Last reviewed: 23 September 2026

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024—called the DMCC Act or DMCCA—strengthens UK consumer protection. For membership providers, it affects how you explain prices, obtain agreement, communicate about subscriptions and handle cancellations.

This article explains how to configure relevant Redpoint features and establish the supporting processes your organization needs.

Configuring Redpoint does not, by itself, establish legal compliance. Your organization remains responsible for its terms, notices, sales practices, cancellation handling and refunds. Obtain legal advice about the requirements that apply to your memberships.

Understand the requirements and timetable

The January 2027 announcement supersedes the earlier spring 2027 expectation. See the government’s subscription-traps announcement.

The Act’s unfair trading rules prohibit misleading and aggressive practices. Enforcement can include penalties of up to 10% of worldwide turnover. See CMA unfair commercial practices guidance and the CMA’s explanation of its enforcement powers.

Throughout this guide:

• Current obligation identifies requirements already applicable under consumer law, subject to scope.
• Prepare for the subscription regime identifies forthcoming subscription requirements.
• Recommended practice identifies an operational safeguard rather than a separate statutory requirement.

1. Identify which memberships are covered

Action: Assess Each Membership Offering Individually.

The subscription regime concerns qualifying trader-to-consumer contracts. Automatically continuing memberships and trials that become paid subscriptions can fall within scope. Exceptions and transitional provisions apply, including provisions concerning contracts entered into before commencement. See the Act’s explanatory notes.

Steps to complete

1. Open Build > Plans and list your membership plans.
2. Record each plan’s billing frequency, minimum commitment, continuation arrangements and introductory offers.
3. Separate consumer memberships from business purchases, one-off purchases and donations.
4. Ask your legal adviser to confirm scope, exclusions and treatment of existing contracts.
5. Assign an owner and deadline to each required action.

Charitable status does not settle the scope question. The government has announced an exclusion for certain charitable cultural and heritage memberships, rather than a general exemption for charities. See the government’s subscription-regime response.

A recurring donation and a payment in exchange for membership services are different arrangements. Have your adviser assess the actual arrangement.

2. Show prices and key terms before customers join

Current Obligation: Provide clear, accurate information and avoid misleading omissions. Prepare your disclosures for the additional subscription requirements.

Steps in Redpoint

1. Open the membership plan’s Pricing spoke.
2. Review both Startup/Fee and Dues pricing for recurring memberships.
3. Check introductory discounts, joining fees, applicable taxes and other mandatory charges.
4. Open the Presentation spoke and place a concise membership summary in Booking Page Header Content.
5. Enable Automatically expand Show More so customers can see the booking-page information without expanding it.
6. Open the Document spoke and add your approved membership terms.
7. Check the resulting customer journey on desktop and mobile.

The summary should explain:

• What the membership includes.
• The initial payment and ongoing charge.
• Billing frequency and minimum commitment.
• Whether the membership continues automatically.
• Trial expiry and the subsequent price, where applicable.
• How to end the membership and any applicable notice requirements.
• Applicable cooling-off rights and your contact details.

Keep essential information visible before purchase. Do not place it only in a secondary tab, image or lengthy terms document.

See Pricing Spoke, Presentation Spoke and Document Spoke.

Check agreement to payment

Review the final purchase screen as well as the membership document. Customers must understand that completing the purchase creates a payment obligation. A signature on general terms does not establish that every checkout disclosure requirement has been met.

For telephone and front-desk sales, give staff an approved explanation of the same pricing and membership terms, plus a process for providing a copy to the customer. See GOV.UK’s distance-selling guidance for relevant existing information requirements.

Use Redpoint’s Pricing Playground to check different membership options. Compare the calculated amounts with the wording customers see before purchasing.

3. Send a confirmation customers can keep

Current Obligation: Provide the required contract information in a durable format. Prepare confirmation content for the subscription regime.

Use an email containing the terms or an email with a PDF attachment. Do not rely only on a link to a webpage whose content can change.

Steps in Redpoint

1. Configure the plan’s Document spoke.
2. In Big Edit > General, enable attachment creation and assign an attachment type.
3. Open Customer Notifications > General.
4. Enable the New Contract email.
5. Enable Include contract document PDF as an attachment to the email.
6. Review the default template under Build > Notifications > Templates, or configure a custom template in the spoke.
7. Verify the confirmation and attachment using an approved test process for each relevant facility.

Include the price, billing arrangements, term, trial conditions, cancellation instructions, applicable cooling-off information and business contact details.

The Document spoke does not automatically produce the same document attachment for a plan sold directly by staff. Establish a separate confirmation process for front-desk and telephone sales, and a fallback for customers without a usable email address.

Use the New Contract notification for this purpose. A daily automation based on membership start date is not a substitute for a timely purchase confirmation.

See Customer Notifications Spoke (Emails).

4. Plan your subscription reminders

Prepare for the Subscription Regime: Establish a reminder schedule for each applicable renewal pattern.

The statutory framework includes reminders around trial conversion and continuing subscriptions, with additional reminders for qualifying annual-or-longer renewals. Rolling monthly subscriptions also require attention. Confirm the schedule against the final rules. See the government’s explanation of reminder requirements.

Before configuring an automation:

1. Identify the contractual event requiring a notice.
2. Have the notice timing approved.
3. Confirm which Redpoint date represents that event.
4. Prepare the required message content.
5. Assign responsibility for missed or failed notices.

Choose the appropriate Redpoint workflow

An annual commitment paid monthly is different from a membership billed annually. Do not choose a reminder schedule from the plan’s name alone.

Dues Posted emails are generated after billing. Expiring Contract emails use the contract’s end date. Neither notification, by itself, establishes an advance renewal-reminder process.

5. Configure reminder segments and email automations

Recommended Setup: Use a separate automation for each notice type and membership group.

These examples help you configure date-based communications. They do not establish that a particular notice meets the statutory requirements.

Create the recipient segment

Open Manage > Customer Segments & Requirements > Create New Customer Segment.

1. Name the segment clearly, such as Membership notice — Annual plan — First reminder.
2. Open Builder and select Match all of the following.
3. Add Customer Activity > Enrollment Query.
4. Select Contract Holder as the customer relationship.
5. Inside that Enrollment Query, select Match all of the following and add:

For example, Next Bill Date = Relative Date: Add 14 days selects a contracts with a billing date 14 days in the future. Set the active-or-frozen period to that same future day.

The 14-day offset is an example, not a legally prescribed reminder period. Choose a lead time that satisfies the applicable rules and gives the customer time to act before the cancellation deadline.

Keep the conditions inside the same Enrollment Query so the plan and dates apply to the same matching enrollment and contract.

Select Contract Holder, including customers who are also enrolled. Do not select the option that excludes holders who participate in their own membership.

Do not add recent-visit or marketing-engagement conditions to a required notice segment. Customers may still need the notice even if they have not visited recently.

See Customer Segments for the builder workflow.

Create the automation

Open Build > Notifications > Email Automations.

1. Create the automation and leave it in Draft.
2. Set a descriptive name and group.
3. Select the facilities whose customers must be considered.
4. In the segment builder, select Match all of the following and include the saved customer segment.
5. Choose the sending facility and delivery hour.
6. Set the daily sending limit to cover the largest expected matching group, within the application’s permitted limit.
7. Review Prevent duplicates within days. For these exact-day examples, 1 day is a starting point to verify. The default 60-day interval could suppress a later monthly reminder from the same automation.
8. Prepare and preview the email.
9. Complete the verification steps below before making the automation Live.

Automation facility selection uses the customer’s home facility. The Facility condition inside Enrollment Query uses the contract’s facility. Include the relevant home facilities even where customers purchased at another location.

Duplicate suppression is not a renewal counter. Preventing repeat emails for approximately six months does not create a verified “every sixth renewal” reminder.

Review consent and delivery settings

When Honor Do Not Mail is enabled, automations select customers with affirmative subscription consent. Customers without that consent can be omitted.

For a required service notice, have your communication owner approve the appropriate consent and unsubscribe settings. Keep the message limited to service information. Do not change customers’ marketing preferences as a shortcut.

Establish an alternative process for customers without usable email addresses and for failed deliveries.

Matching a segment does not guarantee delivery. Inactive customer records, consent filtering, missing email addresses, duplicate suppression and daily limits can prevent an automation from generating a notice.

Verify membership details in the email

Include the membership identification, relevant amount and date, cancellation instructions and applicable deadline.

Email Automations use a customer context, rather than the specific contract that matched the segment. Selecting a contract through a segment does not automatically make its price and dates available as email replacement fields.

1. Check the replacement fields available in the editor.
2. Preview the rendered values.
3. Include an example customer with multiple memberships.
4. Confirm that every required membership is represented.

A customer with two matching memberships does not automatically receive two contract-specific notices. Ask Redpoint Support to verify a suitable workflow where separate prices, renewal dates or cancellation deadlines must be included.

See Enhanced Email Builder and SendGrid Templates for editor and integration guidance.

Verify selection and maintain exceptions

Use Count Customers For Date, Load Customers For Date and email previews.

Check examples covering:

• Different home and contract facilities.
• Multiple memberships held by one customer.
• Frozen memberships and scheduled terminations.
• Trial conversion.
• Missing email addresses and unsubscribed customers.
• Month-end dates and peak renewal days.

Relative dates use the facility’s processing date. A dated preview checks selection logic; it does not reconstruct all historical contract values.

Assign someone to reconcile notices due against notices generated. Do not assume missed runs or daily-limit shortfalls will be recovered automatically the following day.

Changes to an automation do not generally update emails already scheduled. Review pending messages when changing content or timing.

6. Handle cooling-off requests separately from ordinary termination

Current Obligation: Honor existing cooling-off rights. Prepare for the additional subscription rights.

The forthcoming regime provides initial and renewal cooling-off rights. Trial conversion can trigger renewal cooling-off rights even where the resulting subscription is shorter than 12 months.

The government’s stated approach provides full or proportionate service refunds depending on whether supply has begun. See the subscription-regime response.

Steps to implement

1. Document the cooling-off rights applicable to each plan, with legal advice.
2. Publish a monitored cancellation contact route.
3. Record when the customer communicated the request.
4. Identify whether the customer is exercising a statutory right or ending the membership under its ordinary terms.
5. Have authorized staff apply the appropriate end date and calculate any refund.
6. Send written confirmation and complete the refund within the applicable deadline.

For relevant service cancellations under existing consumer-contract rules, refunds are generally due within 14 days of cancellation. See the government’s Consumer Contracts Regulations guidance.

Redpoint’s ordinary termination dates follow billing and plan restrictions. Do not assume those dates implement statutory cooling-off cancellation. A valid statutory cancellation may require a different effective date and a separate refund.

Prepare renewal cooling-off notices

Prepare a separate notice explaining the right, its deadline and how to exercise it. The Act provides for this notice at the beginning of the renewal cooling-off period, or as soon as reasonably practicable afterwards. An advance renewal reminder serves a different purpose. See the Act’s explanatory notes.

Verify the sending workflow before relying on it. A generic billing-date automation does not establish that a qualifying renewal occurred.

7. Make online membership exit accessible

Prepare for the Subscription Regime: Customers who join online must be able to exit online. Review existing cancellation practices now.

Steps in Redpoint

1. Open the recurring plan’s Big Edit > Termination Terms.
2. Review Disable Online Terminations. Leave it off where customers should be able to terminate online.
3. Review minimum billing-cycle and notice-period restrictions against your approved terms.
4. Open Presentation > Status Change Forms and explain the Terminate action.
5. Check the customer portal’s available dates and instructions.
6. Provide a monitored alternative online contact route for statutory cancellation or blocked portal actions.

The Cancellation Terms spoke covers cancellation before a contract starts. Ending an active recurring membership uses Termination Terms. Configuring one does not configure the other.

An unpaid balance can prevent online termination from completing if collection fails. Your procedure must address this situation so a customer’s cancellation notice is not left unhandled.

See Cancellation Terms Spoke and Presentation Spoke.

8. Confirm cancellation and complete any refund

Prepare for the Subscription Regime: Send an end-of-contract notice. Meet existing refund obligations where applicable.

Configure confirmations

1. Review the plan’s Customer Notifications settings.
2. Configure applicable cancellation, requested termination and effective termination messages.
3. State that the membership has ended or will end, with the effective date.
4. Include refund details or explain when the refund decision will be communicated.
5. Verify the message is sent when required.

A notification sent only when a future termination takes effect may be too late to acknowledge the customer’s notice.

The Act provides default end-of-contract notice deadlines of 24 hours for online cancellation and three working days otherwise, subject to regulations. Check final applicable deadlines. See the Act’s explanatory notes.

Process an approved refund

1. Confirm the appropriate membership end date and refund amount.
2. Have authorized staff apply any necessary manual status change.
3. Open the relevant dues invoice and select Return Invoice.
4. Where offered, select Refund through POS Cart.
5. Review the items and amounts.
6. Complete the refund through the appropriate payment method.

Ending a membership, issuing account credit and refunding a payment are separate actions. Account credit must not be assumed to satisfy an obligation to return money to the customer.

Follow WORKFLOW: Back Date Status Change and Issue a Full or Partial Credit or Refund.

9. Review marketing and retain evidence

Current Obligation: Avoid unfair commercial practices. 
Recommended Practice: Maintain an evidence and review process.

1. Compare website advertising, plan descriptions and checkout prices.
2. Remove misleading discounts, unsupported urgency claims and hidden mandatory fees.
3. Establish checks for reviews and testimonials, including suspected fake reviews.
4. Train staff to explain commitments and cancellation rights without pressure.
5. Retain dated terms, communication templates and approved procedures.
   • Note: Use Redpoint’s audit history logs for changes made within Redpoint alongside your organization’s compliance records.
6. Keep notice, cancellation, refund and complaint records under an appropriate retention policy.
7. Review every facility when plans or legal requirements change.

A “sent” record does not prove that a customer read a notice. Monitor delivery failures and retain evidence of follow-up.

Keep an action register with the membership plan, requirement, owner, deadline, evidence and unresolved gap. Review it across all locations.

Readiness checklist

Before treating a membership workflow as ready, confirm that:

• Legal scope, exclusions and deadlines have been reviewed.
• Prices and key terms are visible before purchase.
• Customers receive a confirmation they can retain.
• Each required notice has an approved trigger, schedule and template.
• Segments identify the correct contract holders and membership events.
• Automation limits, consent settings and multiple-membership cases have been checked.
• Failed or omitted notices have a monitored fallback.
• Cooling-off requests have a separate handling process.
• Online exit works, including an alternative for blocked actions.
• Cancellation confirmations and refunds meet applicable deadlines.
• A named owner monitors legal and product changes.

Additional Knowledge Base Resources

• Customer Segments — Creating and reviewing recipient segments.
• EXAMPLE: Email Automation Segments — General relative-date examples.
• Enhanced Email Builder and SendGrid Templates — Email design and integration guidance.
• Customer Notifications Spoke (Emails) — Plan confirmations and status-change notifications.
• Document Spoke — Membership terms and PDF attachments.
• WORKFLOW: Back Date Status Change and Issue a Full or Partial Credit or Refund — Authorized status corrections and refunds.

This article provides general product guidance, not legal advice. Ask Redpoint Support about product configuration and workflow coverage. Ask your legal adviser about statutory scope, wording, deadlines and refund entitlements.