How the deadline is worked out
The deadline is the renewal date minus the notice period. Sixty days' notice before a 1 January renewal means notice must be given by 2 November. Notice given on that day is in time when the contract says "at least 60 days".
Watch the wording. "More than 60 days" or "60 clear days" usually means one day earlier, because the day notice is given and the renewal day itself do not count. If you are not sure which your contract means, give notice a day early. It costs nothing.
Month-based periods are counted in calendar months, not converted to days. Three months before 31 January is 31 October. From the end of a month, the answer lands on the last day of the shorter month, which is how contracts are normally read.
What counts as giving notice
The contract says how notice must be given: often in writing, sometimes to a named address or a specific person, occasionally by recorded post. An email to your account manager may not count if the contract names a legal notices address.
Keep proof of when you sent it, and ask the supplier to confirm receipt in writing. If the renewal is disputed later, the date you can prove is the one that matters.
Why the renewal date is the wrong date to remember
By the renewal date, the decision has already been made for you. The notice deadline is the last point at which you still have a choice. It is the date that belongs in a calendar, with a reminder a couple of weeks ahead so a slow supplier cannot run the clock down.
Common questions
- Does the renewal day itself count towards the notice period?
- Under "at least N days before" wording, the deadline is the renewal date minus N days, and notice given on that day is in time. Under "more than N days" or "N clear days", give notice one day earlier. When in doubt, go a day early.
- Is three months' notice the same as 90 days?
- No. Three calendar months before 31 January is 31 October, which is 92 days. Use the unit your contract uses. The calculator counts months as calendar months.
- What if I have already missed the deadline?
- The contract will most likely renew. The calculator shows when your next chance to cancel ends. It is still worth asking the supplier in writing: some agree to end early, and a written request records your intent.
- Is anything I enter stored?
- No. The calculation runs in your browser, and nothing you type is sent anywhere.
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