Notice periods explained

A notice period is the amount of time before a contract or subscription renews during which you must give notice if you want to cancel or renegotiate. Miss it, and you're often locked in for another full term. This is where renewals quietly cost businesses money — and it's exactly what Lapsewise is built to prevent.

The problem

Say a vendor contract renews on June 1 with a 60-day notice period. That means your real deadline to act is April 2 — sixty days earlier. If you only had the renewal date in your calendar, a reminder on June 1 would arrive two months too late: the contract has already auto-renewed.

How Lapsewise handles it

On a contract or membership record you can set:

• The renewal date
• The notice period (e.g. 30/60/90 days)

Lapsewise then aims its reminders at the notice deadline (renewal date minus notice period), with your lead time on top of that. So you're warned before the window closes, while you can still cancel, renegotiate, or consciously choose to renew.

A worked example

| | Date | |---|---| | Renewal date | June 1 | | Notice period | 60 days | | Notice deadline | April 2 | | Your lead time | 14 days | | Reminder fires | ~March 19 |

You get nudged in mid-March — plenty of time to decide and act before the April 2 cutoff.

Which modules use it

Notice-period awareness applies anywhere an auto-renew/cancellation window matters — primarily Contracts and Memberships. Other modules (certificates, licenses, insurance, warranties, grants) typically remind against the expiry/milestone date directly.

Tips

• Always capture the notice period when you add a contract — it's the single most valuable field for avoiding lock-in.
• Add a longer lead time (e.g. 30 days) on high-value contracts so you have room to negotiate, not just cancel.
• Use the status board to track contracts you've decided to renew vs cancel.

FAQ

What if I don't know the notice period? Check the contract's termination clause (often "Term and Termination"). If unsure, set a conservative longer period so you're warned early.

Does Lapsewise cancel for me? No — it makes sure you're reminded in time to act. The cancellation/renewal action is yours.

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Next: How reminders work · Contracts module