How to stop free trials from charging you

The surest way to stop a free trial from charging you is to cancel it well before it ends, in the same place you signed up (the App Store, Google Play, or the company's own website). Set a reminder a few days early, save the cancellation confirmation, and check your statement after the trial date passes.

Why free trials turn into charges

Most free trials are built to roll into a paid plan automatically. The FTC points out that companies usually ask for your card number up front so they can charge you if you don't cancel before the trial ends. Amazon, for example, says Prime trial members are upgraded to a paid membership automatically at the end of the trial. Google Play says that at the end of a trial the first billing period begins and you're charged the subscription price.

That's not a trick on its own. It only becomes a problem when you forget, or when the cancellation steps are hard to find. The fix is a little planning on day one.

How to keep a free trial from charging you

1. Read the terms before you start. The FTC recommends finding the terms for the offer, which should tell you how long the trial lasts, what you'll pay after, and how and when to cancel.
2. Watch for pre-checked boxes. The FTC warns that a box already checked at sign-up might give a company permission to keep charging you, sign you up for more products, or share your information.
3. Note where you're being billed. If you signed up inside an iPhone app, Apple is probably billing you. Inside an Android app, it's often Google Play. On a website, it's the company itself. This decides where you'll cancel.
4. Set a reminder right away. Put the trial's end date in your calendar with an alert two or three days before. The FTC's advice here is short and solid: mark your calendar, because once the deadline passes you may be on the hook for more payments.
5. Cancel early. Apple says to cancel a trial at least 24 hours before it ends. Google may place an authorization hold on your payment method up to 48 hours before a renewal. Aim for a few days of cushion.
6. Save proof. Screenshot the confirmation screen and keep the email. The FTC suggests keeping a copy of your cancellation request along with notes about any conversations you had.
7. Check your statement. After the trial's end date, look for a charge. Catching it fast makes a refund much easier.

Where to cancel common trials

• iPhone or iPad: Settings, then your name, then Subscriptions. Tap the trial and choose Cancel Subscription.
• Android: open the Google Play Store app, tap your profile icon, then Payments & subscriptions, then Subscriptions.
• Amazon Prime: use Amazon's Cancel Your Prime Membership page. If you started Prime through Google Play on Android, Amazon says to cancel through Google Play instead.
• Everything else: sign in on the company's website and look in account, billing, or membership settings.

If you got charged anyway

1. Contact the company. Say when you canceled, share your confirmation, and ask for a refund.
2. Use the app store's refund process if it billed you. For Apple, go to reportaproblem.apple.com and choose Request a refund. For Google Play, you may be able to get a refund within 48 hours of the charge, and after that Google suggests contacting the app's developer.
3. Dispute the charge with your card. The FTC says that if a company charged you extra or won't stop charging after you told it to cancel, you can file a dispute with your credit or debit card company. Follow up in writing.
4. Report it. You can report the company at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general.

Tips and gotchas

• Some trials end the moment you cancel. Others let you keep access until the end date. If the service lets you keep using it after canceling, cancel right after signing up and stop worrying about it.
• Make sure "free" means free. The FTC's rule of thumb: if a company calls something free but says you have to pay to get it, that's a red flag.
• Read renewal emails closely. Google says it emails you when a trial is about to end. Check that the price matches what you expected.
• Beware of fake renewal notices. The FTC warns that scammers send fake renewal notices to get your financial information, and that a renewal notice for a subscription you don't have is probably a scam. Don't click links in an unexpected message. Go to the app or website directly instead.
• Deleting an app isn't canceling. Google says uninstalling won't cancel a Google Play subscription, and the same idea applies on iPhone: the subscription lives in your account, not the app.
• Know your rights. A federal law, the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act, requires online sellers to clearly disclose terms, get your consent before charging you, and give you a simple way to stop recurring charges. The FTC's broader 2024 "click-to-cancel" rule was struck down in court in 2025, and in March 2026 the FTC asked for public comment on a new approach. Some states also have their own auto-renewal laws.

How Stu will help

Stu is still in development, and forgotten free trials are one of the problems it's being built to catch. Stu will help you keep track of trials you've started, remind you before they convert to paid, and help you cancel the ones you don't want. It will always ask before taking any action. You can join the waitlist to hear when it launches.

Sources

• FTC: Getting In and Out of Free Trials, Auto-Renewals, and Negative Option Subscriptions
• FTC: FTC Seeks Public Comment on Negative Option Marketing Practices
• Apple Support: Cancel a subscription from Apple
• Apple Support: Request a refund for apps or content that you bought from Apple
• Google Play Help: Subscribe to services or content
• Google Play Help: Cancel, pause, or change a subscription on Google Play
• Amazon Customer Service: Sign Up for the Amazon Prime Free Trial