15 USC § 8403 - Negative option marketing on the Internet

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t15/s8403"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "15 USC § 8403 - Negative option marketing on the Internet"
title_number: 15
title_name: "COMMERCE AND TRADE"
section_number: "8403"
section_name: "Negative option marketing on the Internet"
chapter_number: 110
chapter_name: "ONLINE SHOPPER PROTECTION"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 111–345, § 4, Dec. 29, 2010, 124 Stat. 3620.)"
---


# § 8403. Negative option marketing on the Internet

It shall be unlawful for any person to charge or attempt to charge any consumer for any goods or services sold in a transaction effected on the Internet through a negative option feature (as defined in the Federal Trade Commission’s Telemarketing Sales Rule in part 310 of title 16, Code of Federal Regulations), unless the person—

**(1)** provides text that clearly and conspicuously discloses all material terms of the transaction before obtaining the consumer’s billing information;

**(2)** obtains a consumer’s express informed consent before charging the consumer’s credit card, debit card, bank account, or other financial account for products or services through such transaction; and

**(3)** provides simple mechanisms for a consumer to stop recurring charges from being placed on the consumer’s credit card, debit card, bank account, or other financial account.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 111–345, § 4, Dec. 29, 2010, 124 Stat. 3620.)