What goes into a cancellation letter
A good cancellation letter is short and clear. It includes your name and address, the provider, the contract and – if you have one – the customer or contract number. Then comes the clear sentence that you are cancelling, and the date.
If you don’t know the exact date, cancel “with due notice at the earliest possible date”. If you do know it, state it and add “or alternatively at the earliest possible date”. That way, the cancellation still takes effect even if you got the date wrong.
Also ask for written confirmation stating the date on which the contract ends. Our template includes all of this.
A date and – for a letter – your signature belong in it too. If a contract is in several people’s names, such as an electricity contract in two names, it is best for everyone who signed it to sign.
Letter, email or online cancellation?
Which form is enough is stated in your contract. In Germany, text form (e.g. email) is sufficient for many consumer contracts. Stricter rules apply to some contracts, for example tenancy agreements (written form with a signature).
If you signed up online, in Germany the provider usually also offers a cancellation button on its website. For many well-known providers, we show you the checked link – with the date we last checked it.
As a PDF: print the letter or save it as a PDF, sign it and send it by post. With registered mail, you have proof of sending. By email: we open your email program with the subject and text – you send it yourself.
Make sure it arrives in time
What matters is that the cancellation reaches the provider before the notice period runs out – not when you send it. So work it out beforehand: our notice period calculator shows you the date it has to arrive by.
Example: your mobile phone contract runs until 31 March 2027 and the notice period is three months. Then your cancellation has to reach the provider by 31 December 2026 at the latest. If you post a letter on 30 December, it gets tight.
Special cases: price increases, moving house and other reasons
Our template is meant for ordinary cancellation – at the end of the term or with the agreed notice period. Sometimes there is also a right to cancel extraordinarily or early.
This can apply, for example, if a provider raises prices or changes the terms unilaterally, if you move and the provider cannot supply your new address, or in the event of a death. Whether this is possible, and with what notice, depends on the contract and the law.
In that case, state the reason in the letter and enclose proof, such as the notice of the price increase or your registration certificate. If you are unsure, ask the provider or a consumer advice centre.
After sending
Keep proof: the provider’s confirmation, the registered mail receipt or the sent email. If no confirmation arrives, ask for one. After the contract ends, also check your bank statement to see whether payments are still being taken.
Some providers get in touch with an offer to make you stay. That is their right – and your decision. A cheaper offer can be worth it, and so can cancelling.
What happens to your data
The generator runs in your browser. Your name, address and contract number are not stored and not sent to us. When you close the window, they are gone.