Russia Bans Automatic Charges After Subscription Cancellation

Amendments to consumer protection legislation in Russia now regulate online subscriptions and recurring payment systems. According to Rospotrebnadzor, services can no longer charge funds using previously saved payment details once a user has officially opted out of the service. This is reported by Ixbt.com reports .

The new rules apply to all services operating on a subscription model, such as streaming platforms, applications, cloud storage, and electronic document management systems. Companies are required to provide users with the ability to cancel subscriptions electronically and must cease all payment attempts thereafter.

Furthermore, consumers now have the right to cancel a service at any time, including after receiving a notification about an upcoming payment. If funds are deducted after a user has cancelled their subscription, the company must provide a full refund.

This rule excludes payments only for the period during which the service was actually used. In all other cases, services cannot use a user's bank card details for payments without their consent.