Have you ever noticed that cancelling some subscriptions feels as simple as walking out a clearly marked “exit” door, while others are like trying to escape a complex maze? It’s one of the big frustrations of modern life.

Relief could be on the horizon in Australia, as the federal government presses ahead with plans to crack down on unfair trading practices – including such “subscription traps”.

This month, the government introduced proposed new laws to parliament, which would force businesses to make cancelling a subscription “straightforward”, “easy to find” and only require “steps that are reasonably necessary”.

However, the tactics used to lock in subscribers keep changing, often faster than regulation can keep up. Consumers should also have other options at their disposal.

Right now, for subscriptions paid via a direct debit, consumers can call their bank and ask them to cancel the payment, which the bank must do.

But surprisingly, unlike in some other countries, Australian law doesn’t require banks to do the same if a consumer requests to cancel a recurring credit or debit card payment.

Banks can still choose to do so, but they’ll often tell a customer to contact the merchant instead.

That’s a problem. Australians deserve equal cancellation rights through their bank, regardless of the payment method used. It’s their money, after all.

The promise........

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