Do you sell memberships or subscriptions to customers in New York City?
Quick answer
Since October 1, 2026, New York City businesses that bill customers until they cancel must show the key terms before sign-up, let customers cancel as easily as they joined (online too, if they joined at the front desk), and send reminders on a set schedule. Fines: $525, $1,050, then $3,500 per violation, plus refunds. Rule: 6 RCNY §§5-110 to 5-110.3.
Last verified October 10, 2026 against the official text. Not legal advice.
Since October 1, 2026, New York City has a rule for any plan that renews on its own or keeps billing until the customer stops it. Before anyone signs up, you have to show the price, how often you charge, the deadline to stop the next charge and how to cancel, right next to the sign-up button or signature line. Customers must be able to cancel the same way they joined, just as easily. If they joined at your front desk, they must also be able to cancel online or by email.
You also have to send reminders on a set schedule: 15 to 45 days before the cancel deadline on plans of a year or longer, 5 business days to 30 days before a price increase, and 3 to 21 days before a free trial longer than a month starts charging. Fines start at $525 per violation, and if you break the rule you owe back every charge made after the customer first tried to cancel.
This kit lays those rules out in plain words, with wording you can adapt and a log of what you sent and when.
- ✓Plain-English checklist of what changed, with the rule quoted word for word
- ✓Sign-up terms box and “how to cancel” wording to adapt, for online, paper and front-desk sign-ups, plus a front-desk sign
- ✓Customer notices: renewal reminder, price change, free trial ending, and cancellation confirmation
- ✓Staff checklist for handling cancel requests, including what not to say
- ✓Cancel and reminder log that works out each send window for you
Blank templates from the public rule. Not legal advice, and not filled in for your business. Covers the city rule only; New York State has its own automatic renewal law that this kit does not cover. English only.
- ✓Instant download after payment
- ✓Official sources listed in the kit
- ✓12-month re-download access
- ✓Secure checkout by Stripe
Key facts: NYC click-to-cancel rule
| Item | What the rule says | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Rule | 6 RCNY §§5-110 to 5-110.3, adopted by the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) | DCWP Notice of Adoption |
| In force since | October 1, 2026 (“This rule takes effect October 1, 2026.”) | Section 3 |
| Who it covers | Anyone offering an automatic renewal or continuous service to a consumer; exemptions in §5-110.3 (franchise holders, DFS-regulated entities, licensed alarm operators, banks and financial institutions, service-contract sellers) | §5-110.1(a), §5-110.3 |
| Renewal reminder | 15 to 45 days before the cancellation deadline, for initial paid terms of 1 year or more renewing for 6 months or more | §5-110.1(g) |
| Material change / price increase | At least 5 business days and no more than 30 days before the change | §5-110.1(h) |
| Free trial over 1 month | 3 to 21 days before the cancellation deadline for the first paid period | §5-110.1(i) |
| Penalties | $525 first, $1,050 second, $3,500 third and later violations (same amounts on default) | 6 RCNY §6-47 chart |
| Restitution | Amounts charged after the consumer’s first attempt to cancel | §5-110.2 |
Last verified October 10, 2026 against the DCWP Notice of Adoption PDF on nyc.gov.
Does the NYC click-to-cancel rule apply to my gym, studio or online subscription?
If you offer a plan that renews automatically or keeps billing until the customer cancels, to consumers, the rule covers you unless you fall in a §5-110.3 exemption. The free guide walks through the criteria in the rule text; it does not decide individual cases.
How easy does cancelling have to be?
Customers must be able to cancel through the same medium they used to sign up, and if they joined in person you must also offer an online way, such as a website or email (§5-110.1(c)–(d)). Obstructing or unreasonably delaying cancellation is banned (§5-110.1(e)).
When do I send renewal, price-change and free-trial reminders?
Renewals: 15–45 days before the cancel deadline. Material changes: 5 business days to 30 days before. Free trials over a month: 3–21 days before the first charge deadline. The kit’s log works out these windows for you; see also the free NYC click-to-cancel guide.
Frequently asked questions
Who does the NYC click-to-cancel rule apply to?
Any person that offers or provides an automatic renewal or a continuous service (a plan that keeps billing until the customer cancels) to a consumer (6 RCNY §5-110.1(a)). Gyms, studios, salons, tutoring, cleaning, coworking, meal plans and online subscriptions can all fall under it. §5-110.3 exempts franchise holders of a New York political subdivision, entities regulated by the Department of Financial Services, state-licensed alarm operators, banks, credit unions and other licensed financial institutions, and sellers of service contracts.
When did the NYC click-to-cancel rule take effect?
October 1, 2026. Section 3 of the adopted rule says: “This rule takes effect October 1, 2026.”
What do I have to show customers before they sign up?
Clearly and conspicuously, before asking for consent or billing details and right next to the consent request: a description of what renews, the cost, how often you charge, the deadline to act to stop further charges, and how to cancel. If there is a free trial, gift or temporary price, you must also explain how and when the price changes and what it will be (§5-110.1(b)).
If customers join at the front desk, do I have to let them cancel online?
Yes. Where consent was given in person, the business must offer cancellation through an online mechanism such as a website or email, in addition to an in-person method where practical (§5-110.1(d)). Customers must also be able to cancel through every medium you let them sign up through (§5-110.1(c) and (d)).
When do I have to send renewal and price-change reminders?
For plans with an initial term of one year or more that renew for six months or more: 15 to 45 days before the cancellation deadline (§5-110.1(g)). For any material change, including a price increase: 5 business days to 30 days before the change (§5-110.1(h)). For free trials longer than a month: 3 to 21 days before the cancellation deadline for the first paid period (§5-110.1(i)). Renewal and trial reminders must include instructions on how to cancel.
Can I still make a retention offer when someone cancels?
Only if it does not get in the way. §5-110.1(e) bans obstructing or unreasonably delaying cancellation, including hanging up on callers, giving false information about how to cancel, and discount or retention offers that impose unreasonable conditions on cancelling.
What are the penalties for breaking the NYC click-to-cancel rule?
The penalty schedule (6 RCNY §6-47) sets $525 for a first violation, $1,050 for a second and $3,500 for a third and later violations. Under §5-110.2, a business found in violation also owes the amounts it charged after the customer's first attempt to cancel.
Is this legal advice?
No. This page and the kit are general information and blank templates built from the public law. They are not legal advice, are not tailored to your business, and buying a kit does not create a lawyer-client relationship. For your own situation, ask a licensed attorney.
Official sources
- NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, Notice of Adoption: Click to Cancel (6 RCNY §§5-110 to 5-110.3 and §6-47)
- NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection: Click to Cancel (official overview)
Free guide: NYC click-to-cancel rule explained →
Law text checked against the official sources above on October 10, 2026. General information, not legal advice; laws and rules change, so check the current official text before you rely on it.
Who wrote this and how it was checked
Written and maintained by Astor Ventures. We publish template kits built from public law; we are not a law firm, and no attorney has reviewed this page.
- Last verified: , against the DCWP Notice of Adoption PDF (6 RCNY §§5-110 to 5-110.3) on nyc.gov.
- Next scheduled check: monthly while DCWP publishes guidance on the new rule, or sooner if the law changes.
- Found an error? Email [email protected] and we will correct the page and the kit.