Free trials are a convenient way to sample products and services without immediately spending your money. Who wouldn’t want to try a new streaming platform like Paramount+ or YouTube TV first? But if you don’t intend to keep the service, you’ll need to cancel the trial before it converts to a paid subscription.
Trials run for a set time, after which you must choose to either commit or opt out. If you’ve finished evaluating a service and don’t plan to continue, here’s how to terminate your subscription so you won’t be charged.
Weigh the Cost Before Enrolling in a Free Trial
Signing up for a free trial is a smart way to evaluate a product or service without spending anything up front. Still, they can become expensive if you’re not careful.
Even if you plan to cancel before the trial lapse, be mindful about registering for a service that doesn’t fit your budget. You don’t want to fall for a service only to be forced to cancel because you can’t afford it. And you certainly don’t want an overdraft if you miss the cancellation window.
Companies also want to ensure they’ll receive payment later. Although a free trial shouldn’t cost you, you might notice a pending charge or pre-authorization on your account — it’s just the company verifying that your payment method is valid.
Ways to Avoid Paying When Your Free Trial Ends
One tactic is to cancel immediately after you sign up. That way you won’t need to remember the trial end date later.
Be careful, though: only do this if the company continues to grant access through the duration of the trial. Some providers terminate service as soon as you cancel, which would rob you of the chance to fully test the offering.
Another approach is to use a virtual credit card. These are payment numbers issued by certain banks, card issuers or independent fintech firms (you typically don’t receive a physical card). Virtual cards often allow one-time use or have short expiration windows, making them useful for signing up for trials.
You can also simply cancel shortly before the trial ends. Set a reminder or two to cut ties with the service before the billing date.
Most providers won’t proactively notify you that your trial is ending. Mark the date on your calendar, set phone alerts, or use whatever system helps you remember to cancel.
Read the cancellation terms when you enroll. Some services require cancellation a day or two before the first billing cycle begins. Usually there’s a cancel option under account, billing, or subscription management when you log in. Expect a few prompts trying to persuade you to stay, but don’t let them change your mind if you intend to leave.
How to Cancel 14 Common Free Trial Offers
We checked the cancellation steps for a number of widely used services to outline how to end their free trials. In every case, complete all steps to ensure cancellation is finalized — many companies send confirmation emails.
These instructions assume you signed up directly with each service. If your trial was obtained through a third party — for instance, a free HBO trial via your cable provider — the cancellation process may differ.
1. How to Cancel an Adobe Free Trial
Follow these steps to cancel an Adobe free trial:
- Visit account.adobe.com/plans and sign in.
- Click the “Manage Plan” button for the plan you want to stop.
- Choose “Cancel your plan.”
- Follow the on-screen directions.
2. How to Cancel an Amazon Prime Free Trial
Per the Amazon Prime terms, you have three business days after your trial becomes a paid membership to request a full refund, provided you haven’t used Prime benefits during that period.
To stop the trial before it becomes a paid subscription, go to this Amazon page and click “End Membership.” For more guidance on this process, see our guide on how to cancel amazon prime.
3. How to Cancel an Ancestry Free Trial
Ancestry Support notes that canceling ends your free trial immediately, even if days remain. Cancel Ancestry’s free trial like this:
- Sign in at www.ancestry.com.
- Click your name or username in the top-right and select “Account Settings.”
- In the “Membership” area click “Cancel Free Trial.”
4. How to Cancel an Apple Music Free Trial
To cancel an Apple Music free trial, follow these steps:
- Open the Apple Support page.
- Choose “Cancel a Subscription.”
- Select “Apple Music,” then tap “Cancel Subscription.”
5. How to Cancel an Apple TV+ Free Trial
To cancel an Apple TV+ free trial:
- Go to tv.apple.com and sign in to your Apple account.
- Click your account icon and choose “Settings.”
- Scroll to “Subscriptions” and select “Manage.”
- Choose “Cancel Subscription.”
6. How to Cancel an Audible Free Trial
Here’s how to cancel an Audible free trial:
- Sign in at www.audible.com.
- Go to “Account Details” then “Account Settings.”
- Click “Cancel My Membership.”
7. How to Cancel an Avast Internet Security Free Trial
Follow these directions to cancel your Avast free trial before being billed:
- Sign in to your Avast account.
- Under “My subscriptions,” click “Manage subscriptions.”
- For the subscription you want to stop, click “Manage subscription” and select “Cancel renewal” or “Unsubscribe.”
- Pick a reason for unsubscribing and click “Unsubscribe.”
If you purchased through a different distributor, see this page for alternate cancellation steps.
8. How to Cancel a FuboTV Free Trial
To cancel a FuboTV free trial:
- Go to fubo.tv and sign in.
- Click your profile icon, then choose “My Account.”
- In “My Account,” select “Subscription and Billing.”
9. How to Cancel a Hulu Free Trial
Hulu’s terms note that service may stop immediately after cancellation. Use these instructions to cancel:
- Head to www.hulu.com and log in, or open the app in your browser.
- On the “Account” page pick the “Cancel” option.
- Follow the prompts.
10. How to Cancel a Paramount+ Free Trial
To cancel a Paramount+ free trial:
- Visit paramountplus.com and click your username.
- Open the “Account” page.
- Scroll and click “Cancel Subscription.”
11. How to Cancel a Showtime Free Trial
To cancel a Showtime free trial in your browser:
- Sign in at www.showtime.com.
- From your profile icon choose “Account Settings.”
- Click “Your Account,” then “Cancel Your Subscription.”
For cancellations started through third parties, see this resource.
12. How to Cancel a Starz Free Trial
- Sign in at www.starz.com using a web browser.
- Click the user icon in the top-right and select “Settings.”
- Under “Billing Plan and Information” choose “Cancel My Subscription.”
If your Starz subscription began through a third-party, consult the “How Do I Cancel?” section on Starz’s support pages for more details.
13. How to Cancel a YouTube Premium Free Trial
To cancel YouTube Premium’s free trial:
- Visit the Google Support page.
- Click the “Cancel Now” button.
14. How to Cancel a YouTube TV Free Trial
To cancel a YouTube TV free trial:
- Sign in at tv.youtube.com.
- Go to “Manage membership” and then select “Deactivate.”
- Follow the on-screen directions.
Check Google’s support article for notes on canceling via Android or Apple mobile devices.
Jamie Thompson is a former senior writer at Savinly. Michael Archambault is a senior writer at Savinly Readers.
