024, Part 4 Chapter 2 (subscription contracts), ss. 254-282 and Schedules 22-23. Retrieved 2026-10-26. Source level: P ✔ for ss. 258, 259(6)-(8), 261, 265, 275; P for the rest.
- Draft regulations laid in Parliament on 25 Oct 2026 (commencement and details). Retrieved 2026-10-26. Source level: P.
- Stripe documentation: manage trial compliance. Retrieved 2026-10-26. Source level: P ✔.
- Stripe documentation: customer portal and billing email settings. Retrieved 2026-10-26. Source level: P (read through a research agent).
- UK government response of 2 April 2026 on the form of subscription notices. Retrieved 2026-10-26. Source level: I (no direct link recorded).
Next steps
Want a quick list of what is missing in your own setup? Run the free 10-question check. It runs in your browser only and stores nothing. A tool that sends these notices and keeps the proof is planned but does not exist yet: join the waitlist (early access, planned from £19/month).