Many people sign up for app free trials, whether for an exercise program or a streaming platform, and think they’ll remember to cancel in a week…but don’t. Then, a charge appears on a statement, and they realize it’s time to take action and cancel that unwanted subscription.
Or perhaps you’re the type who signed up for a meditation app but haven’t used it in a while and think it’s time to exit.
In these situations, you may need a little help figuring out the most direct way to cancel a subscription on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Here’s help: a guide to canceling those money-draining sign-ups.
One silver lining: When you cancel a paid subscription, you get to use it until the arrival of the next billing date.
How to Cancel App Subscriptions on an iPhone or iPad
Here are the steps for canceling a subscription on your mobile iOS device.
Step 1. Open the Settings app.
Step 2. Tap your name at the top of the page.
Step 3. Tap Subscriptions.
Step 4: Tap the subscription that you want to cancel.
Step 5. Tap Cancel Subscription. If you don’t see Cancel as an option, the subscription has already been cancelled and won’t renew. You should be free of this charge and on track to be saving money daily.
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There’s another option you might use:
Step 1. Go to the App Store.
Step 2. Tap your profile image.
Step 3. Scroll down to Subscriptions and tap. You will then see any active subscriptions.
Step 4. Tap the subscription you want to cancel.
Step 5. Confirm by tapping Cancel Subscription.
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How to Cancel Subscriptions on a Mac
Follow these instructions to cancel app subscriptions on a Mac laptop or desktop computer.
Step 1. Open the App Store (you can locate this in Finder under Applications, or at the bottom of your home screen).
Step 2. Click the sign-in button or your name at the bottom of the sidebar.
Step 3. Click View Information at the top right of the window. You may be prompted to sign in.
Step 4. On the page that appears, scroll until you see Subscriptions, then click Manage.
Step 5. Click Cancel Subscription. If you don’t see Cancel Subscription, then the subscription is already cancelled and will not renew.
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Accidentally Cancelled a Subscription? Here’s How to Restart
If you got a little trigger-happy and canceled the wrong subscription. Or perhaps you have a change of heart after canceling an app and want to get it back, realizing that you were just momentarily feeling guilty about spending money.
Step 1. Open the Settings app.
Step 2. Tap your name at the top of the page.
Step 3. Tap Subscriptions.
Step 4. Look for the list of expired subscriptions at the bottom of the screen. Tap the one you would like to reactivate.
Step 5. On the subscription page, tap the subscription option you want and then confirm your choice. You’ll now be resubscribed.
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How-to Tip: Setting Reminders to Avoid Unwanted Subscriptions
The next time you sign up for a new app that has a trial period promotion going on, you may want to set a reminder on your mobile device to cancel your app subscription. Say, you want to cut back and save on streaming services after having signed up for half a dozen different channels on a boring rainy weekend.
This could help you avoid unexpected monthly expenses and manage your money better to reach your short-term financial goals.
You could use your phone to ask Siri to set a Reminder to cancel a subscription a few days before fees will kick in. Or, you could use the Reminders app on your phone or iPad.
Another option is to use Calendar to create a New Event for the date and time you want to cancel an app. To get a notification on that day, you’ll want to make sure the Alert section is set to “at time of event.” This move can help you reduce your spending.
Recommended: How to Make a Budget in 5 Steps
The Takeaway
Most subscriptions automatically renew unless you cancel them. If you sign up for a free trial and don’t cancel in time, you will end up paying a monthly fee that you likely won’t be able to get refunded.
A good way to make sure you aren’t paying for subscriptions you don’t want is to track your monthly spending and then set up a basic budget. Having a budget can help ensure that your spending is in line with your priorities and short-term financial goals. Your bank may offer tools to help you with expense tracking and overall budgeting.
Photo credit: iStock/Suwaree Tangbovornpichet
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SoFi members with direct deposit activity can earn 4.60% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Direct Deposit means a deposit to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Deposits that are not from an employer or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, do not constitute Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate.
SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits can earn 4.60% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Qualifying Deposits means one or more deposits that, in the aggregate, are equal to or greater than $5,000 to an account holder’s SoFi Checking and Savings account (“Qualifying Deposits”) during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Qualifying Deposits only include those deposits from the following eligible sources: (i) ACH transfers, (ii) inbound wire transfers, (iii) peer-to-peer transfers (i.e., external transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc. and internal peer-to-peer transfers from a SoFi account belonging to another account holder), (iv) check deposits, (v) instant funding to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, (vi) push payments to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, and (vii) cash deposits. Qualifying Deposits do not include: (i) transfers between an account holder’s Checking account, Savings account, and/or Vaults; (ii) interest payments; (iii) bonuses issued by SoFi Bank or its affiliates; or (iv) credits, reversals, and refunds from SoFi Bank, N.A. (“SoFi Bank”) or from a merchant.
SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder’s Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits throughout each 30-Day Evaluation Period to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Upon receiving a Direct Deposit or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits to your account, you will begin earning 4.60% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% on checking balances on or before the following calendar day. You will continue to earn these APYs for (i) the remainder of the current 30-Day Evaluation Period and through the end of the subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period and (ii) any following 30-day Evaluation Periods during which SoFi Bank determines you to have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits without interruption.
SoFi Bank reserves the right to grant a grace period to account holders following a change in Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits activity before adjusting rates. If SoFi Bank grants you a grace period, the dates for such grace period will be reflected on the APY Details page of your account. If SoFi Bank determines that you did not have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits during the current 30-day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, then you will begin earning the rates earned by account holders without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits until you have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits in a subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period. For the avoidance of doubt, an account holder with both Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits will earn the rates earned by account holders with Direct Deposit.
Members without either Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits, as determined by SoFi Bank, during a 30-Day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances.
Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 10/24/2023. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
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