How to Cancel Wall Street Journal 2026 — Before the $45/Month Auto-Renewal Hits

Updated March 2026 • 6 min read

The Wall Street Journal lures you in with a $4/month intro rate for 12 months. Then it silently jumps to $44.99/month ($540/year). If you're reading this, you probably just noticed the price hike on your credit card statement. Here's how to cancel — and how to potentially get the intro rate back.

🚨 The 10x price jump: WSJ's intro-to-regular price increase is one of the most aggressive in media. $4/month → $45/month is a 1,025% increase. The notification email is easy to miss, and many subscribers don't realize they're paying full price for months.

WSJ Pricing

Intro rate: $4/month for 12 months ($48/year)
Regular rate: $44.99/month ($540/year)
Digital + Print: $52.49/month after intro
WSJ+ membership: Included — wine clubs, events, perks

How to Cancel WSJ Online

Go to wsj.com → click your profile icon
Click My Account
Find Subscription → Cancel Subscription
Navigate through retention screens (they'll offer discounts — see below)
Confirm cancellation

Cancel by Phone (Better for Retention Offers)

Call 1-800-568-7625
Say "I want to cancel my subscription"
They'll transfer you to retention
The retention agent will likely offer you the intro rate again ($4/month)
If you want to stay at the low rate, accept. If not, insist on canceling.

💡 The retention hack: WSJ almost always offers the intro rate when you call to cancel. Many subscribers cycle through cancel-and-resubscribe annually to maintain the $4/month rate. It's annoying but effective — you should never pay $45/month for WSJ.

Cancel via App Store

iPhone: Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions → WSJ → Cancel
Android: Google Play → Payments & subscriptions → WSJ → Cancel

App store subscriptions are separate from website subscriptions. Check which one you have before canceling.

Free Ways to Read WSJ Articles

Library access: Many public libraries offer free digital access to WSJ through PressReader or their own databases
Google the headline: Some WSJ articles are free when accessed through Google search results
WSJ free articles: WSJ allows a few free articles per month before the paywall kicks in
Student rate: If you're a student (or have a .edu email), WSJ offers significant discounts
Employer benefit: Many companies provide WSJ access — check with your HR/IT department

Free News Alternatives

Reuters: Free, high-quality financial news
AP News: Free, unbiased reporting
Bloomberg (limited free): Some articles free, excellent markets coverage
Yahoo Finance: Free, comprehensive market data and news
Financial Times (limited free): Register for free to access some articles
Podcasts: WSJ's own podcasts are free (The Journal, WSJ What's News)

Getting a Refund

If you were charged the full rate without adequate notice:

Call 1-800-568-7625 and request a prorated refund for unused time
Cite the FTC Click-to-Cancel rule if cancellation was difficult
Credit card dispute: If WSJ refuses, contact your bank about the price increase

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Quick Cancel Guide: Wsj

Direct cancel link + step-by-step instructions