How to cancel a subscription you found on your statement
The company that bills you is the place that can stop the next charge. Apple, Google Play, and PayPal each have their own cancel steps when they are the biller. A bank or card issuer is the next call if a payment continues after you took permission away. The steps below are copied from official US and Canadian pages.
Last checked: Oct 2026
Start with the company on the statement
Write down the name, the date, and the amount exactly as printed. Open that company's account and cancel there. The charge guides on this site, including Netflix, Adobe, and Hulu, link the cancel page for that company. A phone, TV, or store package is cancelled with the company that bills you, not with the app you deleted.
The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says to call the company and tell them you are taking away permission for automatic payments, then follow up in writing. Say whether you are cancelling the service or only changing how you pay. Cancelling the payment does not cancel a debt you still owe, such as a loan.
If Apple bills you
Apple's US support page, published 29 September 2026, is for a subscription from Apple or bought in an App Store app. On an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro: Settings, your name, Subscriptions, the subscription, Cancel Subscription. You may need to scroll to find Cancel. If there is no Cancel button, or you see an expiration message in red, Apple says it is already canceled.
On a Mac: App Store, your name, your name again, Subscriptions, the subscription, Cancel Subscription. On the web, Apple says to go to account.apple.com and follow the instructions. On Windows, use the Apple Music app or the Apple TV app: your name, View My Account, Subscriptions, Manage, Edit, Cancel Subscription. If Apple Music or Apple TV on Android is billed by Google Play, cancel in Google Play. If it is billed by Apple, use account.apple.com.
If you cannot find the subscription, search email for receipt from Apple or invoice from Apple, and cancel from the Apple Account on the receipt. You cannot cancel a family member's subscription. A plan from a phone company is cancelled with that company. Apple says to cancel a trial at least 24 hours before it ends if you do not want it to renew.
If Google Play bills you
Google's Play help page says subscriptions continue until you unsubscribe, and that you are charged at the start of each billing period. Sign in to the Google Account that owns the subscription. Uninstalling the app does not cancel it.
On an Android phone or tablet: open subscriptions in Google Play, select the subscription, tap Cancel subscription, and follow the instructions. After you cancel, Google's example says you keep access through the time you already paid. Some apps let you pause, from one week to three months, starting at the end of the current period. If the app is removed from Google Play, Google says future charges are cancelled. Past charges are not refunded except as that article or Play's refund policies say. The page opened here is the Android help article. It does not print a separate set of computer clicks.
If PayPal bills you
PayPal's US help page says an automatic payment is also called a subscription, a billing agreement, or a recurring payment. On the PayPal website: Settings, Payments, then Subscriptions and saved businesses or Automatic Payments, then the merchant. On that page you can cancel the automatic payment and change the backup payment method. These clicks are from the US page. A Canada PayPal help page was not the source for this list.
The same US page says most automatic payments can use a specific payment method, and that method is used even if your preferred PayPal method is different. To change it: Settings, Payments, Subscriptions and saved businesses or Automatic Payments, the merchant, Change Payment Method, then Save.
If the charge keeps coming: United States
After you tell the company, the CFPB says to call your bank or credit union and say you have revoked authorization, then follow up in writing. Payments the company starts after that are errors, and you can ask the bank for a refund. Some banks recommend a stop payment order as well. The CFPB says banks and credit unions generally charge a fee for a stop payment order. Tell the bank right away about a payment you did not allow, or a payment that went through after you revoked authorization. Federal law gives you the right to dispute an unauthorized transfer if you tell the bank in time. The page does not print the number of days in that sentence.
For a credit card, the CFPB says to call the card company right away and also send a written billing error notice within 60 calendar days after the charge appeared on your statement. The company has 30 days to confirm it received the dispute, unless it has already finished the required steps. If the company agrees, the charge must come off. If it disagrees, it must explain in writing, say how much you owe, and say when it is due. You can dispute a charge you already paid. A defective purchase may use a different process.
A new card number is not a step these pages tell you to request. Adobe says a bank may move a payment onto a new card after the old one expires. Instacart's terms say the issuer may send updated card details and the merchant may keep charging. Opting out of card updater services is done with the card issuer.
If the charge keeps coming: Canada
A credit card subscription and a pre-authorized debit from a bank account are different. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada says Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Interac have committed to protect you if the card is used without permission. Tell the issuer without delay about an unauthorized transaction, a lost card, a lost phone used for banking, or theft. Keep the PIN secret. For a credit card issued by a bank, the maximum you are responsible for is $50, unless you were grossly negligent. In Quebec the phrase is gross fault. If a federally regulated institution other than a bank issued the card, the maximum is the lesser of $50 and the amount in your card agreement. A federally regulated institution must fully investigate. It cannot hold you responsible only because someone used a PIN or other authentication.
A pre-authorized debit lets the biller withdraw from your bank account. FCAC says to cancel that agreement with the biller in writing, and to keep a copy. Cancelling the agreement does not cancel the contract or the amount you owe. Check that the debits stop. If they continue, contact the biller. You have 90 days to seek reimbursement through your financial institution. A stop payment can cover one payment or a series of payments. Ask the institution how much time it needs. Tell the institution about an incorrect or unauthorized debit within 90 days of the withdrawal. If that debit caused an extra charge, such as an NSF fee, ask the institution to reverse the extra charge. FCAC also describes an automatic payment you set up yourself, which you can usually change in online banking. Do not use the 90 day debit window as the rule for a credit card subscription.
Questions
- Does deleting the app cancel the subscription?
- No. Apple, Google Play, Netflix, Spotify, and Audible all say deleting the app does not cancel. Cancel in the account that bills you.
- Does cancelling in PayPal cancel the service?
- PayPal's US page says you can cancel the automatic payment from Settings, then Payments. It does not say that step closes the merchant's account. Contact the merchant to end the service. These clicks are from the US page.
- Will a new card number stop the charge?
- Not by itself. Adobe says a bank may move a payment to a new card. Instacart says the issuer may send updated card details and the membership can continue. Ask the card issuer about opting out of card updater services.
- What do I ask the bank in Canada if a debit continues?
- FCAC says to cancel the pre-authorized debit with the biller in writing, then ask your institution for reimbursement within 90 days if the debits continue. You can also ask for a stop payment, and ask them to reverse an NSF fee caused by the unauthorized debit.
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