Baird HallSubscription cancellation in Canada is governed province by province, and the rules differ. Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia each set their own terms for auto-renewal and cancellation, with the federal Competition Act on top.
This guide summarizes each one and links to a full breakdown, then shows how to keep a single cancel flow compliant everywhere you sell.
A quick note
This is a practical guide, not legal advice. Several provinces are updating these rules through 2026 and beyond. Confirm your setup with counsel for the provinces you operate in.
How to comply across Canada
These obligations recur across the provinces. Meeting all of them keeps you compliant in most of Canada.
Know which provinces you sell in. The rules follow where your customer lives, so map your customer base first.
Get consent and give notice for renewals. Disclose renewal terms upfront and, where required, notify customers before a contract renews.
Let customers cancel anytime, online. Provinces like Quebec and BC require an easy exit with no penalties.
Show the full price. Disclose mandatory fees upfront to avoid drip pricing under the Competition Act.
Confirm cancellations in writing. Send a record of the cancellation and its effective date.
The rules across Canada
Ontario
Today, a business must give written notice at least one month before an auto-renewal. The new Consumer Protection Act, 2023 goes further, requiring express consent to renew and banning barriers to cancelling a subscription. The supporting regulations are still pending.
Quebec
Quebec is the strictest. For contracts longer than 60 days, auto-renewal is only allowed on an open-ended basis, and the consumer can cancel at any time. Recent reforms added penalties and higher fines.
British Columbia
New rules taking effect in 2026 let consumers cancel a renewal at any time, before or after the renewal date, without fees or penalties.
Alberta
Alberta targets negative-option billing. Businesses that keep charging at each renewal must present the renewal terms clearly and upfront at the time of purchase.
Federal: the Competition Act
On top of provincial law, the federal Competition Act bans deceptive marketing. Hiding auto-renewal terms, making cancellation unreasonably hard, or drip pricing can all be treated as unfair practices, and the Competition Bureau is enforcing them.
Why it matters for subscription businesses
A cancel flow that satisfies one province can breach another. Quebec lets customers cancel anytime, while Ontario turns on advance notice, so a single rigid flow leaves you exposed somewhere. The rules are also tightening across provinces through 2026, which raises the cost of getting it wrong.
Enforcement and fines
Quebec now issues administrative monetary penalties for observable breaches, and a court there approved a $1.3 million fine over price practices. Federally, the Competition Bureau is pursuing drip pricing. Enforcement is active and growing.
Who does it apply to?
Provincial rules apply based on where your customer lives, not where your business is based. If you sell subscriptions to consumers in a Canadian province, that province's law applies to you.
How Churnkey helps you stay compliant and reduce churn
Churnkey offers a Cancel Flow that is compliant and retains customers, two outcomes that are hard to balance at once.
Getting started is easy, with an SDK, an embedded option, or a self-serve hosted page.
Its automatic compliance detects each customer's location and shows the right cancel option for their province.
You can segment by region so each province sees relevant copy, and A/B test flows to find what saves revenue. Before a customer confirms, Churnkey can offer a pause or discount through Adaptive Offers, while leaving them free to cancel. On average, companies using Churnkey save 20 to 40% of the revenue they would otherwise lose to churn.
Churnkey is GDPR compliant and SOC 2 Type II certified. It supports compliance with cancellation rules like these, but does not replace legal review.
FAQ
Do Canada's auto-renewal rules apply to my business?
If you sell subscriptions to consumers in a Canadian province, that province's consumer protection law applies, wherever your business is based. The federal Competition Act applies on top.
What does Ontario require?
Written notice at least one month before an auto-renewal today. Ontario's new Consumer Protection Act, 2023 will require express consent to renew and ban barriers to cancelling, once its regulations are finalized. See our Ontario guide.
What does Quebec require?
For contracts longer than 60 days, auto-renewal is only allowed open-ended, and consumers can cancel at any time. Recent reforms added penalties and higher fines. See our Quebec guide.
What does British Columbia require?
Under rules taking effect in 2026, consumers can cancel a renewal at any time, before or after the renewal date, with no fees. See our British Columbia guide.
Can my business be fined?
Yes. Quebec issues administrative penalties and has seen fines over $1 million, and the federal Competition Bureau pursues deceptive marketing and drip pricing.
Does a confirmation step or retention offer break the rules?
No. The rules require that cancelling be easy and available. They do not forbid a confirmation step or a relevant offer the customer can decline. Avoid anything that hides, blocks, or complicates completing the cancellation.
How can Churnkey help across provinces?
Churnkey detects each customer's location and shows the right cancel option for their province, in one hosted flow set up without code. You can present a fair offer before the customer confirms while leaving them free to cancel. It supports compliance with rules like these, but does not replace legal review.