The UK is trying to make a subscription’s exit door visible.

In April 2026, the UK government announced measures intended to make subscriptions clearer to manage and easier to cancel, including protections around trials, auto-renewals and unwanted contracts. The announcement estimated that consumers could save about £400 million each year from the reforms.

The direction is right: a customer should be told what happens after a low-price trial, reminded before a charge renews and allowed to end an online contract online. But a rule only becomes real when it reaches the calendar notice, the account page and the final confirmation screen.

Design the way out first

A subscription business knows exactly how to make renewal automatic. It should be held to the same competence when a customer changes their mind. The cancellation receipt should include the effective end date, final amount and a permanent confirmation—not a vague promise that someone will be in touch.

Better subscription policy is not hostile to recurring revenue. It is hostile to revenue that depends on inattention. The durable version earns a renewal after the customer has had a fair chance to say no.