negative option

American  

[neg-uh-tiv op-shuhn] / ˈnɛg ə tɪv ˈɒp ʃən /

noun

1. a clause in a sales contract, such as for a series of books or records, that provides that merchandise will be sent periodically to subscribers unless they notify the company in writing that it is not wanted.

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Other Word Forms

• negative-option
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of negative option

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

negative option

“They use the words ‘credit repair,’ but what’s really happening here is a negative option that extracts fees from people with the assumption that most people wanted this.”

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026

This tactic is sometimes called a negative option, meaning that a consumer’s failure to say no to receiving a good or service amounts to consent to being charged for it.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026

“We certainly do not endorse the use of unfair and deceptive practices in negative option marketing,” they wrote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2025

In 2019, the FTC began working on expanding its 1973 regulation of book clubs to cover all forms of negative option marketing and published a final rule last November.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2025

The FTC acknowledged in 2019 that its current rule addressing negative-option plans is too narrow to “reach most modern negative option marketing.”

From Washington Post ● Jun. 2, 2021