How to cancel a subscription: what to say to customer support
You call customer support to cancel a subscription, and the agent answers. This is what to say, in simple English. Say hello and say you want to cancel. Give your name and your email. Tell the agent why in a few words. Say no to a cheaper plan if you still want to cancel. Agree to the last day and ask for an email that confirms it. Listen to each line, then practice with Kevin in the game.
Level 2 is about a charge: you see money taken from your card for a free trial, and you ask for the plan to stop and for a refund. Level 3 is harder: you asked to cancel last month, and the company charged you again. You ask for a manager, write down a case number, say you will dispute the charge with your bank, and ask for an email that puts it in writing.
Useful phrases
Hello, I would like to cancel my subscription, please.
Say hello, then say what you want: "I would like to cancel my subscription, please." A subscription is a service you pay for every month or every year.
My name is Ana Lopez.
The agent needs your name to find your account. Say "My name is" and then your first and last name.
My email is ana dot lopez at mail dot com.
Say "dot" for . and "at" for @. Say the letters slowly and clearly. It is the email you used when you signed up.
It is too expensive for me now.
A short, calm reason is enough: "It is too expensive for me now." You do not need to explain everything.
No, I would like to cancel it.
The agent may offer a better price. Say no, then say again what you want: "No, I would like to cancel it."
Yes, that is fine with me.
Many services keep working until the end of the month you paid for. If the date is fine, say "Yes, that is fine with me."
Yes, will you send me an email to confirm?
Ask for an email to confirm. It is proof that you canceled. "Will you send me an email to confirm?" is a polite question.
Thank you for your help.
End the call with thanks: "Thank you for your help." Then say goodbye. Keep the email until the last day of the subscription.
Hello, I see a charge of $14.99 from your company on my card, and I do not know why.
Say hello, then say what you see and what you do not know: "I see a charge of $14.99 from your company on my card, and I do not know why." Give the amount, so the agent can find it.
I tried a free trial last month, but I did not know about the charge.
Tell the true story in one sentence. A free trial is free for a short time, and then the plan starts to charge you. Say "I tried a free trial last month, but I did not know about the charge."
No, I did not see it, but maybe it went to my spam folder.
Say what happened, calmly. Many reminder emails go to the spam folder. "I did not see it" is honest and polite. Do not say it is the agent's fault.
Yes, please cancel my account today, so I will not pay again next month.
Say yes, and say why you want it: "Yes, please cancel my account today, so I will not pay again." This stops the next charge, and it is a good idea to ask for it before you ask about the money.
Yes, I would like a refund, please. I did not use the app at all.
A refund is money that comes back to your card. Ask for it politely, with a short reason: "I would like a refund, please. I did not use the app at all."
Yes, what should I do if the charge comes again next month?
This is a good question to ask. If a charge comes again, call the company at once and give your email and the date. Ask: "What should I do if the charge comes again next month?"
Last month I asked to cancel my subscription, but you charged my card again today.
Say what you did and what went wrong: "Last month I asked to cancel my subscription, but you charged my card again today." Two short facts, joined by "but", tell the story at once.
Then I would like to speak with a manager about this, please.
When the agent cannot help, ask for a manager politely: "Then I would like to speak with a manager about this, please." A manager can often do more than the first agent.
Okay, I am writing the case number down, and I will keep it with my last bill.
A case number is a number for your problem. Write it down and keep it with your papers. The next time you call, say the number first, and the agent can find the notes at once.
If you cannot take it back, I will ask my bank to dispute the charge.
You can also go to your card company. To dispute a charge means to tell your bank that the charge is wrong, so it can ask for the money back: "If you cannot take it back, I will ask my bank to dispute the charge." Say it calmly. It is not a threat.
Yes, will you send me an email that says the plan is canceled?
Ask for it in writing. An email that says the plan is canceled is proof, and you can show it to your bank. Ask: "Will you send me an email that says the plan is canceled?"
Level 1 (A2): Cancel a subscription
8 lines in the order you hear them. Each game picks 5 of them, so every game is a little different.
“Hello, this is Kevin from customer support, so how can I help you today?”
Good answer: “Hello, I would like to cancel my subscription, please.”
Why: Say hello, then say what you want: "I would like to cancel my subscription, please." A subscription is a service you pay for every month or every year.
Avoid: “I want to cancel it right now, so please do it very fast.” (too rude) · “I have a problem with my account.” (too vague)
“I can help with that. May I have your name, please?”
Good answer: “My name is Ana Lopez.”
Why: The agent needs your name to find your account. Say "My name is" and then your first and last name.
Avoid: “Ana.” (too short) · “Why do you need it?” (too rude)
“What is the email address on your account?”
Good answer: “My email is ana dot lopez at mail dot com.”
Why: Say "dot" for . and "at" for @. Say the letters slowly and clearly. It is the email you used when you signed up.
Avoid: “I do not remember it, I think it is my old one.” (too vague) · “It is my work email, the one I use for my job.” (needs more detail)
“Why would you like to cancel?”
Good answer: “It is too expensive for me now.”
Why: A short, calm reason is enough: "It is too expensive for me now." You do not need to explain everything.
Avoid: “Your service is bad, and it costs too much.” (too rude) · “I do not know, I just do not like it.” (too vague)
“We have a cheaper plan, so would you like to keep your subscription?”
Good answer: “No, I would like to cancel it.”
Why: The agent may offer a better price. Say no, then say again what you want: "No, I would like to cancel it."
Avoid: “Yes, give me the cheaper plan, please. I would like to keep it.” (gives the wrong idea) · “No.” (too short)
“Your subscription will end on March third, so does that work for you?”
Good answer: “Yes, that is fine with me.”
Why: Many services keep working until the end of the month you paid for. If the date is fine, say "Yes, that is fine with me."
Avoid: “That is not fair.” (too rude) · “I guess so, maybe.” (too vague)
“Do you have any other questions?”
Good answer: “Yes, will you send me an email to confirm?”
Why: Ask for an email to confirm. It is proof that you canceled. "Will you send me an email to confirm?" is a polite question.
Avoid: “No.” (too short) · “No, and I am tired of calling. Please do not call me again.” (too negative)
“You will get a confirmation email in a few minutes.”
Good answer: “Thank you for your help.”
Why: End the call with thanks: "Thank you for your help." Then say goodbye. Keep the email until the last day of the subscription.
Avoid: “It took too long. I hope it is really finished now.” (too rude) · “Cool, thanks. Bye now, I guess.” (too casual)
Level 2 (B1): Ask about a charge and a refund
8 lines in the order you hear them. Each game picks 5 of them, so every game is a little different.
“Hello, this is Kevin from customer support. How can I help you today?”
Good answer: “Hello, I see a charge of $14.99 from your company on my card, and I do not know why.”
Why: Say hello, then say what you see and what you do not know: "I see a charge of $14.99 from your company on my card, and I do not know why." Give the amount, so the agent can find it.
Avoid: “You took fourteen dollars from my card, and I want my money back. Please fix it right away.” (too rude) · “There is a charge on my card, I think it is from you.” (too vague)
“I can look into that for you. What is the email address on your account?”
Good answer: “It is ana dot lopez at mail dot com, and the charge came on March first.”
Why: Say your email with "dot" and "at". Then add the date of the charge, because it helps the agent find it fast: "The charge came on March first."
Avoid: “I do not remember which email I used for your service.” (too vague) · “It is my work email, so please look for that one first.” (needs more detail)
“I found the charge, and it is the monthly fee for our Plus plan, so did you sign up for it?”
Good answer: “I tried a free trial last month, but I did not know about the charge.”
Why: Tell the true story in one sentence. A free trial is free for a short time, and then the plan starts to charge you. Say "I tried a free trial last month, but I did not know about the charge."
Avoid: “No, I never signed up for it. Someone used my card.” (gives the wrong idea) · “I do not remember if I did. Maybe my friend did it for me.” (too vague)
“Our records show that your free trial ended on March first, so did you see our reminder email?”
Good answer: “No, I did not see it, but maybe it went to my spam folder.”
Why: Say what happened, calmly. Many reminder emails go to the spam folder. "I did not see it" is honest and polite. Do not say it is the agent's fault.
Avoid: “Nobody told me anything, so this is your fault and not mine, you know.” (too rude) · “Maybe I saw it, maybe not. I get so many emails that I never know what is real.” (too vague)
“Would you like me to cancel your account now, so it does not charge you again?”
Good answer: “Yes, please cancel my account today, so I will not pay again next month.”
Why: Say yes, and say why you want it: "Yes, please cancel my account today, so I will not pay again." This stops the next charge, and it is a good idea to ask for it before you ask about the money.
Avoid: “No, please keep it for now. I will think about it and call you back next week.” (gives the wrong idea) · “Yes, I think so. Maybe do it later, I do not know, so I will call you back.” (too vague)
“Would you like a refund for this charge, which takes five to seven business days?”
Good answer: “Yes, I would like a refund, please. I did not use the app at all.”
Why: A refund is money that comes back to your card. Ask for it politely, with a short reason: "I would like a refund, please. I did not use the app at all."
Avoid: “Of course I want my money back. You should not charge people like this.” (too rude) · “Yes, I guess so. I do not know if I really want my money back or not.” (too vague)
“Okay. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
Good answer: “Yes, what should I do if the charge comes again next month?”
Why: This is a good question to ask. If a charge comes again, call the company at once and give your email and the date. Ask: "What should I do if the charge comes again next month?"
Avoid: “No, I think that is all. I only wanted to know about the charge.” (does not ask your question) · “No, and I will tell all my friends not to use your company again.” (too negative)
“You will get an email about this call today, and please call us if the charge comes again.”
Good answer: “Thank you for your help. I will check my card next week.”
Why: End the call with thanks and a short plan. "I will check my card next week" tells the agent you know what happens next. Keep the email in case you need it later.
Avoid: “This took too long, so I hope it is really all finished now.” (too rude) · “Cool, thanks. Bye now, I guess.” (too casual)
Level 3 (B2): When the company will not cancel
8 lines in the order you hear them. Each game picks 5 of them, so every game is a little different.
“Hello, this is Kevin from customer support. How can I help you today?”
Good answer: “Last month I asked to cancel my subscription, but you charged my card again today.”
Why: Say what you did and what went wrong: "Last month I asked to cancel my subscription, but you charged my card again today." Two short facts, joined by "but", tell the story at once.
Avoid: “You charged me again after I canceled, and I am very angry, so fix it now. This is not okay.” (too rude) · “There is a problem with my account, I think you charged me too much.” (too vague)
“I do not see a cancellation on your account. Do you remember who you spoke with?”
Good answer: “I called on the tenth, and the agent said it was done, but I do not know his name.”
Why: Give the facts you know: the day and what the agent said. "I called on the tenth, and the agent said it was done." A date helps the company find the old call.
Avoid: “I do not remember his name, and I did not write it down.” (too vague) · “It was a man, I think, but I am not sure.” (needs more detail)
“I can give you three free months if you keep the plan. Would you like that?”
Good answer: “No, I only want you to cancel the plan.”
Why: Say no and say again what you want: "No, I only want you to cancel the plan." Agents often offer a deal first. You can stay calm and say the same thing again.
Avoid: “Yes, three free months sounds good, and then I will cancel the plan later.” (gives the wrong idea) · “No, I do not trust free months. Just cancel the plan now, please.” (too rude)
“I am sorry, but I cannot cancel it myself on this call.”
Good answer: “Then I would like to speak with a manager about this, please.”
Why: When the agent cannot help, ask for a manager politely: "Then I would like to speak with a manager about this, please." A manager can often do more than the first agent.
Avoid: “This is a terrible company, and nobody here knows how to do a simple job.” (too negative) · “Then I will just stop paying.” (gives the wrong idea)
“I will ask a manager to help, and I will read you the case number now.”
Good answer: “Okay, I am writing the case number down, and I will keep it with my last bill.”
Why: A case number is a number for your problem. Write it down and keep it with your papers. The next time you call, say the number first, and the agent can find the notes at once.
Avoid: “I will remember it in my head, so I do not need to write it down.” (not safe) · “Okay, I think I have it, maybe.” (too vague)
“Unfortunately, I cannot take back that charge today.”
Good answer: “If you cannot take it back, I will ask my bank to dispute the charge.”
Why: You can also go to your card company. To dispute a charge means to tell your bank that the charge is wrong, so it can ask for the money back: "If you cannot take it back, I will ask my bank to dispute the charge." Say it calmly. It is not a threat.
Avoid: “That is fine, I will not ask for the money, but please cancel the plan.” (gives the wrong idea) · “Then I will tell everyone online that your company takes money and does not help.” (too negative)
“Is there anything else I can do for you?”
Good answer: “Yes, will you send me an email that says the plan is canceled?”
Why: Ask for it in writing. An email that says the plan is canceled is proof, and you can show it to your bank. Ask: "Will you send me an email that says the plan is canceled?"
Avoid: “No, that is all, I think.” (does not ask your question) · “No, I will check my card every week and call again if you charge me.” (gives the wrong idea)
“It will be canceled today, and you will get an email that says so.”
Good answer: “Thank you, and I will call again if I do not see the email.”
Why: End the call with thanks and a plan. "I will call again if I do not see the email" tells the agent that you will follow up. Keep the date and the name of the agent until the email comes.
Avoid: “I hope that is true, because I have heard that before from your company.” (too rude) · “Cool, thanks. Bye now, and I hope the email really comes soon.” (too casual)
Questions and answers
How do you cancel a subscription?
Every company has its own steps, so start with the company's help page or your last bill. Many companies let you cancel in your account settings, and some ask you to call or chat with support. Ask for the last day of the service and for an email that confirms it. This game teaches the words for a support call with an agent named Kevin: say you want to cancel, give your name and email, give a short reason, say no to a cheaper plan, agree to the last day and ask for the email.
What do you say when you cancel a subscription?
Say hello, then say what you want: "Hello, I would like to cancel my subscription, please." Then answer short questions: "My name is Ana Lopez." and "It is too expensive for me now." At the end, ask "Will you send me an email to confirm?" and say "Thank you for your help."
What is a subscription?
A subscription is a service you pay for again and again, every week, month or year. Examples are a video app, a music app, a gym, a news site or a box of food. It keeps charging your card until you cancel.
How do I cancel a subscription on my phone?
It depends where you pay. If you pay through Apple, open the subscriptions list in your Apple account settings. If you pay through Google Play, open the subscriptions list in the Play Store app. If you pay on the company's own website, cancel there or call support. Your bill or card statement shows who gets the money.
What is a free trial?
A free trial lets you use a service for a short time at no cost. Many trials start to charge your card when the time ends, so write the end date and cancel before it if you do not want to pay.
What is a confirmation email?
It is an email that says your subscription is canceled and shows the last day. It is your proof. Keep it, and look for it in your spam folder if it does not come in a few minutes.
What do I say if the agent offers a cheaper plan?
If you want to keep the service at a lower price, say "Yes, tell me more about the cheaper plan." If you still want to cancel, say "No, I would like to cancel it." You can say it again in the same words, politely, as many times as you need.
Do I get my money back when I cancel?
It depends on the company and on the plan. Many services keep working until the end of the time you paid for, and some do not give money back. Ask: "Will I get money back for this month?" and read the company's help page.
What if the company will not cancel my subscription?
Stay calm and say the facts: "Last month I asked to cancel my subscription, but you charged my card again today." If the first agent cannot help, ask for a manager. Write down the date, the name of the agent and the case number, save every email, and ask for an email that says the plan is canceled. You can also call your card company about the charge. USA.gov has a guide to send a consumer complaint.
What do I say if I do not understand the agent?
Say "Could you say that again, please?" or "Could you speak a little slower?" You can also ask "Can you send that to me in an email?" Agents answer these questions every day, and it is better to ask than to guess.
What do I say when I see a charge I do not know?
Stay calm and give the facts. Say "I see a charge of $14.99 from your company on my card, and I do not know why." Say the amount and the date. The agent can then find the charge and tell you what it is.
What is a refund?
A refund is money that comes back to you when you paid for something you do not want or did not mean to buy. Ask politely: "I would like a refund, please." Add a short reason, such as "I did not use the app at all."
How long does a refund take?
It depends on the company and on your bank. Many refunds show on your card in five to seven business days. Ask the agent how long it will take, write down the answer, and look at your card after that time.
What is a case number?
A case number is a number that a company gives to your problem. The agent writes notes under that number. Write it down and say it first when you call again, so the next agent can see what happened before.
How do I dispute a charge on my card?
To dispute a charge means to tell your bank or card company that a charge is wrong, so it can ask for the money back. Call the number on the back of your card or use your bank's app, and give the date, the amount and the name of the company. Keep your emails and case numbers, because they help.
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Play Say It Right: all 26 real-life situations.
This game teaches English words and phrases for a customer support call. Every company has its own steps and dates, so read the company's help page or your last bill before you call. Official information: USA.gov: Consumer complaints.