Terms and conditions for a subscription box business

A subscription box business depends on renewals and is damaged by chargebacks from customers who forgot they signed up. The terms have to make the renewal, the price and the cancellation route plain at sign-up, deal with the cancellation right on the first box, describe curated contents accurately, and handle skipping, pausing, price changes and gifts. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Subscription box, replenishment and membership box businesses in England and Wales sending curated or recurring products to consumers monthly or at other intervals, including gift subscriptions bought by one person for another.

What matters in subscription box terms

Renewals and the cancellation route

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 treats an automatic renewal that was not made clear as unfair, and further rules for subscription contracts are being introduced under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. The terms should state the billing interval, the renewal date, the price, the cut-off for changes, and a cancellation route as simple as the sign-up, and the checkout should show the same. A customer who can find how to cancel is less likely to contact their card issuer.

The first box and the right to cancel

A subscription bought online is a distance contract under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, with a fourteen-day cancellation right from receipt of the first box, unless the contents are perishable, sealed hygiene items or personalised, in which case the terms should say which exclusions in regulation 28 apply. The cancellation right covers the contract, so the terms should say what is refunded for the first box and how returns work, and that later boxes are governed by the subscription's own cancellation terms.

Curated contents and substitutions

Where the customer does not choose the contents, the terms should describe what a box contains (the number and type of items, a stated minimum value), say that items may be substituted with equivalents where stock runs out, and that themes and brands shown are examples. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the goods must match their description, so the description should promise only what every box will deliver.

Skipping, pausing, price changes and delivery

The terms should say how a customer skips or pauses, the deadline for doing so before a box ships, that price changes take effect from the next renewal after notice with the customer free to cancel first, and that delivery dates are estimates with boxes left in a safe place at the customer's risk as instructed. Goods are at the business's risk until received under section 29 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and a lost box is resupplied or refunded.

Gifts, payment and data

Gift subscriptions should state who the contract is with, that the gift ends after the stated number of boxes without renewing unless the recipient signs up, and how the recipient's data is handled. Prices shown must include all mandatory charges, card payments cannot carry a surcharge under the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012, and failed payments should lead to a retry and then suspension. The account data and any marketing consent are governed by the privacy notice and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

A customer says they never agreed to a recurring charge and has done a chargeback. What protects us?

The sign-up record: the price, interval and renewal shown at checkout, the customer's confirmation, and the cancellation route in the account. The terms cannot substitute for a clear checkout, which is why they and the checkout should say the same thing.

Can we refuse a refund for a box that has already shipped?

For a renewal box shipped after the cut-off the customer had notice of, the terms can say the box is not refundable. For the first box, the fourteen-day cancellation right applies unless an exclusion does.

A gift subscription ran out and we renewed it on the giver's card. Is that allowed?

Only if the giver agreed to a renewing subscription at purchase. Gift subscriptions should end after the stated boxes, and the terms should say so; renewing without agreement is the kind of practice the 2024 Act targets.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for a coffee subscription business
• Terms and conditions for a meal prep and meal kit business

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.