How to Cancel a Free Trial Before You Get Charged (2026 Guide)
Updated February 2026 · 8 min read
You signed up for a free trial. Now you need to cancel before it converts to a paid subscription. Here's the problem: 48% of people forget to cancel free trials, costing an average of $32/month in unwanted charges.
This guide covers exactly how to cancel free trials on every platform — iPhone, Android, web, and specific services — before you get charged a single dollar.
📱 Cancel Free Trials on iPhone / iPad
If you signed up through the App Store, this is where you cancel:
- Open Settings
- Tap your name at the top (Apple ID)
- Tap Subscriptions
- Find the trial and tap it
- Tap Cancel Subscription (or Cancel Free Trial)
- Confirm cancellation
Pro tip: You keep access until the trial period ends. Canceling early doesn't cut you off early.
Common iPhone Free Trials:
- Apple TV+ — 7-day trial (or 3 months free with new device)
- Apple Music — 1 month free
- Apple One — 1 month free ($16.95-32.95/mo after)
- Apple Fitness+ — 1 month free (3 months with new Apple Watch)
- Apple Arcade — 1 month free ($6.99/mo after)
🤖 Cancel Free Trials on Android
- Open the Google Play Store app
- Tap your profile icon (top right)
- Tap Payments & subscriptions
- Tap Subscriptions
- Find the trial and tap it
- Tap Cancel subscription
- Follow the prompts and confirm
💻 Cancel Free Trials on Web (Direct Signups)
If you signed up on a website (not through an app store), you need to cancel on that website. Here are the most common ones:
Streaming Services
- Netflix — Account → Cancel Membership (no free trial currently, but check if you have a promo trial)
- Hulu — Account → Cancel (30-day trial with some promos)
- Disney+ — Account → Subscription → Cancel
- Paramount+ — Account → Cancel Subscription (7-day trial)
- Peacock — Account → Plan → Cancel Plan (7-day trial)
- Max (HBO) — Settings → Subscription → Cancel (7-day trial)
- Amazon Prime — Account → Prime → End Membership (30-day trial)
Productivity & Software
- Adobe Creative Cloud — Account → Plans → Cancel Plan (7-day trial, but annual plan = ETF after trial)
- Microsoft 365 — account.microsoft.com → Subscriptions → Cancel (1-month trial)
- Canva Pro — Account Settings → Billing → Cancel (30-day trial)
- Grammarly Premium — Account → Subscription → Cancel (7-day trial)
- ChatGPT Plus — Settings → Subscription → Cancel Plan (no trial, but easy cancel)
Fitness & Health
- Peloton — Account → Subscriptions → Cancel (30-day app trial)
- Noom — Settings → Subscription → Cancel (7-14 day trial, charges $59/mo after)
- Calm — Account → Manage Subscription → Cancel (7-day trial)
- Headspace — Account → Manage Subscription → Cancel (7-14 day trial)
⚡ The "Cancel Immediately" Strategy
The smartest move with any free trial: sign up, then cancel immediately. Here's why:
- ✅ You still get the full trial period (most services keep access until it ends)
- ✅ Zero risk of forgetting to cancel
- ✅ No calendar reminders needed
- ✅ If you love it, you can always re-subscribe
Services that cut access immediately when you cancel a trial (rare, but watch out):
- YouTube Premium — access until trial ends ✅
- Spotify Premium — access until trial ends ✅
- Adobe — access until trial ends ✅ (but annual plan ETF risk after)
- Most services — access until trial ends ✅
🛡️ Prevent Future Free Trial Charges
Use a Virtual Card
The nuclear option: use a virtual card from Privacy.com or your bank for free trials. Set a spending limit of $1. When the trial tries to charge, it fails — and you never get charged.
Set Instant Reminders
The moment you sign up for a trial, set a phone reminder for 2 days before it ends. Not 1 day — 2 days, in case you get busy.
Check Your Subscriptions Monthly
Upload your bank statement to JustCancel monthly to catch any trials that slipped through. We flag new recurring charges automatically.
😬 Already Got Charged? Here's What to Do
- Cancel immediately — stop the bleeding before next month
- Request a refund — most services refund the first charge if you contact them within 48 hours (full refund guide)
- Apple/Google refund — if billed through an app store, request a refund through Apple (reportaproblem.apple.com) or Google Play (play.google.com → Order History)
- Dispute with bank — last resort if the company won't refund (chargeback guide)
🔍 Find Every Subscription — Including Forgotten Trials
Upload your bank statement and we'll identify every recurring charge in 30 seconds. See exactly what you're paying for.
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Browse All Cancel Guides
Need to cancel a specific service? We have step-by-step guides for 1,100+ services with direct cancel links, difficulty ratings, and tips for avoiding retention traps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose access immediately if I cancel a free trial early?
Usually no. Most services (Netflix, Spotify, Adobe, etc.) let you keep access until the trial period ends, even if you cancel on day one. A few services cut access immediately — the cancel confirmation page will tell you.
Can I get a refund if I forgot to cancel a free trial?
Often yes. Contact the service within 24-48 hours of being charged. Apple, Google, and most major services will refund the first charge if you haven't used the service. Our refund guide covers the exact steps for each platform.
How do I find all my active free trials?
Check three places: 1) iPhone: Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions, 2) Android: Google Play → Payments & subscriptions, 3) Bank statement — upload to JustCancel and we'll flag every recurring charge including recent trial conversions.
Is it better to cancel a free trial right away or wait until the end?
Cancel immediately. Most services keep your access until the trial ends anyway, and you eliminate the risk of forgetting. Set it and forget it — in your favor for once.
Do free trials affect my credit score?
No. Free trials don't impact your credit score. However, if a trial converts to a paid subscription and you don't pay, that could eventually go to collections. Some services like Sezzle Premium do report to credit bureaus.