The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Bill is set to shake up the rules around subscription cancellations – and that means changes ahead for publishers and membership organisations.
Now’s the time to review your processes to stay compliant and keep your customer experience smooth and stress-free. But what does that actually mean in practice? Here’s a quick rundown of the new requirements:
Clear terms up front
When customers sign up, the key facts need to stand tall. Auto renewal, payment frequency, cancellation steps and trial end dates must all be crystal clear from the start. No fine print tricks.
Cooling off rights
Everyone has the right to change their mind. Customers can cancel and get a full refund within 14 days of signing up. They can do the same at every renewal point too, even after free or discounted trials.
Reminder notices
No surprises. You need to send reminders before a trial ends, before a renewal starts and then at regular intervals. Every six months is a good rule of thumb.
Easy cancellations
Cancelling should be as easy as signing up. There must be a clear online option and confirmation should be sent quickly. That means within 24 hours for online cancellations, or within three working days for other routes.
Systems and integrity
Your systems must be able to capture, store and share this information in a durable format like email or PDF. What you say and what you do must be aligned.
At its heart, the Bill is about protecting consumers and making subscription models more transparent. But it’s also a chance to build more trust with your audience – by making it genuinely easy for them to leave (and more likely to come back).
And you can bet that we’re already on the case. We’re working closely with the PPA and keeping a keen eye on how implementation of the Bill develops, so we can support our clients every step of the way. Our job is to help you stay compliant without disruption – and to make sure your customer relationships stay strong through the changes.
We’ll keep sharing updates as things progress. In the meantime, if you’re not sure what this means for your set-up, just shout. We’re here to help you navigate.
