Renewal reminder email template (free, copy and paste)

A good renewal reminder email says, near the top, that the subscription will renew unless the customer cancels, the date and amount of the next charge, and a working link to cancel. Copy the template below, fill in the brackets from your Stripe subscription, and send it about 35 days before a yearly renewal or about 7 days before a free trial ends.

Three short variants follow, then what each state law we cover asks the email to contain and when. PlainRenew's free checker at the top of this page shows how your public pricing and terms pages read in about a minute. Every legal point was read from the official statute text on 28 October 2026; this is practical guidance, not legal advice.

The template: yearly renewal

Subject: Your [Product] plan renews on [renewal date]

Hi [first name],

A quick heads-up: your [Product] [plan name] renews automatically on [renewal date] unless you cancel before [cancel-by date].

Next charge: [amount] [currency], billed every [interval]

Renews for: another [term length], on the same terms

Nothing to do if you'd like to keep it. To cancel: [cancel link]

Your plan terms: [one-line summary of the renewal terms, or a link to them]

Questions? [support email] or [phone].

[Your business name], [business address]

Keep the "renews automatically" line in bold, as above: Illinois asks the yearly notice to say it "clearly and conspicuously" (815 ILCS 601/10(b)), which Section 5 defines as larger or contrasting type, or set off by marks.

Variant: free trial ending

Subject: Your [Product] trial ends on [trial end date]

Hi [first name],

Your free trial of [Product] ends on [trial end date]. Unless you cancel before then, your paid plan starts automatically and we'll charge [amount] [currency] every [interval], starting [first charge date].

To cancel before you're charged: [cancel link]

Questions? [support email]. [Your business name]

Variant: price change

Subject: Your [Product] price is changing on [effective date]

Hi [first name],

From [effective date], your [Product] [plan name] will cost [new amount] [currency] every [interval], up from [old amount]. [One line on why, or what's new.]

You don't need to do anything to keep your plan. If you'd rather not continue at the new price, you can cancel any time before [effective date] here: [cancel link]

Questions? [support email]. [Your business name]

New York adds a separate rule for price increases: before charging the higher price, you need either the customer's consent to it, or to let them cancel within at least 14 days after the higher charge with a pro-rated refund for the rest of the term (GBL § 527-a(1)(b-1)). If you take the second route, say so in this email.

Variant: yearly reminder for monthly plans

Subject: A yearly reminder about your [Product] subscription

Hi [first name],

Subscription: [Product] [plan name]

Charge: [amount] [currency], every [interval], until you cancel

Next charge: [next charge date]

To cancel: [cancel link]

Questions? [support email]. [Your business name]

What the email should contain

Item	Asked for by
It renews automatically unless the customer cancels	CA § 17602(a)(8)(A); IL 601/10(b)(i); CO 6-1-732(4)(a); VA § 59.1-207.46(E)(i)
The date to cancel by	IL 601/10(b)(iii); VA § 59.1-207.46(E)(ii)
Amount (or range) and how often it's charged	CA § 17602(a)(8)(C) and (h)(2)(B)
Length and other terms of the renewal period	CA § 17602(a)(8)(B)
How to cancel, with a link if it's an email	CA § 17602(a)(8)(D), (E) and (h)(2)(C); NY § 527-a(1)(f), (h); IL 601/10(b)(ii); CO 6-1-732(4)(a); VA § 59.1-207.46(E)(iii)
The product or service that renews	CA § 17602(h)(2)(A)
Your contact details, and who it's from	CA § 17602(a)(8)(F); CO 6-1-732(4)(a)
A copy of the renewal terms	VA § 59.1-207.46(E)(iv)

The cancel path should match the one you offer: Colorado asks the notice to be consistent with its cancel rules in 6-1-732(2)(d), and Illinois asks the yearly notice to describe your cancel mechanism (601/10(b-5)).

When to send it

Notice	California	New York	Illinois	Colorado	Virginia
Yearly plan renews	15 to 45 days before renewal	15 to 45 days before cancel deadline	30 to 60 days before cancel deadline	25 to 40 days before each renewal	30 to 60 days before cancel deadline or term end
Trial ends	Over 31 days (or promo price): 3 to 21 days before end	Over a month: 3 to 21 days before cancel deadline	15 days or more (or promo): at least 3 days before cancel deadline	No separate trial notice	Over 30 days: within 30 days of end
Price change	7 to 30 days before	5 business days to 30 days before	No change notice	Material change: no set days	Before the change
Monthly plans	At least yearly	None	None	Yearly, 25 to 40 days before each 12 months pass	Unclear

Sources: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17602(b), (g), (h); N.Y. GBL § 527-a(1)(f) to (h); 815 ILCS 601/10(a-5), (b); C.R.S. 6-1-732(3), (4); Va. Code § 59.1-207.46(C) to (E).

Send days that fit every window:

• Yearly plans: about 35 days before renewal. That fits all five when the cancel deadline is the renewal date. New York, Illinois and Virginia count from the cancel deadline, so if yours is earlier, redo the math.
• Free trials: about 7 days before the trial ends. That fits California, New York, Illinois and Virginia where their trial rules apply and the trial end is the cancel deadline.
• Price changes: about 14 days before. That fits California's 7 to 30 days and New York's 5 business days to 30 days.
• Monthly plans: about 30 days before the sign-up anniversary. California's annual reminder sets no exact date; Colorado's window is 25 to 40 days.

On channel: New York sends reminders "in the manner selected by the consumer"; Colorado lists mail, email, or text or app if the customer agreed or usually uses it; Illinois wants the trial notice in a way the customer is used to and the yearly one in writing they can keep. Email usually fits. In California, if a plan would need both the trial and yearly notice, only the yearly one is required (§ 17602(b)).

Federal law doesn't require reminders. The Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act asks for clear terms before billing, express informed consent, and a simple way to stop recurring charges (15 U.S.C. § 8403). More in our FTC click-to-cancel guide.

Filling it in from Stripe

Your Stripe subscription holds most of the brackets: the renewal date is the end of the current billing period, the trial end is on the subscription, and the amount and interval come from the price. Use the Stripe customer portal or your own cancel page as the cancel link.

Stripe's settings can send a reminder 7 days before a free trial ends and emails about upcoming renewals (Stripe docs). If you send your own, note the subscription trial_will_end event fires 3 days before a trial ends by default (Stripe docs), the very edge of some windows. We haven't reviewed what Stripe's built-in emails contain, so check them against the checklist. Keep a copy of what you sent.

More detail by state

See our guides to California, New York, Illinois, Colorado and Virginia. Our rules page lists the timing windows PlainRenew uses.

Want to see how your pages read against these rules? Run the free checker at plainrenew.com/check. If you'd rather have these reminders scheduled and sent from your Stripe data for you, create a PlainRenew account.