[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":342},["ShallowReactive",2],{"/guides/canada-subscription-cancellation-law":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"articleSection":6,"author":7,"body":8,"category":6,"cta":322,"ctaBody":323,"ctaTitle":324,"dateModified":324,"datePublished":325,"description":326,"draft":327,"extension":328,"hideCover":329,"image":330,"meta":331,"navigation":329,"ogImage":324,"path":332,"readTime":333,"seo":334,"sidebarCta":335,"stem":338,"tags":339,"wordCount":340,"__hash__":341},"guides/guides/canada-subscription-cancellation-law.md","Canada subscription cancellation law: auto-renewal rules by province","Compliance","baird",{"type":9,"value":10,"toc":296},"minimark",[11,15,18,31,36,39,83,87,100,111,122,131,148,152,155,159,168,172,175,179,182,203,212,221,234,238,242,245,249,255,259,265,269,275,279,282,286,289,293],[12,13,14],"p",{},"Subscription 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.",[12,16,17],{},"This guide summarizes each one and links to a full breakdown, then shows how to keep a single cancel flow compliant everywhere you sell.",[19,20,22,28],"article-action-card",{"variant":21},"yellow",[12,23,24],{},[25,26,27],"strong",{},"A quick note",[12,29,30],{},"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.",[32,33,35],"h2",{"id":34},"how-to-comply-across-canada","How to comply across Canada",[12,37,38],{},"These obligations recur across the provinces. Meeting all of them keeps you compliant in most of Canada.",[40,41,42,51,59,67,75],"article-checklist",{},[43,44,45],"article-checklist-item",{},[12,46,47,50],{},[25,48,49],{},"Know which provinces you sell in."," The rules follow where your customer lives, so map your customer base first.",[43,52,53],{},[12,54,55,58],{},[25,56,57],{},"Get consent and give notice for renewals."," Disclose renewal terms upfront and, where required, notify customers before a contract renews.",[43,60,61],{},[12,62,63,66],{},[25,64,65],{},"Let customers cancel anytime, online."," Provinces like Quebec and BC require an easy exit with no penalties.",[43,68,69],{},[12,70,71,74],{},[25,72,73],{},"Show the full price."," Disclose mandatory fees upfront to avoid drip pricing under the Competition Act.",[43,76,77],{},[12,78,79,82],{},[25,80,81],{},"Confirm cancellations in writing."," Send a record of the cancellation and its effective date.",[32,84,86],{"id":85},"the-rules-across-canada","The rules across Canada",[88,89,92,97],"article-link-card",{"href":90,"link-text":91},"/guides/ontario-consumer-protection-act","Read the full Ontario guide",[93,94,96],"h3",{"id":95},"ontario","Ontario",[12,98,99],{},"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.",[88,101,104,108],{"href":102,"link-text":103},"/guides/quebec-consumer-protection-act","Read the full Quebec guide",[93,105,107],{"id":106},"quebec","Quebec",[12,109,110],{},"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.",[88,112,115,119],{"href":113,"link-text":114},"/guides/bc-subscription-cancellation-rules","Read the full British Columbia guide",[93,116,118],{"id":117},"british-columbia","British Columbia",[12,120,121],{},"New rules taking effect in 2026 let consumers cancel a renewal at any time, before or after the renewal date, without fees or penalties.",[88,123,124,128],{},[93,125,127],{"id":126},"alberta","Alberta",[12,129,130],{},"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.",[88,132,133,137],{},[93,134,136],{"id":135},"federal-the-competition-act","Federal: the Competition Act",[12,138,139,140,147],{},"On top of provincial law, the federal ",[141,142,146],"a",{"href":143,"rel":144},"https://competition-bureau.canada.ca/deceptive-marketing-practices/types-deceptive-marketing-practices/drip-pricing",[145],"nofollow","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.",[32,149,151],{"id":150},"why-it-matters-for-subscription-businesses","Why it matters for subscription businesses",[12,153,154],{},"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.",[32,156,158],{"id":157},"enforcement-and-fines","Enforcement and fines",[12,160,161,162,167],{},"Quebec now issues administrative monetary penalties for observable breaches, and a court there approved a ",[141,163,166],{"href":164,"rel":165},"https://ca.marketscreener.com/news/quebec-court-approves-nearly-1-3-million-fine-relating-to-price-advertising-practices-ce7e5ddfdc8ef724",[145],"$1.3 million fine"," over price practices. Federally, the Competition Bureau is pursuing drip pricing. Enforcement is active and growing.",[32,169,171],{"id":170},"who-does-it-apply-to","Who does it apply to?",[12,173,174],{},"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.",[32,176,178],{"id":177},"how-churnkey-helps-you-stay-compliant-and-reduce-churn","How Churnkey helps you stay compliant and reduce churn",[12,180,181],{},"Churnkey offers a Cancel Flow that is compliant and retains customers, two outcomes that are hard to balance at once.",[12,183,184,185,190,191,196,197,202],{},"Getting started is easy, with an ",[141,186,189],{"href":187,"rel":188},"https://sdk.churnkey.co/",[145],"SDK",", an ",[141,192,195],{"href":193,"rel":194},"https://docs.churnkey.co/cancel-flows/quick-start-guide",[145],"embedded option",", or a ",[141,198,201],{"href":199,"rel":200},"https://churnkey.co/feature/hosted-cancel-flows",[145],"self-serve hosted page",".",[12,204,205,206,211],{},"Its ",[141,207,210],{"href":208,"rel":209},"https://docs.churnkey.co/cancel-flows/click-to-cancel",[145],"automatic compliance"," detects each customer's location and shows the right cancel option for their province.",[12,213,214,215,220],{},"You can segment by region so each province sees relevant copy, and ",[141,216,219],{"href":217,"rel":218},"https://docs.churnkey.co/cancel-flows/a-b-testing",[145],"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.",[12,222,223,224,228,229,233],{},"Churnkey is ",[141,225,227],{"href":226},"/legal/gdpr","GDPR compliant"," and ",[141,230,232],{"href":231},"/blog/soc-2-certified/","SOC 2 Type II certified",". It supports compliance with cancellation rules like these, but does not replace legal review.",[32,235,237],{"id":236},"faq","FAQ",[93,239,241],{"id":240},"do-canadas-auto-renewal-rules-apply-to-my-business","Do Canada's auto-renewal rules apply to my business?",[12,243,244],{},"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.",[93,246,248],{"id":247},"what-does-ontario-require","What does Ontario require?",[12,250,251,252,202],{},"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 ",[141,253,254],{"href":90},"Ontario guide",[93,256,258],{"id":257},"what-does-quebec-require","What does Quebec require?",[12,260,261,262,202],{},"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 ",[141,263,264],{"href":102},"Quebec guide",[93,266,268],{"id":267},"what-does-british-columbia-require","What does British Columbia require?",[12,270,271,272,202],{},"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 ",[141,273,274],{"href":113},"British Columbia guide",[93,276,278],{"id":277},"can-my-business-be-fined","Can my business be fined?",[12,280,281],{},"Yes. Quebec issues administrative penalties and has seen fines over $1 million, and the federal Competition Bureau pursues deceptive marketing and drip pricing.",[93,283,285],{"id":284},"does-a-confirmation-step-or-retention-offer-break-the-rules","Does a confirmation step or retention offer break the rules?",[12,287,288],{},"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.",[93,290,292],{"id":291},"how-can-churnkey-help-across-provinces","How can Churnkey help across provinces?",[12,294,295],{},"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.",{"title":297,"searchDepth":298,"depth":298,"links":299},"",3,[300,302,309,310,311,312,313],{"id":34,"depth":301,"text":35},2,{"id":85,"depth":301,"text":86,"children":303},[304,305,306,307,308],{"id":95,"depth":298,"text":96},{"id":106,"depth":298,"text":107},{"id":117,"depth":298,"text":118},{"id":126,"depth":298,"text":127},{"id":135,"depth":298,"text":136},{"id":150,"depth":301,"text":151},{"id":157,"depth":301,"text":158},{"id":170,"depth":301,"text":171},{"id":177,"depth":301,"text":178},{"id":236,"depth":301,"text":237,"children":314},[315,316,317,318,319,320,321],{"id":240,"depth":298,"text":241},{"id":247,"depth":298,"text":248},{"id":257,"depth":298,"text":258},{"id":267,"depth":298,"text":268},{"id":277,"depth":298,"text":278},{"id":284,"depth":298,"text":285},{"id":291,"depth":298,"text":292},"demo","Build one cancel flow that adapts to each Canadian province and keeps more of the customers you have. See it on your own subscriptions in a short walkthrough.",null,"2026-07-01","What Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and federal law require for subscription cancellation, and how to keep one cancel flow compliant across all of them.",false,"md",true,"/images/cky-catalogue/covers/og-subscription-pauses.png",{},"/guides/canada-subscription-cancellation-law","8 min read",{"title":5,"description":326},{"title":336,"body":337},"Compliant cancel flows with Churnkey","One cancel flow that adapts to each Canadian province and saves **20–40%** of the revenue you'd otherwise lose to churn.","guides/canada-subscription-cancellation-law",[6],1000,"mTwAkRZGR-2pGgpUiSAkLHCy4cQmiaGaDKDGfN4qYk4",1784169485288]