How to cancel, by kind and by country
A gym or fitness club
- Read your contract for the notice period and how notice must be given — some gyms still ask for a letter.
- Cancel at the front desk and ask for a written confirmation, or send the letter below.
- Stop the payment only after the last month you owe — gyms pass unpaid fees to debt collectors.
A mobile phone contract
- Check your minimum term: leaving early can cost the months left, or part of them.
- Moving to another operator? Ask the new one to take your number — that often ends the old contract for you.
- Otherwise cancel in the operator's app or by phone, and write down the name, date and reference.
Internet or broadband
- Check the minimum term and the notice period in your contract.
- Arrange the return of the router and any box — unreturned equipment is often charged.
- Cancel in the provider's app or by phone, and keep the reference.
Cable or satellite TV
- Check the minimum term — TV packages often renew yearly.
- Cancel in the provider's app or by phone, and return any box or card.
A streaming service or app
- Cancel where you subscribed: the website's Account page — or your phone's app store (Apple or Google) if you paid there.
- Deleting the app does not cancel it.
Car insurance
- Find the renewal date on your policy: cancelling for that date is always possible.
- Have the new insurance start the day the old one ends — never drive uncovered.
- Send the letter below, and ask for a refund of any time already paid.
Home or renters insurance
- Find the renewal date on your policy.
- Moving, or insured elsewhere now? Say so in the letter.
- Ask for a refund of any time already paid.
Health insurance
- Find the renewal date and the notice period on your policy.
- Make sure the new cover starts the day the old one ends.
- Send the letter below.
Electricity or gas
- Switching supplier usually ends the old contract by itself — no letter needed.
- Moving out? Give the supplier your move-out date and a meter reading from that day.
- Fixed-price deals can have an exit fee — check before you switch.
A newspaper or magazine
- Cancel on the publisher's website (Account page) — or with the letter below.
- Introductory prices end by themselves: check the price it renews at.
A home alarm or security service
- These contracts often run for years: check the term and the notice period.
- Ask in writing for the equipment to be collected or removed.
A club or membership
- Read the rules for leaving — many clubs need notice before the new year.
- Send the letter below to the secretary or membership office.
European Union
- Signed up online, by phone or at your door? You can withdraw within 14 days, without giving a reason (EU Consumer Rights Directive).
- Since 19 June 2026, a contract made online must offer a withdrawal button during those 14 days.
France
- A contract you can sign up for online must also be cancellable online, with a “cancel your contract” function (since June 2023).
- Contracts that renew by themselves: the company must remind you 1 to 3 months before the renewal date. No reminder? You can cancel at any time after it renews (Chatel law).
Germany
- A contract you can sign up for online must have a cancel button on the website (since July 2022).
- After the first term, a contract that renews by itself can be ended at any time with one month's notice (contracts made since March 2022).
United Kingdom
- Signed up online, by phone or at your door? You can cancel within 14 days (Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013).
- Phone and broadband providers must tell you when your contract is ending, and show you their best deals.
- New rules making subscriptions as easy to leave as to join are expected in spring 2027.
United States
- A subscription you started online must have a simple way to stop the charges (federal law, ROSCA).
- The federal “click-to-cancel” rule was struck down in July 2025 — but state laws still apply: at least 25 states have automatic-renewal laws.
- California: if you signed up online, you must be able to cancel online.
Canada
- Mobile phone and internet: you can cancel at any time, and early-cancellation fees are limited (CRTC Wireless and Internet codes).
- Provinces add their own rules — Ontario, for example, gives you 10 days to cancel a new gym membership.
Australia
- Signed up at your door or after an unexpected sales call? You have 10 business days to cancel (Australian Consumer Law).
- Anything else: check the notice period in the contract, and cancel in writing.
If they make it hard
- Keep proof of everything: screenshots, emails, the date, and the name of anyone you speak to.
- No confirmation within a week? Send the letter again by registered post, with proof of delivery.
- Still charged after the end date? Ask your bank to stop the payment and dispute the charges.
- Still stuck: complain to your country's consumer authority or ombudsman — and say so in your next email.
Your cancellation letter
Subject: Cancellation — customer number [your customer number]
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am cancelling my gym membership, customer number [your customer number], with effect from the earliest date the contract allows.
Please confirm the cancellation in writing, stop all further payments, and tell me the date the contract ends.
Kind regards,
[your name]
September 19, 2026