How to Cancel IONOS (1&1) Hosting Contracts (2026 Guide)

Updated February 2026 • Hard difficulty • Each product is a separate contract

🚨 Warning: IONOS treats every product (hosting, domain, email, SSL) as a separate contract. Canceling hosting does NOT cancel your domain or email. You must cancel each one individually, or you'll keep getting charged.

Before You Cancel: Save Your Stuff

Website files: Download via FTP or IONOS file manager
Databases: Export MySQL databases via phpMyAdmin
Emails: Forward important emails or set up email forwarding
Domain: Transfer your domain to another registrar BEFORE canceling (see below)

Step-by-Step Cancellation

Step 1: List All Your Contracts

Log in at my.ionos.com
Go to Contracts & Subscriptions
Count how many active contracts you have — each one needs separate cancellation
Note the contract end dates and renewal dates

Step 2: Cancel Each Contract

Click on the contract you want to cancel
Click Cancel Contract
IONOS will show multiple retention screens — keep clicking through
They'll offer discounts (sometimes 50%+ off) — decline if you want to leave
Select a cancellation reason
Confirm — the contract ends at the next renewal date, not immediately
Repeat for EVERY contract

Step 3: Transfer Your Domain (If Keeping It)

In IONOS, go to Domains → select your domain
Click Transfer Lock and disable it
Request an authorization code (transfer EPP code)
Go to your new registrar (Cloudflare, Namecheap, etc.) and initiate transfer
Enter the authorization code when prompted
Approve the transfer via confirmation email

Domain transfers take 5-7 days. Start this BEFORE canceling your domain contract.

IONOS Dark Patterns to Watch For

Hidden cancel button: Buried under Contracts → specific contract → scroll down
Multiple retention screens: 3-4 pages of "are you sure?" with discount offers
Auto-renewal traps: Contracts auto-renew for 12 months unless canceled before the deadline
30-day cancellation notice: Must cancel at least 30 days before renewal or you're locked in for another term
Separate contracts: The single biggest trap — people cancel hosting but keep paying for domains, SSL, email

Cancel by Phone (If Online Doesn't Work)

Call 1-484-254-5555 (Mon-Fri 8am-8pm ET)
Ask to cancel ALL active contracts on your account
Specifically ask them to list every contract and confirm each is canceled
Get confirmation numbers for each cancellation

Better Alternatives

Cloudflare (domain): At-cost domain registration ($8-10/yr for .com), no markup
Vercel/Netlify (hosting): Free tier for most sites, no contracts, deploy from Git
Hetzner (servers): €4/mo for VPS with better performance than IONOS
DigitalOcean (hosting): $4/mo droplets, no contracts, pay-as-you-go
Google Workspace (email): $6/mo for professional email with full Google suite

Modern hosting is pay-as-you-go with no contracts. IONOS's annual contract model is outdated.

Find Every Recurring Charge

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Quick Cancel Guide: Ionos

Direct cancel link + step-by-step instructions