Cancel a contract in Germany: phone, internet and gym
Cancel a phone, internet or gym contract in Germany: notice after the minimum term, the online cancellation button, email in Textform and German examples.
Quick answer
To cancel a phone, internet, gym or similar subscription in Germany, send a Kündigung that reaches the provider before the notice deadline. Email is usually enough: in consumer contracts concluded from 1 October 2016, standard terms cannot require more than text form (Textform). After the minimum term, phone and internet contracts can be ended at any time with one month’s notice, and most gym and other contracts concluded from 1 March 2022 can too. If the provider sells online, use its cancellation button (“Verträge hier kündigen”). Always ask for written confirmation of the end date.
| Who it’s for | Consumers ending a phone, internet, streaming, gym or similar subscription in Germany |
| After the minimum term | Phone and internet: one month’s notice (§ 56 TKG); most contracts from 1 March 2022: at most one month |
| Form | Text form is usually enough: email, the cancellation button or a letter |
| Online button | Required where consumers can conclude the paid contract on the website (§ 312k BGB) |
| What to ask for | Confirmation of receipt and the exact end date; instructions for returning equipment |
| Common mistakes | Only stopping the direct debit, missing the deadline, saving a cancellation without submitting it |
This guide covers ordinary cancellation (ordentliche Kündigung) of consumer subscriptions in Germany. Tenancies, employment and financial services, including insurance, follow other rules: see our guides to tenant letters, resigning from a job and cancelling insurance. Cancelling a contract (Kündigung), withdrawing from a new contract within 14 days (Widerruf) and revoking a payment mandate are three separate steps.
Check the minimum term and notice period
Find the contract start date, the minimum term (Mindestlaufzeit), the notice period and the date by which your cancellation must reach the provider. For phone and internet contracts, the initial term may not exceed 24 months; once the contract has been extended, § 56 TKG lets you cancel at any time with one month’s notice. For gyms, streaming and other regular services concluded on or after 1 March 2022, § 309 No. 9 BGB generally allows standard terms to extend the contract only indefinitely, with at most one month’s notice, and limits the notice before the end of the initial term to one month. Contracts concluded earlier can still have up to three months’ notice. Check equipment returns, separate device financing and number porting too: ending the service does not settle them automatically.
Use the cancellation button when it applies
If consumers can conclude a paid continuing contract on a provider’s website, § 312k BGB requires a clearly labelled cancellation button (“Verträge hier kündigen” or similar wording). The contract itself need not have been concluded online. The button must be permanently available, easy to find and lead straight to a confirmation page. There you identify yourself and the contract, choose the type of cancellation and the end date, and submit it with a “jetzt kündigen” button. The provider must then confirm receipt immediately in text form, including the end date. Save that confirmation: a cancellation you saved but did not submit, or a request for a call back, does not end the contract.
Prepare an ordinary cancellation
If you write an email or letter instead, include your name, address, customer and contract numbers and the service you are ending. The example cancels at the earliest permitted date, so you do not have to calculate the end date yourself, and it does not claim any right to leave immediately. Add your address, the provider’s cancellation address and the date, replace every placeholder and ask for confirmation of receipt and the end date.
Ordentliche Kündigung — [Vertragsnummer]
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
hiermit kündige ich meinen Vertrag über [Dienstleistung oder Mitgliedschaft], Kundennummer [Kundennummer], Vertragsnummer [Vertragsnummer], ordentlich zum nächstmöglichen zulässigen Termin.
Bitte bestätigen Sie mir den Eingang dieser Kündigung und das Datum, zu dem der Vertrag endet. Bitte teilen Sie mir gegebenenfalls mit, wie überlassene Geräte zurückzugeben sind.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen [Name]
If the button is missing or does not work
First check that § 312k BGB applies to the contract. It covers paid continuing contracts that consumers can conclude on the provider’s website, but not financial services or contracts that by law need a stricter form than text form. If the required buttons or confirmation page are missing or do not meet the legal requirements, § 312k(6) BGB lets you cancel at any time without a notice period. A short technical fault is not automatically such a defect. Take dated screenshots and contact a Verbraucherzentrale (consumer advice centre) if the provider disputes your cancellation. Other extraordinary cancellation rights need their own grounds: moving house lets you end a phone or internet contract with one month’s notice only if the provider cannot supply the service at your new address (§ 60 TKG), and a move alone is generally not enough to end a gym contract early.
Check confirmation, final bill and equipment
Keep your cancellation and proof of sending or receipt. If no confirmation arrives or the provider names a later end date, ask it to explain the basis and refer to your original cancellation. The follow-up example below refers to that cancellation; it does not replace it with a new one. Check the final bill and the instructions for returning equipment. Revoking the SEPA direct debit mandate does not end the contract or cancel amounts that are still due. If the dispute continues, contact a Verbraucherzentrale; for phone and internet contracts, the Bundesnetzagentur also runs a consumer arbitration service.
Nachfrage zur Kündigungsbestätigung — [Vertragsnummer]
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
am [Datum] habe ich meinen Vertrag [Vertragsnummer] per [Übermittlungsweg] gekündigt. Den vorhandenen Nachweis füge ich bei: [Nachweis].
Bitte bestätigen Sie mir den Eingang und das Vertragsende. Falls Sie von einem anderen Enddatum ausgehen, erläutern Sie bitte die Grundlage.
Diese Nachfrage bezieht sich auf meine ursprüngliche Kündigung; mein dort erklärter Kündigungswunsch bleibt unverändert.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen [Name]
Post your letter and keep evidence
If you prefer post, upload your final PDF or write the letter in MaisonMail. Use the cancellation address given in the contract or on the provider’s website, not a general address you have not checked. The recipient address determines the destination; available services, estimated delivery and the final price appear before payment. A postal cancellation counts when it reaches the provider, not when you send it, so allow time for printing and delivery before the deadline. Keep a copy of the exact letter. Tracking or a delivery signature shows that an item arrived, not what the envelope contained.
Official sources
References used and links to the rules currently in force.
- § 309 Nr. 9 und Nr. 13 BGB — Laufzeit und FormGesetze im Internet
- § 126b BGB — TextformGesetze im Internet
- § 56 TKG — Vertragslaufzeit, KündigungGesetze im Internet
- § 60 TKG — UmzugGesetze im Internet
- Vertrag im Fitnessstudio kündigen: So geht’sVerbraucherzentrale
- Kündigungsbutton nicht gefunden? So muss die Online-Kündigung aussehenVerbraucherzentrale
- Vertrag — Laufzeit, Verlängerung und KündigungBundesnetzagentur
Information current as of the last verification date. This guide is informational and is not legal advice — for a complex situation, consult a qualified professional.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cancel a German contract by email?
Usually yes. In consumer contracts concluded from 1 October 2016, standard terms cannot require more than text form (Textform), so an email without a handwritten signature is generally enough. Use the address given in your contract and keep the email and any confirmation. A posted letter is an option, not a requirement.
How much notice do I give after the minimum term?
Once a phone or internet contract has been extended after its minimum term, you can cancel at any time with one month’s notice (§ 56 TKG). For gyms and other regular services concluded on or after 1 March 2022, standard terms may generally only extend the contract indefinitely with at most one month’s notice (§ 309 No. 9 BGB). Older contracts can have longer periods.
What if the website has no cancellation button?
If consumers can conclude a paid continuing contract on the provider’s website, § 312k BGB requires a button labelled “Verträge hier kündigen” or similar, leading to a confirmation page with a “jetzt kündigen” button. If the required buttons or page are missing, you can cancel at any time without notice. Financial services and contracts that need a stricter form are excluded.
Does stopping the direct debit cancel the contract?
No. Revoking a SEPA direct debit mandate only stops the payments; the contract continues and amounts due are still owed. Cancel the contract itself and ask for written confirmation of the end date.
Related guides
- Cancel insurance in Germany: notice, email and examplesCancel German contents or liability insurance: the insurance year, notice period, email in Textform and special cancellation after a premium rise or claim.
- Resign from a job in Germany: notice and signed letterResign from a job in Germany: the four-week notice period, probation, fixed-term contracts, the hand-signed original and the Sperrzeit risk. German example.
- Object to a German Bescheid: Widerspruch deadline and formObject to a decision from a German Jobcenter, health insurer or other authority: one-month deadline, the four-day rule, accepted channels and German examples.
Ready to send your letter?
Upload your completed letter or write it online. Check available services and the final price before payment.