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Cancellation button report, November 2026: 142 German subscription sites checked

More than four years after Germany introduced the cancellation button (§ 312k BGB, in force since 1 July 2022), on 4 November 2026 we checked the home pages of 142 German providers of subscriptions, memberships and fixed-term contracts. Only 21 use the statutory wording, 49 use a different label, and on 72 we found no cancellation link on the home page.

Results

  • 21 of 142 (15%) show "Verträge hier kündigen" on the home page, the wording in § 312k(2) BGB.
  • 49 of 142 (35%) use a different label, most often "Vertrag kündigen" (25 times) and "Abo kündigen" (10 times). The statute also allows "a corresponding unambiguous wording"; whether a variant is enough depends on the case.
  • 72 of 142 (51%): we found no cancellation link or button on the home page.

Eight more sites could not be checked (blocked, empty, or excluded by robots.txt).

By sector

  • Subscription boxes (coffee, food, pet food, contact lenses), 25 sites: 3 statutory wording, 5 variant, 17 no link found.
  • Newspapers and magazines, 22: 0 statutory wording, 10 variant, 12 no link found.
  • Gyms, 22: 4 statutory wording, 12 variant, 6 no link found.
  • Regional internet and phone providers, 28: 8 statutory wording, 15 variant, 5 no link found.
  • Online learning, language apps and cloud, 24: 5 statutory wording, 1 variant, 18 no link found.
  • Cinema passes and mobility, 21: 1 statutory wording, 6 variant, 14 no link found.

Telecom providers and gyms, both early targets of consumer groups and courts, are furthest along. The gap is widest among smaller subscription shops and digital subscriptions.

Method and limits

  • We checked the home page only: it is fully rendered and scrolled to the footer, then the text of every link and button is classified. No forms are filled in.
  • "No link found" does not by itself mean the law is broken. The button may sit elsewhere, for example only on sub-pages or in the customer account, and some offers fall outside § 312k BGB. The statute does require the button to be permanently available and directly and easily accessible; the footer of every page is the usual place.
  • The sample covers providers that publicly advertise subscriptions or fixed-term contracts. It is not representative of the whole market.
  • We repeat the check weekly on the same sites and keep a hash of each page as evidence. We do not name individual providers.

Why it matters now

On 16 July 2026 (I ZR 200/25) the Federal Court of Justice ruled that retention offers do not belong on the confirmation page. On 5 November 2026 it heard two cases on logins behind the button (I ZR 272/25, I ZR 275/25); the judgment is still pending. Both cases were brought by the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) and the Wettbewerbszentrale.

How to check your own site

  • Open your home page logged out, ideally on a phone, and scroll to the footer.
  • Does it say "Verträge hier kündigen" or something equally clear?
  • Does the link lead, without a login, to a confirmation page with the statutory fields and "jetzt kündigen"?
  • Does a confirmation with date and time arrive right away, for example by email?

Whether you need the button at all, our free check answers in a minute. Not legal advice; if in doubt, ask a lawyer.

Sources