“3-Click” Termination: Application and Steps

Pursuant to the Law of 16 August 2022 on an emergency measure for the protection of purchasing power, consumers can now terminate their contract with a trader online. This provision shall apply to contracts which may be concluded by electronic means. It concerns both future and ongoing contracts.

Termination “in 3 clicks” allows consumers to move towards more advantageous contracts for their purchasing power.

It applies to all consumer contracts, thus including contracts concluded with:

• electricity or gas suppliers;
• telephone or internet operators;
• transport companies;
• the sports rooms;
• dating sites;
• publishers of newspapers and online media.

Click-by-click termination

1^erclick

First, the consumer clicks on the “terminate your contract” feature. It must be legible and easily accessible. Any other formula used must be unambiguous.

The trader may inform the consumer in a legible and comprehensible manner of the information concerning the conditions of the termination (notice period, termination indemnity, consequences of termination).

In order to identify the contract to be terminated, information shall be transmitted or confirmed:

• the name and forename of the consumer, or if the contract has been concluded with a legal person, his name or business name;
• the consumer's e-mail address or, failing that, postal address (allows the trader to confirm receipt of the notice of termination);
• the references used to identify the holder and the contract concerned (customer or contract number);
• the desired termination date, subject to applicable legal or contractual provisions;
• Where the contract relates to an electronic communications service, the line or lines concerned by that termination.

2^emeclick

After completing this first step, the consumer accesses a termination summary page. This enables the Commission to verify and, where appropriate, modify the information provided.

3^emeclick

Finally, the consumer notifies the termination of the contract by clicking on the readable feature called “notice of termination”. Another unambiguous formula may also be used.

This feature must be directly accessible from the Termination Summary page.

On receipt of such notification, the trader shall then confirm receipt of such notification to the consumer and shall inform the consumer, within a reasonable time, of the date on which the contract ends and of the effects of the termination.