One clause in the AGB costs Lukas €180 — every year.
A streaming plan for €14.99/month — one click, done. Hidden in the AGB (the standard terms and conditions used under German law — not the same as US-style ToS): a 12-month auto-renewal, unilateral price increases, a €50 data-export fee. SignGuard spots these traps in 60 seconds — for consumer and business AGB.
Check the AGB now60 sec · free · iOS & Android · no credit card
German AGB check — at a glance
Checking AGB (the standard terms and conditions used under German law — not the same as US-style ToS) means verifying whether the pre-formulated clauses a company presents to you are actually enforceable. German law reviews AGB strictly: surprising or one-sided clauses are invalid under §§ 305–310 of the German Civil Code (BGB), no matter what you signed. SignGuard is an AI-powered contract analysis app that flags the typical risky AGB clauses in 60 seconds and explains each one in plain English.
- Most common risks: hidden auto-renewals, blanket liability exclusions, unilateral price-change rights, and jurisdiction clauses that would move disputes away from your local court.
- Your protection: invalid AGB clauses are simply void — the statutory rules apply instead (§ 306 BGB). You do not have to renegotiate; you just need to know which clauses fail.
- How it works: upload a photo or PDF → the AI flags problematic clauses with BGB references and BGH case law → plain-language explanation. GDPR-compliant on EU-based servers, 3 free analyses, no credit card.
SignGuard in three simple steps
From upload to clause analysis — no lawyer appointment, no hours of small-print reading.
Live demo, right here — free, in 60 seconds:
Critical clauses by AGB type
📊 Backed by BGB + GDPR · consumers (B2C) + business customers (B2B)Since March 2022, online contracts may only renew for an indefinite period with a one-month cancellation right (§ 309 No. 9 BGB).
A price adjustment "at our reasonable discretion" without a special termination right is invalid (BGH XI ZR 78/08).
You have the right to free data portability in a machine-readable format (Art. 20 GDPR) — a service fee is not permitted.
A blanket liability waiver is an unreasonable disadvantage — you can claim a refund for longer outages (§ 309 No. 7 BGB).
A missing or incomplete data processing agreement (AVV/DPA) is a direct GDPR violation (Art. 28 + 83 GDPR).
A SaaS provider may not raise prices "at reasonable discretion" without granting a special termination right (§ 307(1) BGB).
High data-export fees at contract end are critical under competition law (lock-in) and contestable under the GDPR.
A blanket exclusion of consequential damages is invalid — liability for essential contractual duties remains (§ 307 BGB · BGH X ZR 53/04). More in our German guides on the severability clause (German) and on liability waivers in AGB (German). For jurisdiction clauses the picture is similar for consumers: when a forum clause in AGB is invalid (German) (with § 38 ZPO + Brussels Ia + BGH III ZR 59/24).
If the analysis shows a high risk, you can forward your contract together with a case summary to an independent German lawyer in one tap — a referral through the advocado partner network. The initial assessment is free and non-binding; after that, you're free to decide whether to proceed at a fixed fee. How the Lawyer Check works →
"A streaming plan at €14.99/month — I clicked 'accept' without reading. SignGuard scanned the AGB afterwards: a 12-month auto-renewal, a €4 price increase from month 7 with no special termination right, and a €50 data-export fee if I switch. I objected to the next price adjustment in writing and kept streaming at the standard price. Saved: €168 in the first year."
Anonymized case study from our test phase · example calculation: streaming subscription + data-export fee · Subscription contract check — step by step
AGB check: tools compared 2026
AGB tools fall into two camps: creating AGB (for businesses that need legally sound terms of their own) and checking AGB (reviewing another party's existing terms for invalid clauses). SignGuard is the check — from the consumer's side.
| Tool | Category | Who it's for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| SignGuard (iOS app) | AGB check | Consumers: checks a provider's AGB for invalid clauses (§§ 305-310 BGB) | 3 free, then from €4.99/month |
| klauselwerk.com / proofdocs | AGB creation | Businesses: generate legally sound AGB of their own | Subscription / per document |
| Legartis | B2B contract review | Companies: AI clause review for in-house legal teams | Enterprise |
| Verbraucherzentrale (consumer advice centers) | Advice | Consumers: advice in AGB disputes | approx. €30-90 |
Rule of thumb: If you are a business drafting your own AGB, use klauselwerk.com or a lawyer. If you are a consumer checking a provider's AGB (online shop, streaming, SaaS) — whether the auto-renewal, price increase or liability waiver is even valid — use SignGuard (3 free analyses, with §§ 305-310 BGB references).
Frequently asked questions about AGB
Auto-renewal in AGB — how long may an online subscription renew for in Germany?
Can a provider raise prices unilaterally under German law?
What is the difference between B2C and B2B AGB?
Is a data processing agreement (AVV/DPA) mandatory with SaaS AGB?
Data export at cancellation — may the provider charge a fee?
What does SignGuard cost?
Start for free — no credit card required.
- 3 contract scans
- Clause classification
- Risk score
- Contract manager
- Unlimited scans
- Deadline reminders
- Cancellation templates
- Cost overview
- AI contract assistant
- All Pro features
- Up to 4 users
- Family sharing, analyses included
- PDF export for your lawyer
💚 Cancel the monthly plan anytime · no credit card · all plans in the Apple App Store
Important legal notes
Example calculations: All € amounts (€180 hero story, €50 data export, €60 price increase, €850 B2B data export, 4% B2B fine risk, €168 saved in the testimonial) are illustrative example calculations based on typical online subscriptions (streaming, cloud tools) and typical mid-market SaaS contracts. Actual losses vary widely with the provider, contract term and fine level.
Legal bases: The cited provisions (§§ 305-310 BGB German AGB law, § 309 No. 7 + 9 BGB prohibited clauses, § 307 BGB content review, § 444 BGB fraudulent intent, Art. 20 + 28 + 83 GDPR data protection) reflect the BGB and GDPR as of 2026. Sources: Verbraucherzentrale (German consumer advice centers), the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Federal Data Protection Commissioner (BfDI), and Federal Court of Justice (BGH) case law.
Case study: The case shown ("Lukas R., streaming customer, Berlin") is an anonymized case study illustrating a typical consumer AGB scenario. Personal details are fictitious.
No legal advice: SignGuard is a digital contract manager with AI-assisted clause analysis. The app is for information purposes and does not replace advice from a lawyer. In disputes over auto-renewal, price increases, refused data exports or GDPR violations, consult a Verbraucherzentrale, the BfDI, or a lawyer for consumer or IT law. And if the analysis shows a high risk: the Lawyer Check connects you — straight from the app — with a free initial assessment by an independent lawyer through the advocado partner network.