How to Cancel a Substack Subscription
To cancel a Substack subscription, first identify where you bought it. For a subscription purchased on the web, use Substack’s Settings and Manage subscription route. If you bought the subscription in the Substack iOS app, cancel it through the Apple App Store instead. Read Substack’s cancellation instructions.
This guide explains how to stop renewal, what happens to paid access, how free trials work, and when a refund may be possible. Before you begin, sign in to the Substack account associated with the purchase. If the publication is not listed, confirm that you are using the account connected to that subscription.
Direct answer
For a paid subscription bought on the web, go to Substack Settings, select the publication under Subscriptions, and open that publication’s Manage subscription page. In Account actions, choose the cancellation link, select a reason, and confirm the cancellation again. See the official web cancellation process.
A standard cancellation stops the next renewal. Subscriber benefits normally continue until the end of the current paid billing period, and Substack says you will not be charged again after cancellation. Cancelling does not automatically refund an earlier payment. Review the cancellation timing and account options.
The cancellation flow applies to the publication selected on its subscription page. Substack’s instructions explain what happens to that publication after cancellation. They do not expressly describe the effect on every other publication subscription in the same account. Read the publication-level cancellation instructions.
Steps to solve it
Use this checklist for a paid subscription purchased through Substack on the web.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sign in to the Substack account associated with the purchase. |
| 2 | Go to Settings and choose the publication under Subscriptions. |
| 3 | Open Manage subscription for that publication. |
| 4 | Scroll to Account actions and choose the cancellation link. |
| 5 | Select a reason, then choose Cancel subscription again. |
| 6 | Check the displayed subscriber-benefits end date after the change. |
- 1
Open Substack in a web browser.
Go to Settings, find Subscriptions, and select the publication you want to stop. Then open its Manage subscription page. This is Substack’s documented route for web-billed subscriptions. Follow the official Settings-to-subscription path.
- 2
Find Account actions.
Scroll to the Account actions section. Select the link for cancelling a paid subscription. The account page is the place to manage the renewal for the chosen publication. See the documented Account actions step.
- 3
Complete the confirmation screens.
Select Cancel subscription, choose a reason, and select Cancel subscription again. A publication may offer a free month before the final cancellation. If you still want to end renewal, select Continue to cancel. Review Substack’s current cancellation prompts.
- 4
Check the benefits end date.
After a standard cancellation, the account page should show the date your subscriber benefits end. Paid access usually remains available through the period already paid for. Substack says a standard cancellation prevents another charge. Read the official access and renewal explanation.
- 5
Consider the immediate-end option carefully.
Substack provides an account-page option to end a subscription immediately. This ends access sooner, but it does not refund past charges. Use that option only if you do not need the remaining paid access. See Substack’s account-action options.
Troubleshooting common issues
The subscription is not visible. Confirm that you are signed in to the Substack account associated with the purchase. The official pages cited here do not document a separate method for matching a subscription through a bank statement, receipt, email address, or alternate sign-in method.
You subscribed in the iOS app. Do not use Substack’s web cancellation route. A subscription purchased in the Substack iOS app must be cancelled through the Apple App Store. Substack also says iOS-app subscriptions cannot be paused. Read the iOS purchase cancellation rules.
You are in a free trial. Cancel before the trial converts if you do not want a paid renewal. If more than 10 days remain, the trial continues through its scheduled end date after cancellation but does not become paid. If 10 days or fewer remain, cancelling ends the trial immediately. Review Substack’s free-trial cancellation rules.
The subscription is past due, gifted, or comped. These subscriptions end immediately when cancelled. They do not follow the usual rule that paid access continues through the current billing period. See the timing exceptions in Substack’s cancellation guidance.
After cancelling, use the account page as your status check. Confirm that it displays the date when subscriber benefits will end. This is the documented way to verify the cancellation result. Check the official cancellation instructions.
Refunds, billing, and cancellation timing
Cancellation and refunds are separate actions. Ending renewal does not itself create a refund. For a web purchase, request a refund from the publisher directly first. Refund decisions are ultimately at the publisher’s discretion. Read Substack’s reader refund policy.
Substack says it will issue a refund when a request reaches Substack within seven days of payment, unless you claimed a subscriber perk or the publisher marked the subscription as non-refundable. Requests after seven days may be left to the publisher’s discretion. The policy directs readers to contact Support when submitting a request to Substack. Review the seven-day rule and exclusions.
Other refund situations may apply. Substack says it will issue refunds for dormant publications that meet its stated inactivity conditions. It may also issue refunds for qualifying payment-processing errors, including duplicate charges. Once approved, a refund may take up to 10 business days to appear, depending on the bank. See the policy’s additional refund cases and processing timing.
Use this guide to choose the right next step:
| Your situation | Recommended action |
|---|---|
| You want to stop the next web renewal | Go to Settings, select the publication, and open Manage subscription. See the web cancellation route. |
| You want to keep reading until paid access ends | Use standard cancellation and check the displayed benefits end date. Read the timing rules. |
| You want access to end now | Review the immediate-end option on the subscription account page. See the account-action options. |
| You are in a free trial | Cancel and check whether more than 10 days remain. Read the trial rules. |
| You want a refund for a web charge | Contact the publisher first and review Substack’s refund conditions. Read the refund policy. |
| You bought through the Substack iOS app | Cancel through the Apple App Store. See the iOS cancellation instruction. |
If you bought through the Substack iOS app, Apple handles the in-app purchase. Refund requests for iOS-app purchases are at Apple’s discretion rather than under Substack’s web-purchase refund handling. Read the iOS refund guidance.
Before subscribing again, compare prices in the channel you plan to use. Writers set monthly, annual, and founding-member prices, and taxes may apply. Substack notes that iOS in-app prices may be higher to account for Apple-related fees. See Substack’s pricing information for readers.
Keep track of what you want to cancel.
Review your subscriptions in Subpilot and request cancellation help where supported. Some providers require you to act directly; submitting a request does not confirm cancellation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does cancelling a Substack subscription refund my payment?
No. Cancellation does not automatically issue a refund. For web purchases, request a refund from the publisher directly. Refund decisions are ultimately at the publisher’s discretion. Substack says it will issue a refund for a request submitted to Substack within seven days of payment, unless a subscriber perk was claimed or the publisher marked the subscription non-refundable. Read the full refund policy and exclusions.
Will I lose access immediately after I cancel?
Usually, a standard paid cancellation keeps subscriber benefits active until the end of the current billing period. However, free trials with 10 days or fewer remaining, past-due subscriptions, gift subscriptions, and comped subscriptions end immediately when cancelled. You can also choose the account-page option to end a subscription immediately. Review the timing rules and exceptions.
Can I cancel a subscription bought in the Substack iPhone app?
Yes. If you subscribed in the Substack iOS app, cancel the subscription through the Apple App Store rather than through Substack’s web cancellation flow. See Substack’s iOS cancellation instruction.
What happens when I cancel a free trial?
If more than 10 days remain, the free trial continues to its scheduled end date but will not become a paid subscription. If 10 days or fewer remain, cancelling ends the trial immediately. Read Substack’s free-trial timing rules.
Why is my Substack subscription price different on iOS?
An iOS in-app subscription may cost more because Substack says those prices can account for Apple-related fees. Publication writers set the available prices, including monthly, annual, and founding-member options. See Substack’s reader pricing details.
Sources
Official provider pages for the plans, billing terms, and account actions discussed in this guide. Confirm the terms shown in your own account before making changes.
| Source | Status |
|---|---|
| Read Substack’s cancellation instructions. | Official source |
| Read Substack’s reader refund policy. | Official source |
| See Substack’s pricing information for readers. | Official source |