Adobe charged for leaving. The CMA wants to know why.

In March 2026, the UK Competition and Markets Authority announced an investigation into Adobe over concerns that early cancellation fees on certain membership plans may breach consumer protection law.

The investigation is not a finding of wrongdoing. It is a useful signal about the design of subscription contracts: the monthly price is visible, while the cost of leaving can remain hidden until a customer has already built their work around the service.

Flexible until you leave

A plan described as monthly can still carry a longer commitment or an early termination fee. That structure can be legitimate when it is explained clearly. The consumer problem appears when the headline price is easy to understand and the exit price is not.

The choice should be simple: pay monthly for flexibility, or accept a commitment in return for a lower price. A fee discovered after the decision is not a price; it is a trapdoor.

The cancellation receipt

Customers should see the exact cancellation cost before they click to confirm a plan, not after they have spent years organising their work inside it. A good subscription makes the exit legible at the same time as the upgrade.

Adobe’s investigation is a reminder that recurring revenue is not a licence to make leaving opaque.