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Cancel SCHUFA subscription

§ 312k BGB — without a cancellation button, cancel at any time without notice

Available onlineFree of charge

The most common reason someone ends up on this page: they only wanted to check what is stored about them, and in the process signed up for an ongoing product. The free data copy (Datenkopie) under Article 15(3) GDPR (DSGVO) and the paid subscriptions sit close together in the order process, and the names resemble each other.

The good news is that the law helps you here with unusual clarity. § 312k BGB (German Civil Code, Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch) obliges businesses to provide a cancellation button (Kündigungsschaltfläche) for continuing contractual relationships that can be concluded online, which must be “labelled easily legible with nothing other than the words ‘cancel contracts here’ or with a correspondingly clear wording”.

And subsection 6 of the same provision is the real lever: if the button is missing or does not meet the requirements, “a consumer may cancel a contract at any time and without observing a notice period”. You are then not bound by any minimum term or notice period.

On top of that: for a contract concluded recently, often no cancellation is needed at all, but rather withdrawal – more on that below.

Last updated27 August 2026
Legal basis§ 312k BGB · § 355 BGB · § 312g BGB
VerificationChecked against the consolidated text of the BGB
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information website: we are not SCHUFA, not an authority and not a paid advice service — we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in plain language; binding information always comes from the competent body. Not legal advice. Product design and prices are set by SCHUFA Holding AG itself and may change. All information is provided without guarantee. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document official procedures and check the information against the official source — this is information, not legal or tax advice.
Cancellation buttonObligation§ 312k Abs. 2 BGB
If it is missingCancel any time without notice§ 312k Abs. 6 BGB
Withdrawal14 daysFor distance contracts (Fernabsatzverträge)
Costs€0.00Cancellation and withdrawal
Required documents

What you need

The contract documents or confirmation email

From these you can see the start of the contract, its term and the notice period – and the start of the contract determines whether withdrawal is still possible. Find them before you write.

Your bank statements

They show since when and how much has been debited – and reveal cases where someone pays for a product without ever having used it. For a one-off activation fee, this is also where you can see whether it was charged in addition to the monthly payment.

Evidence of whether the cancellation button exists

The most important piece of evidence if there is a dispute. Look for the button in the logged-in area and take a dated screenshot – especially if you find none. If it is missing, § 312k Abs. 6 applies.

A cancellation method with proof

The confirmation page and confirmation email from the cancellation button, or a registered letter (Einschreiben). You need proof of receipt and date – without it, it cannot later be shown when the cancellation took place.

Your withdrawal notice (Widerrufsbelehrung)

Decisive for a recently concluded contract. If a proper notice is missing, the withdrawal period is extended considerably – so check whether you received one before assuming the 14 days are over.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Check first: withdrawal or cancellation?

    For a contract concluded online recently, withdrawal is the better route: under § 312g BGB and § 355 BGB, consumers have a right of withdrawal of 14 days for distance contracts – the contract is then unwound, instead of only ending at the end of its term.

  2. 2

    Look for the cancellation button — and document it

    Log in and look for the button “cancel contracts here”. In every case, take a dated screenshot: if you find it, cancel through it. If you do not find it, the screenshot is your proof of that – and then the next step applies.

  3. 3

    Without the button: cancel at any time without notice

    If the button is missing or does not meet the requirements, you can cancel under § 312k Abs. 6 BGB “at any time and without observing a notice period”. State this explicitly in your cancellation: “As a cancellation button under § 312k BGB is not provided, I am cancelling without notice, effective today.”

  4. 4

    Cancel through the button, if it exists

    Use it – it is the simplest route and creates proof. You receive a confirmation page and, as a rule, a confirmation email. Save both, with the date; this is your proof of receipt and timing.

  5. 5

    As a fallback, cancel in writing, with proof

    If you do not want to take the route via the button, cancel in writing, stating the contract or customer number – ideally by registered letter (Einschreiben). As a fallback, phrase it: “… at the next possible date”, so that the cancellation still takes effect even if you are mistaken about the deadline.

  6. 6

    End the direct debit mandate only after confirmation

    The order matters, and it is often reversed: anyone who stops the direct debit first produces returned direct debits and reminder charges, while the contract formally continues to run. Wait for the cancellation confirmation.

  7. 7

    Reclaim amounts wrongly debited

    If debits continued after the cancellation took effect, reclaim the money in writing and set a deadline. For an unauthorised direct debit, you can also demand a refund from your bank – it is best to ask your bank directly about the deadlines that apply.

Fee information

Costs and payment

What you pay — and what you do not have to payWhy there is no price table here
Cancellation€0.00
Withdrawal within 14 days€0.00
Cancellation buttonMandatory, § 312k Abs. 2 BGB
If the button is missingAny time without notice, Abs. 6
DatenkopieFree of charge — no subscription needed
Ongoing productsMonthly, sometimes with an activation fee
Current pricesOnly binding in the order process

Cancellation itself costs nothing, and nor does withdrawal. On the prices of the ongoing products, you will deliberately find no table here: SCHUFA is a private company, product design and prices change without notice, and there is no official source against which a figure could be permanently checked. So rely on the information given in the order process itself, not on figures from guides – not even ours. What you should know, however: alongside the monthly contribution, such products sometimes add a one-off activation fee; anyone expecting only a monthly payment is surprised by the first bank statement. Check both before you agree.

But the most important point is a different one: you do not need any ongoing product at all to view your data. The data copy (Datenkopie) under Article 15(3) GDPR (DSGVO) is free of charge and more complete than any summarised overview. Anyone who has taken out a subscription to “keep an eye on their score” is paying for something they are entitled to anyway – and may, under § 312k BGB, in certain circumstances get out of it immediately.

Good to know

Important notes

The cancellation button is mandatory and must be labelled “cancel contracts here” or something equivalent (§ 312k Abs. 2 BGB).

If it is missing, you can cancel at any time without notice — subsection 6 says so expressly.

Take a dated screenshot, especially if you cannot find a button. That is your proof.

For a recently concluded contract: check withdrawal first. 14 days, and the contract is unwound.

Without a proper withdrawal notice, the deadline is extended — check whether you received one.

Stop the direct debit only after the cancellation confirmation, otherwise returned direct debits and reminder charges arise.

You do not need a subscription to view your data. The data copy is free of charge and more complete.

Allow for a possible activation fee in addition to the monthly contribution.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Taking out a subscription just to see the score. The data copy shows it free of charge — and the data behind it.

Not documenting the missing cancellation button. Without a screenshot, the proof for the right to cancel without notice is missing.

Accepting the notice period even though no button exists. § 312k Abs. 6 releases you from it.

Overlooking withdrawal. For a recently concluded contract, it is better than any cancellation.

Stopping the direct debit first. Returned direct debits and reminder charges despite an effective cancellation.

Cancelling without proof of delivery. You need the date and the evidence if debits continue.

Trusting price figures from guides. Only the order process itself is binding.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

I just wanted to see my data and ended up with a subscription — what now?

This happens often, and as a rule you can get out of it again quickly. First check withdrawal: for a contract concluded at a distance – that is, online – you have a right of withdrawal of 14 days under § 312g BGB and § 355 BGB; the contract is then unwound. If the deadline has expired, look for the cancellation button (Kündigungsschaltfläche) under § 312k BGB. And for the future: you need no ongoing product to view your data – the data copy (Datenkopie) under Article 15(3) GDPR (DSGVO) is free of charge and contains more than any summarised overview.

What is the cancellation button and what does it do for me?

A statutorily required button – and, in a dispute, your strongest argument. § 312k Abs. 2 BGB obliges businesses to ensure that consumers can submit a declaration of cancellation for continuing contractual relationships that can be concluded online via a cancellation button; it must be “labelled easily legible with nothing other than the words ‘cancel contracts here’ or with a correspondingly clear wording”. The real lever is in subsection 6: if the button and the confirmation page are not properly provided, “a consumer may cancel a contract at any time and without observing a notice period”. You are then not bound by any minimum term.

I cannot find a cancellation button — what should I do?

Then you are actually better off than with one: first take a dated screenshot of the page on which the button should be. Then cancel in writing and state the reason explicitly – for example: “As a cancellation button within the meaning of § 312k BGB is not provided, I am cancelling the contract under § 312k Abs. 6 BGB without notice, effective today.” Choose a method with proof of delivery, such as a registered letter. If the cancellation-without-notice effect is disputed, your screenshot is the evidence. And if debits continue, reclaim the money in writing, setting a deadline.

Can I withdraw instead of cancelling?

If the contract was concluded not long ago: yes, and it is the better route. For distance contracts (Fernabsatzverträge) – that is, those concluded online or by telephone – consumers have a right of withdrawal under § 312g BGB, and under § 355 BGB the deadline is 14 days. The difference from cancellation is significant: with withdrawal, the contract is unwound, instead of only ending at a future point in time. One point that many overlook is important: the deadline only begins with a proper withdrawal notice – if it is missing or defective, the deadline is extended considerably. Check this before assuming the 14 days are over.

Should I just stop the direct debit?

No, at least not as a first step – that is one of the more expensive mistakes in this area. Anyone who first revokes the SEPA mandate and cancels afterwards does not thereby end the contract: it formally continues to run, the amounts remain owed, and returned direct debit charges and reminders are added on top – in the worst case, ending in a negative entry for a debt arising from a contract you had long wanted to get rid of. The correct order is the reverse: first cancel or withdraw, wait for the confirmation, check whether anything is still outstanding or to be refunded, and only after that end the mandate.

What does such a subscription actually cost?

On that, you will deliberately find no price table here. SCHUFA is a private company: it sets the design and prices of its products itself and changes them without notice, and there is no official source against which a figure could be permanently checked. What you should know is the structure: alongside a monthly contribution, a one-off activation fee may be charged – anyone budgeting only for the monthly amount is surprised by the first debit. So read carefully in the order process whether it refers to a one-off payment or an ongoing contribution, and what is charged in addition. Only what is stated there is binding.

Do I need the subscription to keep an eye on my score?

No. That is the sales pitch behind these products, but legally you are entitled to access in any case – and to a fuller extent. The data copy (Datenkopie) under Article 15(3) GDPR (DSGVO) is free of charge and contains not just your score values but all the data stored about you: contracts, negative entries, enquiries from companies. That is exactly what you need to understand why a value turns out the way it does – a subscription that only displays a number does not help with that. Since 17 March 2026 there has also been a free digital account with permanent access to your score and data. For an annual check, that is entirely sufficient.

Debits continue despite cancellation — what should I do?

Act in writing and in this order. First: reclaim the amount wrongly debited in writing, setting a deadline, and enclose your cancellation confirmation – which is exactly why it is so important to keep it. Second: speak to your bank. For a direct debit that was unauthorised or took place after the mandate was revoked, a refund may be available; it is best to ask your bank directly about the deadlines that apply, as they depend on the type of direct debit. Third: if the company does not respond, you can contact the Verbraucherzentrale (consumer association). Only stop the mandate once the cancellation has been confirmed – otherwise returned direct debit charges arise.

Related official procedures

Free data copy (Datenkopie)
No subscription needed
€0.00
Understand your score
Even without an ongoing product
€0.00
BonitätsAuskunft
Single document instead of a subscription
€29.95

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