How to Cancel a Subscription Through Your Bank in 2026 (Chargeback Guide)

When a company won't let you cancel, ignores your requests, or keeps charging after cancellation — your bank is your last resort. Here's when and how to use your bank to stop subscription charges.

Option 1: Credit Card Chargeback (Most Effective)

A chargeback reverses a charge and takes money directly from the merchant. This is your strongest tool.

1. Call your credit card company or use their app/website
2. Find the charge in your recent transactions
3. Click "Dispute" or "Report a problem"
4. Select reason: "Cancelled recurring billing" or "Services not provided as described"
5. Provide evidence: screenshots of cancellation confirmation, emails, chat transcripts
6. The bank issues a temporary credit while investigating (usually 1-3 business days)
7. Investigation takes 30-90 days. You win most cases with documentation.

Option 2: Stop Payment Order (Debit Cards/ACH)

For debit card or bank account (ACH) charges:

1. Contact your bank
2. Request a stop payment order against the specific merchant
3. Provide the merchant name and approximate charge amount
4. Cost: $15-35 per stop payment at most banks (some are free)
5. This blocks future charges from that specific merchant

Note: Stop payments on debit cards are weaker than credit card chargebacks. The EFTA (Electronic Fund Transfer Act) gives you 60 days to dispute unauthorized debit charges. After 60 days, your rights diminish significantly.

Option 3: Request a New Card Number

The simplest approach — but has side effects:

• Call your bank and request a new card number
• The old card number is deactivated, blocking ALL charges
• Side effect: Every other subscription using that card will also fail
• Best for: If you're canceling multiple subscriptions or suspect fraud
• Update your payment info on any services you want to keep

Option 4: Virtual Cards (Prevent Future Issues)

For future subscriptions, use virtual card numbers to maintain control:

• Privacy.com (free): Create single-use or merchant-locked virtual cards. Set spending limits. Pause or close anytime.
• Apple Pay / Google Pay: Generates virtual card numbers, but can't block specific merchants
• Capital One Eno: Free virtual card numbers for Capital One cardholders
• Citi Virtual Account Numbers: For Citi cardholders

Your Legal Rights

• Fair Credit Billing Act (credit cards): You have 60 days from the statement date to dispute a charge. The card issuer must investigate within 30 days and resolve within 90 days.
• EFTA (debit/ACH): You have 60 days to report unauthorized electronic transfers. Your liability is limited to $50 if reported within 2 business days, $500 within 60 days.
• FTC Click to Cancel Rule (2025): Companies must make canceling as easy as signing up. Violations are reportable to the FTC.
• State consumer protection laws: Many states (CA, NY, IL, etc.) have additional subscription protections. California's ARL requires a simple cancellation mechanism.

When NOT to Use Your Bank

• You forgot to cancel and got charged: That's not the company's fault. Try to get a refund directly first.
• You have a contract you agreed to: Gym annual contracts, insurance commitments — you may owe the money.
• You haven't tried canceling with the company yet: Banks will ask. Do this first.
• Repeated chargebacks: Excessive chargebacks can get YOUR account flagged or closed by the bank.

What Happens After a Chargeback

• The company may close your account (expected and usually desired)
• The company may send you to collections (rare for small subscription amounts, but possible)
• The company may blacklist your payment method (can't resubscribe with the same card)
• Your bank/card issuer tracks your chargebacks — too many (typically 3+/year) may trigger a review