Most subscriptions take about a minute to start and somehow much longer to stop. The trick is knowing where the subscription actually lives. If you signed up through the App Store, you cancel it on your iPhone. If you paid through PayPal, you cancel it in PayPal. If you signed up on the company’s own website, you cancel it in your account on that website. Cancel in the wrong place and the charges keep coming.
This guide walks through every common way to cancel a subscription, step by step, plus what to do when a company keeps charging you after you cancel. The good news is the law is moving your way: the federal government has passed a ban on subscription traps that starts on 1 July 2027, which will force businesses to make cancelling as easy as signing up. You can read the government’s announcement here.
The golden rule: cancel where you signed up
Before you do anything else, work out who is actually taking your money. Check your bank or card statement and look at the name next to the charge. It might be the company itself, or it might be Apple, Google Play, or PayPal. That name tells you where to cancel.
Three rules apply no matter which service it is:
- Deleting the app does not cancel the subscription. The charges will keep coming until you cancel properly.
- Stopping the payment is not the same as cancelling the service. If you cancel a direct debit or block a card payment but never cancel with the company, you can still owe them money.
- Cancel a few days before the renewal date, not on the day. Some payments are already in motion a day or two early, and a payment that has already started will still go through.
How to cancel a subscription on iPhone
If the charge on your statement says Apple, the subscription is billed through the App Store. This covers most app subscriptions, including streaming apps, fitness apps and news apps you signed up for on your phone.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap your name at the top of the screen.
- Tap Subscriptions.
- Find the subscription you want to stop and tap it.
- Tap Cancel Subscription and confirm.
If there is no cancel button, or you see a message in red saying the subscription has expired, it is already cancelled. You will keep access until the end of the billing period you have already paid for. If you are on a free trial, cancel at least 24 hours before it ends, or you will be charged for the first paid month.
You can also do this on a computer. Sign in at iCloud.com, open Account Settings, then click Subscriptions in the left sidebar.
How to cancel a subscription on Android
If the charge says Google Play, the subscription is billed through the Play Store.
- Open the Google Play Store app.
- Tap your profile picture in the top right corner.
- Tap Payments & subscriptions, then Subscriptions.
- Find the subscription and tap it.
- Tap Cancel subscription and follow the prompts.
As with Apple, you keep access until the end of the current billing period, and cancelling a free trial needs to happen at least a day before it ends.
How to cancel a subscription paid through PayPal
PayPal subscriptions work differently from the rest, because there are two things to cancel: the payment in PayPal, and the plan with the merchant. Cancelling one does not automatically cancel the other, so do both.
First, stop the payment in PayPal:
- Log in to PayPal on a computer or in the app.
- Click the gear icon to open Settings, then click the Payments tab.
- Click Automatic Payments. Some accounts show this as Subscriptions and saved businesses.
- Select the merchant, then click Cancel and confirm.
Then log in to the merchant’s own website or app and cancel the plan there too. If you only stop the PayPal payment, the company may keep billing you or send the unpaid amount to collections. Cancel at least three days before the renewal date, and go back after that date to check the agreement shows as cancelled.
How to cancel a streaming subscription
Streaming services are usually cancelled on their own websites, unless you signed up through Apple, Google Play, or a telco. If you signed up through one of those, use the steps above instead. Otherwise:
Netflix
Go to netflix.com/cancelplan and sign in, then click Finish Cancellation. Your account stays active until the end of the billing period, and you can restart within 10 months without losing your viewing history. If you signed up through Apple, cancel in your iPhone settings instead. If Telstra or Optus bills you for Netflix, contact the telco.
Disney+
Log in at disneyplus.com/account in a web browser, click your profile, then Account. Under your subscription, click the plan name, then Cancel Subscription and confirm. You cannot cancel from the app if you subscribed through Apple or Google Play; use the app store steps above instead.
Stan
Sign in at stan.com.au, click your profile, then My Account. Scroll to Subscription and click Cancel Subscription, then confirm. Your access continues until the end of your billing period.
Binge and Kayo
Both are owned by Foxtel and use the same system. Log in at binge.com.au or kayosports.com.au, go to My Account, then Manage Subscription, and cancel from there. There are no lock-in contracts, so you can cancel any time and keep watching until the end of the billing period.
How to cancel a subscription paid by card or direct debit
Some subscriptions are charged straight to your debit or credit card, or taken by direct debit from your bank account. For these, cancel with the merchant first, in your account settings on their website or app, or by contacting their support team.
If the merchant will not cancel, or you cannot find a way to cancel, your bank can help. Most banks can stop a direct debit, and some, like Westpac, let you cancel eligible subscriptions in their banking app without contacting the merchant. Keep in mind that stopping the payment does not end the contract. If you still owe money under the plan, the company can chase it. Our guide to how to cancel a direct debit explains the bank side of this in detail.
What to do if a company keeps charging you after you cancel
First, check the obvious: make sure the cancellation actually went through. Log back in and look for a confirmation email, or check the subscriptions list on your phone or in PayPal. A screen you clicked away from is not proof it saved.
If the charge is real, work through these steps in order:
- Contact the company. Email them with the cancellation date and ask for the plan to be closed and the charge refunded. Keep a copy of everything.
- Contact your bank. If the company will not help, your bank can dispute the charge. Our guide to disputing a direct debit covers the process for bank-account payments.
- Complain to the regulator. Under Australian Consumer Law, a rolling subscription can be cancelled at any time without penalty, and the business must process it within a reasonable time. If a company makes cancelling unreasonably hard, that is a matter for the ACCC or your state fair trading office.
Your rights when cancelling a subscription
Under Australian Consumer Law, you can cancel a rolling subscription at any time without penalty, and you do not need to give a reason. A business cannot charge you an exit fee just for leaving, and it must not make cancelling harder than signing up was.
From 1 July 2027, those rules get sharper. The new unfair trading laws passed by Parliament in July 2026 will ban subscription traps outright, including designs that hide the cancel button or push you through endless retention offers. Until then, the existing consumer law still applies, and the ACCC has already taken action against companies over misleading subscription practices.
How to stop subscriptions piling up again
Cancelling is only half the job. Most people pick up a new subscription every few months and forget about it. A quick tidy-up every few months keeps the money in your pocket:
- Check your statements. Once a month, scan your bank and card statements for anything you do not recognise or no longer use.
- Check your phone. Look at the Subscriptions list on your iPhone or in Google Play every few months and cancel anything you have stopped using.
- Set a reminder for free trials. When you start a trial, set a phone reminder for two days before it ends.
- Use one payment method. Paying for subscriptions from one card or PayPal account makes them much easier to find and track.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cancel a subscription at any time?
Yes. Under Australian Consumer Law, a rolling subscription can be cancelled at any time without penalty. Fixed-term contracts are different: you may need to wait out the term or pay an early exit fee, so check the terms before you sign up.
Will I get a refund if I cancel halfway through the month?
Usually not. Most subscriptions do not refund part of a billing period. You keep access until the end of the period you have already paid for, and the charges simply stop from the next one.
Does deleting the app cancel my subscription?
No. Deleting an app only removes it from your phone. The subscription and the charges keep running until you cancel it in your App Store or Google Play subscriptions list, or with the company directly.
Does cancelling a direct debit cancel the subscription?
No. Cancelling the direct debit stops the money, but the contract with the company stays in place and you may still owe them. Always cancel with the company as well, and keep proof that you did.
What if there is no cancel button?
Some companies hide the cancel option or force you to call. Try the account settings on their website rather than the app, and check your email for a cancellation link. If there is genuinely no way to cancel online, email the company so you have a written record, then contact your bank to stop the payments.
