Auto-renewal
Auto-renewal is a contract term that starts a new contract period automatically unless you cancel before a deadline.
Auto-renewal is a term that renews a contract or subscription for another period at the end of the current one, unless you cancel in time. Sellers also call it automatic or continuous renewal, and US regulators call it a form of “negative option”, where your silence is treated as consent to be charged.
Example: a 12-month plan renewing on 1 January 2027 that needs 30 days’ notice must be cancelled by 2 December 2026, or you may be tied in for another year.
UK: the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 contains new subscription rules, including reminder notices before a free trial or a 12-month-plus contract renews and 14 days to cancel after it renews. In its response of 2 April 2026, the government says it anticipates the regime will commence in spring 2027, so these rights do not apply yet.
US: the FTC’s 2024 “click-to-cancel” rule was vacated by the Eighth Circuit on 8 July 2025, and the FTC opened new rulemaking in March 2026. The Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act still requires online sellers to disclose terms, get express informed consent and provide simple ways to stop recurring charges.
Find the renewal date and notice deadline in a contract PDF with the contract date extractor.