What happens when your broadband contract ends

What the end of the minimum term actually means

The minimum term is the period you agreed to stay for when you signed up. When it ends, your commitment to stay ends with it — but the contract itself usually does not.

Reaching the end of the minimum term is less an ending than a change of state. The service keeps running, and from this point you are typically described as being "out of contract", even though a contract is still in place.

How the contract usually continues

Most broadband contracts continue on a rolling basis once the minimum term is over, typically month to month. You do not normally need to do anything for this to happen — continuation is the default, not something you opt into.

Rolling continuation means your connection carries on without interruption. It also usually means less commitment than before: the contract should describe what notice period applies if you decide to end it.

Out-of-contract and standard pricing

The price you pay during the minimum term is often a rate tied to that term. Once the term ends, many contracts move to what is variously called the out-of-contract, standard, or list price — a separate figure that may differ from the one you signed up at.

This change generally happens automatically rather than being something you are asked to agree to again. It is worth knowing which price you are on once your minimum term has passed, and the contract or the provider’s published price list is where the standard price is set out.

Where to find your end date

Your contract end date is the anchor for everything in this guide, and it is usually recorded in more than one place. If you no longer have the original paperwork, the date is normally still available through your account.

• Your provider’s app or online account area, often under a "contract" or "package" section.
• The order confirmation or welcome email from when the service started.
• A recent bill, which may show your contract status or end date.
• The provider directly — customer service can confirm the date and whether any early-exit charge would currently apply.

End-of-contract notifications

An end-of-contract notification is a message from a provider — usually a letter, email, or text — telling you that your minimum term is coming to an end. It typically sets out when the term ends, what will happen to your price and service afterwards, and what your current options are.

Providers may also send reminders after the minimum term has passed, for customers who have stayed on a rolling arrangement. These messages are worth reading rather than filing away, because they describe the specific dates and prices that apply to your own contract — details a general guide cannot.

The choices at the end of the term

The end of a minimum term is the point at which your choices open up, and doing nothing is itself one of them — the contract will roll on by default.

This guide does not weigh those choices for you; which one fits depends on your circumstances, and the decision stays with you. Knowing your end date simply tells you when that flexibility begins.

• Staying on the rolling arrangement, at whatever the out-of-contract price is.
• Agreeing a new minimum term with your current provider, which usually starts a fresh commitment period.
• Moving to a different provider, which involves a new contract with its own minimum term.

A note on this guide

This guide is general information to help you understand your own contracts. It is not financial advice or a recommendation, and it does not rank or endorse any provider. Every decision about your contracts remains with you. To see how PEAMO surfaces your contracts and renewals, read How PEAMO works.