NYC's "Click to Cancel" rule is now in effect

New York City’s Click to Cancel rule, effective October 1, 2026, bans subscription “traps” by requiring businesses to let customers cancel subscriptions as easily as they sign up. Enforced by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, the first-in-the-nation municipal regulation obliges companies to clearly disclose subscription terms and consumers’ cancellation rights, provide a straightforward cancellation method matching the sign-up channel, and prohibits charging consumers to return items that were sent for free. Businesses that violate the rule face civil penalties beginning at $525 and may be required to refund consumers.

Consumers who experience unclear terms, difficulty canceling (for example, being forced to cancel by phone or in person after signing up online), delays in cancellation, unsolicited products that the business expects returned or paid for, or failures to disclose auto-renewal or contract changes can file a complaint. After filing, complainants receive a tracking number; DCWP reviews submitted documents, may contact the filer, and can assign a mediator who seeks a written response from the business and attempts settlement. Complaint forms are available in multiple languages and can be mailed or faxed with supporting documents to DCWP at 42 Broadway, New York, NY 10004 or faxed to (212) 487-4482.