How to Cancel GoDaddy (2026 Guide) — Stop the Upsells and Transfer Your Domain to Somewhere Cheaper
Updated 2026-02-28 · 6 min read
GoDaddy lures you in with $0.99 first-year domains then charges $20-25/year for renewal. Their hosting starts at $6/month but auto-renews at $12-25/month. Add SSL, email, website builder, and "protection" upsells, and you could be paying $300-500/year for services that cost $50/year elsewhere. Here's how to cancel and where to go instead.
💸 The Renewal Shock
GoDaddy's business model is introductory pricing + aggressive renewal rates. Domain: $0.99 → $22.99. Hosting: $5.99/mo → $11.99/mo. SSL: "included" → $79.99/year. The same services at Cloudflare + a VPS: $10/year domain + $0 SSL + $5/mo hosting = $70/year vs $300+/year at GoDaddy.
Scroll to Additional Settings → turn off Domain Lock
Click Get Authorization Code (also called EPP code)
Go to your new registrar (Cloudflare, Namecheap, or Porkbun)
Initiate a transfer using the auth code
Approve the transfer email from GoDaddy
Wait 5-7 days for completion
⚠️ 60-Day Lock Rule
ICANN rules prevent domain transfers within 60 days of registration or a previous transfer. If you just registered or transferred a domain to GoDaddy, you must wait 60 days before transferring out.
Find each product (hosting, email, SSL, website builder)
Click the three dots → Cancel
For each product, select Cancel immediately or Cancel at renewal
Repeat for ALL products — GoDaddy often has 5+ separate charges
Cancel by Phone
Call 1-480-505-8877 (24/7). Phone cancellation is sometimes easier for bulk cancellations — ask them to cancel ALL products and auto-renewals on your account.
Turn Off Auto-Renewal on Everything
Even if you don't cancel now, disable auto-renewal to prevent surprise charges:
Go to Renewals & Billing in your account
Toggle off Auto-Renew for every single product
GoDaddy will warn you about expiration — ignore the scare tactics
GoDaddy Refund Policy
Hosting: 30-day refund for annual plans, 48-hour for monthly
Domains: Refundable within 5 days of registration (not renewal)