Signing up takes a click. Canceling should be just as simple, and in many cases the law says it has to be.
Automatic renewals are convenient until you want out. Here’s what the rules say, and what to do when a company makes canceling hard.
The federal baseline: ROSCA
The Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act applies to subscriptions and free trials sold online that renew unless you cancel. Sellers must:
- clearly disclose the important terms before taking your billing information
- get your express, informed consent to the charges
- provide a simple way to stop recurring charges
The Federal Trade Commission enforces ROSCA, and it has taken action against companies that buried terms or made canceling difficult.
What happened to click-to-cancel
In 2024 the FTC adopted a broader rule, often called “click to cancel,” that would have required canceling to be as easy as signing up. In July 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit vacated the rule on procedural grounds before its main requirements took effect. ROSCA and state laws still apply.
State laws
Many states have automatic renewal laws. California’s is among the strongest: if you signed up online, you must be able to cancel online, and amendments that took effect on July 1, 2025, added requirements such as clear consent and annual reminders for subscriptions. Your state attorney general’s office can tell you what applies to you.
Watch for
Watch out for “save” offers and repeated confirmation screens. You’re not obliged to accept a discount; keep clicking through to the confirmation page, and take a screenshot of it.
If the charges don’t stop
- Contact the company in writing and keep a copy.
- Contact your card issuer about disputing charges you didn’t authorize, and ask whether it can block future charges from the merchant.
- For bank account debits, you can tell your bank to stop a preauthorized electronic payment. Under federal rules, notify it at least three business days before the scheduled date.
- Report the company to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general.
Verdict
Most cancellations work if you go through the right channel and keep proof. When they don’t, your bank and the regulators are your leverage.
Before canceling, it’s worth deciding which services to keep: see the streaming subscription audit. And when you leave a service, delete the account properly instead of just walking away.
The essentials
- Federal law requires online sellers to disclose subscription terms, get your consent and offer a simple way to stop charges.
- The FTC’s broader click-to-cancel rule was struck down by a federal appeals court in July 2025, before it fully took effect.
- State laws, such as California’s automatic renewal law, add stronger rights in many places.
- If a company keeps charging you, your bank or card issuer can help stop it.
Reader questions
Does deleting an app cancel a subscription?
No. Cancel through the service’s account settings or through the app store if you’re billed there, and keep the confirmation.
Can I get a refund for the rest of the month?
It depends on the company’s terms and your state’s law. Many services keep access running until the end of the paid period instead of refunding.
What is a negative option?
Any arrangement where your silence or failure to cancel is treated as agreement to keep paying, such as automatic renewals and free trials that convert to paid plans.
We describe how services generally work; features, settings and terms change often, and they differ between companies. This is general information, not legal advice. Check the provider’s current policies and official sources such as FTC.gov.