Cancel a subscription, broken into 5 small steps
Unused subscriptions survive on friction: you don't remember which email you used, the cancel button is hidden, and it's only a few dollars, so it never feels urgent.
One focused sitting is usually enough, as long as you know where to look first.
Start here · under 2 minutes
Search your bank statement for the charge.
Under two minutes. It tells you the exact name and how you're paying.
The rest of the steps
- Step 2:
Check where it's billed.
On iPhone, Settings → your name → Subscriptions lists App Store subscriptions. Others are on the company's website.
- Step 3:
Cancel it.
Look for "Manage plan" or "Billing". If you can't find it, search "how to cancel [name]".
- Step 4:
Save the confirmation.
A screenshot of the confirmation screen or email.
- Step 5:
Check next month's statement.
Set a reminder. If it still charges you, the screenshot is your proof.
Why this one stalls
Canceling is designed to be slightly annoying, and slightly annoying is enough to postpone it month after month.
If you get stuck
Do a quick sweep while you're at it: list every recurring charge from last month and cancel one more you don't use.
What “done” looks like
The subscription is canceled and you have the confirmation saved.
These steps follow the same rules as the method in our task breakdown guide: the first step is physical and takes under two minutes, and every step after it is something you can see yourself doing. Got a head full of other things too? Start with a brain dump.