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Written question asked by Andrew Snowden (Conservative) on Friday, 10 April 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 14 April 2026. It was answered by Kate Dearden (Labour) on Monday, 20 April 2026 on behalf of the Department for Business and Trade.

Subscriptions: Fees and Charges

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of deceptive online subscription practices, including misleading free trials and unclear recurring payment terms.

Answer

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA) 2024 sets out new consumer protection rules for subscription contracts. Once the rules are in force, traders will have to provide clear information about subscription contracts before a consumer signs up, ensure that arrangements to exit the contract are straightforward, and provide a 14-day cooling-off period after a 12month+ contract or trial auto-renews.

Secondary legislation is required to implement the regime. We consulted on proposals and the Government Response can be found here: Consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime - GOV.UK.

The new protections will save the average consumer £14 per month for every unwanted subscription they cancel. The Department for Business and Trade published an Impact Assessment alongside the DMCCA: Subscription traps: annex 2 impact assessment.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
125062
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Fees and charges Internet Payments Misleading advertising Subscriptions
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk