The subscription rules are coming sooner than planned — and still nobody knows the detail
Update, 23 October 2026: the draft regulations have now been published — see Subscription contracts: the UK's new rules are coming sooner — and the first draft has landed.
If you bill UK consumers on a repeating basis, two things just changed, and one hasn't.
What's changed: the start date moved earlier. On 9–10 August 2026, Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that the DMCC Act's new subscription contracts regime (Part 4, Chapter 2) will now come into force in January 2027 — brought forward from the "spring 2027" timeline previously flagged. The stated reason given in the announcement: aligning the start with the point when many consumers begin new subscriptions for the year ahead. Source: gov.uk — PM starts roll-out of 'everyday fixes' on the cost of living, ending rip-off discounts and subscription traps
What's changed: the shape of the regime is a bit clearer. The government's response to its implementation consultation, published 2 April 2026, confirmed the new regime will broadly align its cooling-off and cancellation mechanics with the existing Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 — rather than inventing an entirely new framework — though the DMCC regime applies more widely: it covers in-store sign-ups too, unlike the CCRs, which are limited to distance and off-premises contracts. Source: gov.uk — Government response to consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime
What hasn't changed: the operational detail is still missing. The secondary legislation and CMA statutory guidance that will set the exact notice timings, cancellation mechanics and what counts as compliant are not yet published. A dedicated check of cma.gov.uk and gov.uk found no published subscription-specific guidance or open consultation on these mechanics as of 8 October 2026. Separately, the government has said it will launch a different, autumn-2026 consultation on misleading pricing tactics (fake "was" prices, invented RRPs) — a related but distinct strand, not the notice/cancellation mechanics businesses are waiting on. Sources: gov.uk — PM starts roll-out of 'everyday fixes'; legislation.gov.uk — SI 2026/284, Commencement No. 3 Regulations (made 11 March 2026, in force from 6 April 2026 — brought Part 4 Chapter 4, ADR for consumer contract disputes, into force; not the subscription contracts chapter)
Why this matters for you. January 2027 is roughly three months away. Businesses that bill UK consumers on a repeating basis will need to issue fixed notices and offer a cancellation route once the regime starts — but the rules that will define exactly how are still being written. That's a short runway to build to detail that hasn't landed yet.
Facts stated are sourced as above; this piece makes no claim about what the law requires or whether any product is compliant.