How to Cancel Surfshark VPN in 2026 (And the Sneaky Auto-Renewal You Missed)
Updated 2026-02-18 · 6 min read
⚠️ The 2-Year Billing Trap
Surfshark advertises "$2.49/month" — but that's billed as one lump sum of $59.76 for 2 years. When it auto-renews, the price jumps to $59.76/year (effectively $4.98/month). Many people don't notice the renewal charge because it's a single annual hit, not a monthly one.
Click Cancel auto-renewal (note: this only stops renewal, you keep access until expiry)
If you want an actual refund, you need to contact support (see below)
⚠️ Cancel ≠ Refund at Surfshark
Turning off auto-renewal just prevents the next charge. If you want money back, you need to contact their support chat and explicitly request a refund. They have a 30-day money-back guarantee for new subscriptions.
Google: Play Store → Profile → Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions → Surfshark → Cancel
For refunds on app store purchases, use Apple/Google refund channels instead of Surfshark directly
Do You Actually Need a VPN?
Honest answer: Probably not.
For privacy: HTTPS already encrypts your traffic. Your ISP can see which sites you visit, but not the content. A VPN just shifts that trust to the VPN provider instead.
For streaming geo-unblocking: This is the main legitimate use. But Netflix, Disney+, and others actively block VPNs — it works sometimes, not always.
For public Wi-Fi: HTTPS protects you on public networks. VPNs add minimal extra security on modern networks.
For torrenting: If you're torrenting copyrighted content, a VPN helps. But that's it.
YouTuber sponsorship ≠ necessity: VPN companies spend millions on influencer marketing. Just because every YouTuber recommends one doesn't mean you need one.
Free VPN Alternatives
Proton VPN Free: Unlimited data, no ads, 3 countries — genuinely good free tier from a privacy-focused Swiss company
Cloudflare WARP (1.1.1.1): Free, fast, built by Cloudflare — not a full VPN but encrypts DNS and improves speed
iCloud Private Relay (Apple): If you have iCloud+, this provides VPN-like privacy for Safari browsing
Brave browser: Built-in VPN (Brave VPN) has a free tier
The VPN Subscription Stack
Check if you have multiple VPNs (more common than you think):
Surfshark: $2.49-15.45/mo
NordVPN: $3.59-12.99/mo
ExpressVPN: $6.67-12.95/mo
iCloud+/Private Relay: $0.99-9.99/mo
Having two VPNs is like having two umbrellas — the second one adds zero value.
Paying for a VPN you forgot about?
Upload your bank statement and JustCancel will find every subscription — including VPNs, security tools, and services you signed up for and stopped using.