Automatic renewal subscription

Do you close subscriptions with consumers? In the Netherlands, in general you are not allowed to automatically renew subscriptions. Automatic renewal means that the subscription continues without informing the subscriber. The Netherlands has legal rules for renewal and cancellation. You may not deviate from these rules in your general terms and conditions.

Subscriptions with consumers

Does a consumer have a subscription with you for a fixed period? After the initial contract period, you are not allowed to automatically renew your client's subscription for a fixed term agreement. The subscription must:

• stop automatically, or
• automatically continue for an indefinite period of time and the consumer can cancel it at any moment with, at most, a month's notice.

Cancellation must be easy

Consumers must be able to cancel their subscription easily if the subscription is renewed automatically:

• You are allowed to force consumers to cancel the agreement at a specific time.
• Consumers must be able to cancel their agreement in exactly the same way as they signed up for it.

Business subscriptions

Do you close subscriptions (agreements) with small businesses (business-to-business, B2B)? In that case, the general rules on (purchase) agreements from Books 6 and 7 of the Dutch Civil Code (Burgerlijk Wetboek) apply. You may incorporate these rules into the agreement and in your general terms and conditions.

Automatic renewal business telecom plan

After automatic renewal, small businesses may terminate their plan for telephone or internet without any costs at any moment after the contract period has expired. However, they must observe a one-month notice period.

Subscription to newspapers, magazines and periodicals

• After the initial contract period you may renew the subscription automatically by a period of 3 months at the most. You must always give consumers the possibility to cancel the subscription with a month's notice. For business subscriptions the general terms and conditions drawn up by the vendor apply.
• If you renew a subscription automatically to an indefinite subscription, a 1-month notice period applies. For magazines or periodicals that are published less than once a month, a 3-month notice period applies.
• Trial subscriptions end after the agreed trial period.