How to Cancel a Free Trial Before You Get Charged
Cancel where you signed up, a few days early, and write down four things on day one. Here is what Apple, Google Play and the FTC actually say.
To cancel a free trial before you get charged, cancel in the same place you signed up and do it a few days early. Apple asks you to cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends. Google Play says to cancel before the trial period expires, and some services, Spotify among them, end the free access the moment you cancel.
You signed up because the first week was free. The card is already on file, and the trial turns paid on a date you saw once, at checkout. Getting out cleanly takes about two minutes on the day you sign up and one more minute a few days before the end.
The steps below follow what Apple, Google Play and the Federal Trade Commission publish about trials. Every step works without any extra app.
What to write down the day you start a free trial
Four facts are enough, and you only have them in front of you at checkout:
- The service and the account. Which email or Apple Account you used. A trial on the wrong account is the one you never find again.
- The last day to cancel. Count back from the end date to the day you need to act.
- The price after the trial. And whether it bills monthly or yearly.
- Where you cancel. App Store, Google Play, or the company's own website. You cancel where you signed up.
The FTC's consumer guide to free trials says the terms should tell you the length of the trial and how and when to cancel. If you cannot find that information, its advice is not to sign up. It also warns about pre-checked boxes at checkout, which can agree to more charges for you.
How many days before the trial ends should you cancel?
Three days is a comfortable margin. Apple's help page on canceling subscriptions says that if you signed up for a trial and do not want to renew it, you should cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends. Google Play's help says to cancel before the trial period expires.
A few days of buffer also covers the things that go wrong in practice. The trial ends at a set time on that date. You may be traveling. The cancel page may ask you to sign in again, and the password lives on a laptop you do not have with you.
Where to cancel depends on where you signed up
On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions. Tap the trial, then Cancel Subscription. Apple notes that if there is no Cancel button, or you see an expiration message in red, it is already canceled.
On Android, open subscriptions in Google Play, pick the trial and tap Cancel subscription. Google Play's help is explicit that uninstalling an app does not cancel its subscription.
On a company website, the cancel option usually sits in account or billing settings. The FTC suggests keeping a copy of your cancellation request along with notes about any conversation you had. A screenshot of the confirmation screen counts.
Can you cancel right away and still use the trial?
Sometimes. It depends on the service, and the help pages differ. Spotify's help says that if you cancel during a zero-priced free trial, the account switches to the free service immediately, so canceling on day one means losing the trial.
If you want the full trial, do not cancel early. Set the reminder instead and make sure it says where to cancel. If you know you will forget, canceling on day one and losing a few days can still be the cheaper choice.
What to do if you were already charged
Start with the company. Follow its cancel steps so the charge does not repeat, then ask for a refund. For App Store purchases, Apple's refund help says some purchases might be eligible and points to its Report a Problem page.
If you were charged without agreeing to it and the company will not refund you, the FTC's guide says to dispute the charge with your credit or debit card company. If you cannot cancel at all, it suggests calling your card company and asking it to stop the payments. Keep watching your statement for a cycle or two afterward.
Make the next trial easier
The four facts only help if they come back at the right moment. With dEssence you forward the confirmation email or send a screenshot of the sign-up screen from Telegram, the Chrome extension or the web. Tracy pulls out the end date, and you ask her in your own words to remind you three days before. She writes first when that day comes. Turning a document into dates and reminders is part of the Pro plan, $10 a month. She does not read your inbox and does not cancel anything for you. The click stays yours.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I don't cancel my free trial?
The trial turns into a paid subscription, and the company charges the card you gave at sign-up. The FTC's guide says that is usually why a free trial asks for a card: so the company can bill you if you do not cancel before the trial ends. If the charge has already gone through, the steps are in the section "What to do if you were already charged" above.
Does deleting the app cancel a free trial?
No. Google Play's help says uninstalling an app does not cancel its subscription, and Netflix's help says that signing out or deleting the app does not cancel a membership. Cancel in the store or on the company's site.
Will I get a reminder before my free trial ends?
Google Play says that if you accept a trial offer, you get an email when the trial is about to end. Other companies may not send anything, so set your own reminder.
Is a trial that asks for a shipping fee really free?
The FTC's guide says that if you have to pay for shipping or fees to get a "free" trial, it is not really free, and that charges after the trial can be higher than expected.