New York City’s Click to Cancel rule takes effect on October 1, 2026. If you sell auto-renewing daycare packages, grooming bundles, or memberships to NYC clients, canceling has to be as easy as signing up. That’s true even when the client signed up at your front desk.

Here’s what the rule says, how it compares to California and Colorado, and what to change before your clients notice.

What is NYC’s Click to Cancel rule?

It’s a rule from the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) that covers automatic renewals and ongoing subscriptions sold to NYC consumers. The city sums it up this way: if you can sign up with a click, you must be able to cancel with one.

The rule asks for three main things:

1. Canceling is as simple as signing up. Clients must be able to cancel through the same channels they used to enroll.
2. Terms are clear up front. Subscription terms and cancellation rights have to be disclosed before someone signs up.
3. No roadblocks. Businesses can’t hide the cancel option, add unreasonable conditions, hang up on cancel calls, or drag their feet on processing.

Does it apply to pet care businesses?

If you sell recurring packages or memberships to NYC consumers, it very likely does. The rule covers subscriptions for both goods and services, and it has no general exemption for small businesses. The listed exemptions are mostly financial institutions, alarm companies, and service contract sellers.

Common examples in pet care:

• Monthly daycare packages that renew automatically
• Unlimited daycare or play memberships
• Recurring grooming plans
• Training packages that bill on a schedule

My clients sign up at the front desk. Does this still apply?

Yes. This is the part most pet care owners miss. When a client signs up in person, the rule says you must also give them an online way to cancel, such as a website or email. Having them call, or come back to the front desk, isn’t enough on its own.

Can I still try to keep a client who wants to cancel?

Yes, within limits. NYC allows a discounted offer, a retention benefit, or information about what canceling means, as long as it doesn’t put unreasonable conditions on canceling or slow it down.

In practice, that means a kind message or a save offer is fine. Making someone sit through three screens of offers before they can leave isn’t.

What reminders and notices does the rule require?

The rule also sets timing for a few notices:

Notice	When it’s due
Renewal reminder for subscriptions with a term of one year or more	15 to 45 days before the cancellation deadline*
A material change to the subscription, like a price increase	5 to 30 days before the change takes effect*
First charge after a free trial longer than one month	3 to 21 days before the cancellation deadline*

What happens if a business doesn’t comply?

DCWP enforces the rule. Civil penalties start at $525 for a first violation and rise to $3,500 for a third or later violation.** Each misleading statement or missing disclosure can count as a separate violation. Clients can also file complaints through 311 starting October 1.

How does NYC compare to California and Colorado?

	NYC	California	Colorado
In effect	October 1, 2026	July 1, 2025	February 16, 2026
Online cancel required	Yes, including for in-person sign-ups	Yes, if the client signed up online	Yes, if the contract was signed online
Save offers	Allowed if they don’t obstruct canceling	Allowed next to a prominent cancel button	Allowed if the cancel link stays visible

New York State has its own automatic renewal law, which still allows cancellation by phone. The stricter NYC rule applies inside the city. There’s no federal click-to-cancel rule right now. The FTC’s 2025 rule was struck down in court before it took effect.

What should pet care businesses do before October 1?

1. List every recurring offer. Packages, memberships, and anything else that renews or bills on a schedule.
2. Check how clients sign up. Online, in the app, at the front desk, or over the phone. Each path needs a cancel option that’s just as easy.
3. Add an online cancel option. This is required for NYC clients who signed up in person.
4. Rewrite your terms. Make renewal dates, prices, and how to cancel clear before anyone signs up.
5. Set up reminders. Especially for annual memberships and price changes.
6. Write a kind cancel message. A short note thanking the client, or reminding them of visits left, keeps the door open without getting in the way.

How RunLoyal helps

RunLoyal’s Subscription Compliance settings let pet parents cancel recurring packages and memberships on their own, from your Pet Owner App or Client Portal. You turn it on separately for packages and memberships, and you write the message pet parents see before they confirm. It lives in your Business Portal under Settings, then Operations, then Subscription Compliance. See the setup guide for step-by-step instructions.

See how it works

This article is a plain-English summary for general information, not legal advice. Talk to your attorney about how these rules apply to your business.

*Notice windows as stated in the DCWP rule. See the DCWP Notice of Adoption and Skadden’s summary.

**Penalty amounts from NYC’s Click to Cancel page and Skadden’s summary, as of September 2026.