Charged after a free trial: what to do

Have this ready

• sign-up date and trial terms
• cancellation confirmation if any
• the charge

Steps for any company

1. Cancel at once and save the confirmation.

2. Ask for a refund of the first charge. Mention when and how the trial terms were shown.

3. Dispute the charge with your card issuer if the company refuses and you cancelled in time.

A company playbook below replaces these generic steps with the company’s own forms, phone numbers and deadlines.

Company playbooks (11)

Retail and e-commerce

• ChewyA full Chewy+ fee refund is due if you end the membership within 3 business days of converting from a free trial; later, only if no eligible purchases or benefits were used since the last charge.

Streaming, software and other subscriptions

• AncestryCancel more than two days before the trial ends. A converted trial is not refundable, and the 14-day refund option does not apply to memberships that started with a trial.
• DropboxA Dropbox free trial converts to a paid plan if not cancelled before it ends. Cancel under Manage account > Cancel trial, or in the app store for mobile sign-ups.
• FuboA Fubo free trial needs a card and converts to a paid plan automatically; cancel before it ends. On the Fubo website, cancelling during the trial ends access at once.
• HelloFreshAn introductory voucher discount applies only to the first week; after that you are billed the standard weekly rate unless you cancel before the voucher period ends.
• LinkedInA Premium free trial charges the card one month after sign-up unless cancelled at least one day before. Desktop sign-ups get a reminder email; mobile sign-ups do not.
• Nintendo (Nintendo Switch Online and Nintendo eShop)The free 7-day Nintendo Switch Online trial needs a payment method and turns on auto-renewal for a paid 30-day individual membership; turn off auto-renewal before the 7 days end.
• NoomCancel a trial the same way as a subscription, before it converts. Noom settled a 2022 class action over trials that converted to auto-renewing plans and agreed to clearer disclosures and an account-page cancel button.
• NortonFor trials that needed a payment method, cancel renewal before the trial ends. If it converted, the first charge is refundable within 14 days (monthly) or 60 days (annual).
• PelotonA Peloton trial converts to a paid membership if you do not cancel before the trial ends.
• Sling TVSling's introductory offer needs an email address and credit card and moves to the everyday monthly price after the first month unless you cancel online.

Guides

• Subscriptions — how complaints work
• Retail and online shopping — how complaints work
• Gyms and fitness memberships — how complaints work