Being able to cancel a subscription online is a legal requirement for many contracts that can be concluded through a website. Since the cancellation button rule took effect, providers must offer a cancellation route on their site. This guide explains what the button has to do, how to recognise it, and where its limits lie.
Short answer: If you conclude a continuing paid contract through a website, the provider must offer a cancellation button there (section 312k of the German Civil Code, BGB). It carries a clear label such as “Verträge hier kündigen” (“cancel contracts here”), leads to a confirmation page with a “jetzt kündigen” (“cancel now”) button, and must stay permanently accessible. The button does not shorten the notice period. Last updated: November 2026.
The most important points
- The cancellation button applies to contracts that can be concluded through a website.
- The button must be clearly labelled and lead to a confirmation page.
- The confirmation page asks for the type of cancellation, your identification, the contract and the desired end date.
- The rule does not change the notice period, which is set out in your contract.
- Contracts that legally require a stricter form than text form, as well as financial services, are excluded.
What must the cancellation button do?
The law requires businesses to offer, on their website, a way to declare ordinary or extraordinary cancellation through a button. The label reads “Verträge hier kündigen” or an equally clear wording. A confirmation page follows, with a button “jetzt kündigen” or a similar phrase.
Accessibility matters too. The buttons and the confirmation page must be permanently available and directly and easily reachable. A route that only opens through several menu levels or detours goes against the purpose of this rule.
When the obligation does not apply
Not every contract is covered. The obligation falls away where the law prescribes a stricter form than text form for cancellation. Financial services are also excluded. Contracts that cannot be concluded through a website are not affected either.
If you are unsure whether a particular contract is covered, check your contract documents. Whether a subscription counts as a continuing contract with payment is ultimately a question the contract answers.
Step by step: how to cancel online
| Step | What you do | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open your customer account or the contract page | Look for “Verträge hier kündigen” or a similarly clear button |
| 2 | Select the correct contract | Have your contract number and customer details ready, the confirmation page asks for them |
| 3 | State the type of cancellation | Ordinary and extraordinary cancellation differ in notice period and reason |
| 4 | Set the end date | The date depends on the contract term, not only on the click |
| 5 | Click “jetzt kündigen” and keep the proof | Save a screenshot, the confirmation page or the confirmation email |
What to check before you click
The button does not automatically end a contract at the next possible date. The confirmation page asks for an end date, and that date is the one that counts. Check the term, the renewal and the notice period in your documents before you act.
Keep proof, because in a later dispute you must show when you made your declaration. Note the date and time and keep the confirmation. If you cannot find the button, also ask the provider for cancellation in writing.
If the provider does not offer the button, the law provides an exception: under section 312k para. 6 BGB you can cancel without observing a notice period. Our hub on consumer rights in everyday life collects related guidance on other cancellation routes.
Frequently asked questions
Does the cancellation button apply to every subscription?
No. The obligation depends on whether the contract can be concluded through a website and whether it is a continuing paid contract. There are exceptions for contracts with a stricter statutory form and for financial services.
What if the provider does not offer a button?
You can then cancel under section 312k para. 6 BGB without observing a notice period. Keep your evidence, such as screenshots of the website and copies of your cancellation letters, and send the cancellation to the provider in a traceable way.
Does the button help if the notice period is still running?
The button regulates the route, not the period. Whether the cancellation takes effect on your chosen date depends on the contract. When in doubt, read the terms before you click.
Does this also apply to a gym membership?
That depends on how the contract was concluded. The rules on notice periods and special cases for gyms are covered in our guide Cancel a gym membership: notice periods, contract and special termination (in German).
Where is the rule in the law?
The provision is section 312k of the German Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch). The text is available in the linked source. For questions about a specific contract, a consumer advice centre or a legal adviser can help.
Why the button matters for students
Students often hold several subscriptions at once, such as music or streaming services, cloud storage, software and mobile plans. Many of these start with a trial period or a low introductory price, and the end of that phase is easy to miss. Reviewing your contracts once per term gives you an overview and prevents costs from running on unnoticed.
A cancellation that works on paper but cannot be made online is frustrating. The button rule was designed to remove that obstacle, which is why its wording focuses on clear labels, a confirmation step and permanent availability.
Set a reminder a few weeks before the end date, so that you can still act within the notice period.
Keep the confirmation with the date on it in a folder, together with your contract, so that the timeline is easy to show if the provider disputes it.
What to do now
- Check the term, the renewal date and the notice period in your contract documents.
- Look for a cancellation button on the provider website, ideally in your customer account.
- Complete the confirmation page fully and keep the proof.
- If there is no button, cancel in writing and note the date of your declaration.
- Keep an eye on direct debits until the subscription has actually ended.
Related reading
- Consumer rights in everyday life: protection against fraud and unfair contracts
- Cancel a gym membership: notice periods, contract and special termination
- Right of withdrawal for online purchases: which deadlines apply
- Concluded by phone: how to withdraw from a contract
- Object to a direct debit: how to get your money back
Sources:
Section 312k BGB, text of the provision (retrieved November 2026)
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
