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Amira van Weegen

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What's changing starting June 19, 2026

Revocation vs. Termination: Understanding the Difference

When does the right of withdrawal apply to subscriptions in anny?

What happens if the subscription has already been used?

What to include in your legal documents with anny

The recommended checkout checkbox

Checklist: Are you ready for June 2026?

June 10, 2026

The Cancellation Button from June 2026: What Online Subscription Providers Need to Know Now

4 min. read

Introduction

Starting June 19, 2026, a new legal requirement will apply to everyone who allows contracts to be concluded online: Anyone enabling consumers to enter into distance contracts via an online user interface must also provide an electronic withdrawal function – the so-called "withdrawal button".

For online subscription providers, this means it's time to take action – not just technically, but legally as well. This article explains what is changing, what you as a provider need to do specifically, and how you can seamlessly manage withdrawals, cancellations, and refunds for your subscription model.

What's changing starting June 19, 2026

With the new Section 356a of the German Civil Code (BGB), the cancellation button becomes mandatory. Specifically, this means: If consumers can conclude a contract via your online interface, cancelling it must be just as easy and digitally accessible for them.

Crucial to understand: The cancellation button does not replace your cancellation policy. It is an additional technical requirement – a kind of digital return counter that you must actively provide to your customers.

Generally, you are affected if:

you sell subscriptions or memberships online to private individuals
the contract conclusion takes place entirely through a website, app, or online portal
it is a distance selling contract, meaning there is no simultaneous physical presence of the contract parties

Purely B2B contracts or contracts concluded entirely on-site are generally not affected. If you are unsure, we highly recommend a brief individual legal check.

Revocation vs. Termination: Understanding the Difference

These two terms are often used interchangeably—but legally, they are two completely different processes. And getting them mixed up can become quite expensive.

Cancellation means: An active subscription is terminated for the future. The notice period of the respective contract determines when the subscription expires. For example, a monthly subscription can be cancelled at the end of the month.

Revocation means: The customer withdraws from the entire contract shortly after conclusion. The contract is reversed, and any paid amounts must generally be refunded. The right of revocation only applies within a specific period, usually 14 days from contract conclusion.

For you as a provider, this means: Both periods must be regulated separately and communicated clearly—in your T&Cs, in the revocation policy, and during checkout.

When does the right of withdrawal apply to subscriptions in anny?

The legal right of withdrawal is always relevant when a subscription is sold online to a private individual. Typical real-world examples include:

A private individual signs up for a coworking membership online
A member books a paid club subscription with specific benefits online
A customer purchases a studio or course subscription online
Someone purchases access to a community or membership area online

Pure B2B contracts are generally not affected, meaning cases where your customer is a business signing up for the subscription for commercial purposes. Contracts concluded entirely on-site are also usually exempt.

What happens if the subscription has already been used?

This brings us to a question that many providers ask themselves: Do I have to refund the full amount, even if the customer has already used the subscription?

The short answer: No, but only under certain conditions.

For services, a provider can demand proportional compensation for value already delivered. This requires that the customer explicitly agreed, before the service began, for the service to start during the cancellation period and that they were informed about the compensation.

A real-world example: You sell a monthly subscription for €120, and the cancellation period is 14 days. A new customer starts the subscription immediately and cancels after 5 days. In this case, the period already used (5 out of 30 days = approx. €20) is withheld proportionally. The remaining amount of approx. €100 is refunded.

In practice, this means:

If the customer has not used the subscription at all, a full refund is the way to go.
If the customer has partially used the subscription, a partial refund is possible.
This always requires the appropriate legal documentation and consent during checkout.

What to include in your legal documents with anny

To ensure that your pro-rata refunds are legally compliant and you stay fully protected, we highly recommend covering the following points in your cancellation policy, terms and conditions (T&Cs), and checkout process:

Required Point	What You Need to Define
Right of Withdrawal	Clear information on whether and for how long a right of withdrawal exists
Start of Withdrawal Period	For services: from the conclusion of the contract, provided proper instruction has been given
Consent to Start of Service	Explicit confirmation that the service starts immediately
Notice of Compensation	Information that pro-rata compensation is due in the event of usage
Refund Calculation	Transparent explanation of how the pro-rata refund is calculated
Separation of Withdrawal / Termination	Clear distinction between both procedures in all documents

The recommended checkout checkbox

If your subscription is ready to use immediately after checkout, you need raw, explicit consent from your customers. Without this agreement, billing for a prorated period is not legally watertight.

Here is a proven formula for your checkbox:

"I explicitly request that the provider begins delivering the service before the end of the cancellation period. I am aware that in the event of a cancellation, I owe compensation for the services already rendered up to the time of cancellation, and the unused period will be refunded on a pro-rata basis."

This wording is a simplified suggestion—please have it legally reviewed and tailored to your specific offer before use.

Here is how anny supports you

anny is a booking system designed for businesses offering spaces, courses, memberships, or other recurring services – such as coworking spaces, fitness studios, associations, or class providers. With anny, providers can make their offerings bookable online and manage subscription models directly, from contract signing to billing.

This is directly relevant to the topic of the right of withdrawal: In anny, you can store an individual withdrawal period for each subscription plan, completely independent of the regular notice period. If a withdrawal period is set up, new customers can cancel directly within this period. The unused period will then be refunded proportionally.

What anny handles for you:

Management of the withdrawal period per subscription plan
Pro-rata refund calculation upon withdrawal
Separation of withdrawal period and cancellation period

What remains your responsibility:

The legal drafting of your cancellation policy and terms and conditions
The correct setup of the periods matching your business model
The consent query during checkout

anny provides the technical foundation, but this does not replace a legal review of your contractual terms.

Checklist: Are you ready for June 2026?

Go through these points; they will help you quickly assess where you still need to take action:

Your subscription is sold online to consumers
An electronic cancellation function (cancellation button) is set up
Your cancellation policy is up-to-date and complete
In the checkout, there is consent to the immediate start of the service
Your customers are informed about the potential compensation value
The cancellation period is correctly stored in anny
Cancellation and termination are clearly separated in your documents

Summary & Key Takeaways

Anyone selling subscriptions or memberships online faces a new requirement starting June 19, 2026: the withdrawal button. But that is just the visible part—behind it lies an entire system of withdrawal instructions, checkout consent, compensation, and pro-rata refunds that must be seamlessly coordinated.

The great news: With anny, you already have the technical foundation ready at hand. What is still needed now is the legal side—meaning the review of your Terms and Conditions, your withdrawal policy, and your checkout process.

If you are unsure where to begin, start with the checklist above. And for everything that goes beyond, we highly recommend seeking individual legal advice.

Not using anny yet? Then discover in a personal, no-obligation demo how you can easily and clearly manage subscriptions, withdrawal periods, and notice periods with anny: Book your demo now.

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Sources: BGB §§ 356, 356a, 357; Consumer Advice Center on the withdrawal button; Noerr on the new § 356a BGB; IHK information on the right of withdrawal for services.

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