Minnesota automatic renewal law for restaurant memberships

A restaurant that sells a monthly bread subscription, a quarterly wine club or a paid regulars' membership has an automatic renewal plan, whether or not it ever used the phrase. Minnesota passed a set of rules for these plans in 2024, in sections 325G.56 to 325G.62 of the Minnesota Statutes. This guide, checked in November 2026, reads four of those sections as they appear on the Revisor's site: the definitions, the disclosure and notice rules, the limits on cancellation conduct and the consumer's right to terminate. It is general information, not legal advice. Sections 325G.60 to 325G.62 were not read, so ask a lawyer about anything they add.

What is an automatic renewal in Minnesota law?

The definitions section describes an automatic renewal as a plan in which a subscription or purchasing agreement is automatically renewed at the end of a definite term for a subsequent term, and continuous service as a plan in which a subscription continues until the consumer terminates the agreement. A consumer is an individual who acquires goods or services mainly for personal, family or household use. A seller is a business that advertises, solicits or conducts consumer transactions. A guest who joins your monthly coffee club to drink coffee at home is a consumer.

What must you show before the guest agrees?

Before the consumer accepts, you must present the offer terms in a clear and conspicuous manner and in visual proximity to the offer. The offer terms include that the service continues until canceled or renews, the cancellation policy, the recurring charges and any expected changes to them, the length of the renewal term or the continuous nature of the service, and any minimum purchase requirement. For an offer made by voice, the terms must be given close in time to the offer. Put the terms next to the button the guest presses, not behind a link.

What must you send after sign-up?

After acceptance, you must promptly send a confirmation the consumer can keep. It must include the offer terms, information about canceling during any free trial and the ways to terminate. The page says email is sufficient. A short, plain message that states the price, the date of the next charge and how to cancel does the job.

What notices are required later?

For continuous service, the statute requires written notice at least once per calendar year, by mail or email, and the notice must explain how to terminate or manage the service. For a free trial longer than 30 days, you must tell the consumer about the cancellation option no fewer than five days and no more than 30 days before the trial ends. A material change in the terms needs its own notice. Put these dates on a calendar or, better, have your subscription system send them.

How must cancellation work?

The termination options must be easy to use, cost-effective and timely. If the consumer signed up by means other than a toll-free number, email or postal address, you must offer a termination option as easy to use and accessible as the sign-up method. A guest who joined online should be able to leave online. The statute also lets the consumer end an automatic renewal at any time, with the end effective at the end of the term in which notice is given, and for continuous service the termination must take effect no later than 31 days after a verified notice, unless the consumer chooses a later date.

What happens if you forget the confirmation?

If a seller fails to provide the confirmation or the required notice, the consumer may terminate by any reasonable means at any time, at no cost. A missed email is not only a missed courtesy: it can mean the guest leaves without owing you anything further.

Can you try to keep a guest who cancels?

Yes, within limits. The statute says it does not prohibit asking why the consumer is canceling, as long as the consumer is not required to answer as a condition of canceling, or telling the consumer of any consequences of canceling, verifying identity, or describing options such as downgrading or pausing. A line like would you like to pause instead is allowed. A required survey is not.

What records should you keep?

Keep a record of each sign-up: the date, the offer terms the guest saw, the confirmation you sent and any cancellation request with the date you handled it. Save the wording of your sign-up page and each version of it with its dates, because the terms a guest saw in March may differ from those in October. If a guest disputes a charge, these records show what was promised and when. The pages read do not state a retention period, so ask a lawyer how long to keep them.

What should you do next?

List every product that renews on its own. For each, check the sign-up page, the confirmation email, the annual notice and the cancel path. Ask your subscription provider how it handles each rule. Then read how Minnesota treats gift cards, since many restaurant memberships are sold the same way.

More guides for your business:

• Minnesota gift card law for restaurants
• Minnesota credit card surcharge rules for restaurants: 5 percent cap
• Minnesota sales tax on restaurant meals: the state and local layers

More in the US guides for food businesses.