What is Cancellation?
Definition
The act of ending a subscription, which stops future billing and eventually terminates access to the service.
Understanding Cancellation
Cancellation policies vary widely between services. Some take effect immediately, while others let you use the service until the end of your current billing period. Key things to know: most services retain your data for 30-90 days after cancellation in case you resubscribe.
Annual subscriptions may or may not offer prorated refunds. Some services use 'dark patterns' to make cancellation difficult — requiring phone calls or multiple confirmation steps. The FTC has been pushing for 'click to cancel' rules to make it as easy to cancel as it is to subscribe.
Related Terms
Auto-Renewal
A feature that automatically renews a subscription at the end of each billing cycle without requiring manual action from the user.
Grace Period
A short window of time after a payment fails or a subscription expires during which the service remains accessible before being suspended.
Subscription
A recurring payment arrangement where a customer pays at regular intervals to access a product or service.
Refund
The return of subscription payment to the customer, typically when cancelling within a specified window or due to service issues.