Subscriptions

How to avoid getting charged when a free trial ends

Most free trials turn into paid subscriptions unless you cancel in time. Here is when to cancel on Apple, Google Play and direct sites, and what to do if you were charged.

October 16, 20267 min read

Before a free trial ends

Official guidance, checked Oct. 16, 2026

Read the termsLength, price, how to cancel

Set a reminderBefore the trial ends

App StoreCancel 24+ hours before the end

Google PlayCancel before the trial expires

Charged anywayAsk for a refund, then dispute

Quick answer

A free trial usually becomes a paid subscription unless you cancel before it ends, because the company already has your payment details. Cancel where you signed up: Apple asks for at least 24 hours' notice before an App Store trial ends, and Google Play charges you as soon as the trial period expires. Set a calendar reminder when you sign up. If you are charged without your consent and the company will not refund you, dispute the charge with your card company.

How a free trial turns into a charge

The FTC calls this a negative option: the company treats your silence as agreement to keep billing you. Most free trials ask for a card number so the company can charge you if you do not cancel before the trial ends.

Google Play spells out the timing for app subscriptions. At the end of the trial, the first billing period starts and you are charged the amount in the subscription terms. Google may also place an authorization hold on your payment method up to 48 hours before a renewal period begins.

The FTC also warns that if you have to pay for shipping or other fees, the trial is not really free.

Before you sign up

The FTC and California's Attorney General give the same checklist:

Find the terms. They should say exactly what you are agreeing to, how long the trial lasts, and how and when to cancel.
Uncheck pre-checked boxes. A checked box can let the company keep charging you after the trial or sign you up for more products.
Search the company's name with "scam" or "complaint" to see if other customers had trouble cancelling.
Note the end date. Your deadline to cancel is the end of the trial, not the day you get around to it.

How to cancel before you are charged

Set a reminder on the day you sign up, a few days before the trial ends. The FTC recommends a calendar note.
Find where you subscribed. If you cannot find an Apple receipt for it, Apple says you may have bought it from another company, and your bank or card statement shows who bills you. Our guide to finding all your subscriptions covers each place to check.
For App Store trials on iPhone, open Settings, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, pick the subscription and tap Cancel Subscription. Apple says to do this at least 24 hours before the trial ends. See our iPhone cancellation guide for the other Apple devices.
For Google Play trials, go to Subscriptions in Google Play, select the subscription and tap Cancel subscription before the trial period expires.
For anything you signed up for on a company's website, cancel through your account there, and keep the confirmation email or a screenshot.

Deleting the app does not cancel the subscription. Google Play says so directly, so always cancel the subscription itself.

What happens to your access when you cancel

Google Play says that when you cancel a subscription, you lose access at the end of the current billing period, and in some places you can choose to end it immediately instead. Promotional discounts tied to a subscription are lost when you cancel.

Neither Apple's nor Google's cancellation help page says whether a free trial keeps running after you cancel it during the trial. Read the message on the cancellation screen before you confirm, so you know when your access ends.

On Apple devices, if there is no Cancel button or you see an expiration message in red text, Apple says the subscription is already cancelled.

What the law says

The Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act, passed in 2010, bars online sellers from charging you through a negative option unless they clearly disclose the material terms before taking your billing information, get your express informed consent, and give you a simple way to stop recurring charges.

The FTC's amended Negative Option Rule, often called click to cancel, would have gone further. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit vacated it on July 8, 2025, finding that the FTC skipped a required preliminary regulatory analysis. The FTC has since asked for public comment on whether to start a new rulemaking.

States add their own rules. California's Attorney General says state law requires companies to clearly explain automatic renewal terms and get your approval before signing you up. For financial products, the CFPB's guidance on negative option marketing covers trial plans, where a free or reduced-fee trial is followed by automatic recurring charges unless you cancel.

If you were charged anyway

Contact the company and ask it to cancel and refund the charge. Keep the date, the amount and any cancellation confirmation.
If you cannot cancel, the FTC says to call your credit card company and ask it to stop the payments.
If you were charged without your consent and the company will not refund you, dispute the charge with your credit or debit card company right away. Our guide to a charge that should not be there explains what to ask your bank.
Watch for the credit. Our guide to tracking a refund shows how to follow it to your statement.
California's Attorney General suggests reporting the company to the FTC and the Better Business Bureau. California residents can also report it to the Attorney General's Public Inquiry Unit.

Where Compass+ fits

Today, the Compass assistant runs inside Gerald with a read-only bank connection. It can see recurring charges, including ones that start after a trial, in your transactions.

It does not set trial reminders, cancel trials or subscriptions, or stop charges. Standalone Compass+ is waitlist-only while broader money-finding features are being built.

Frequently asked questions

Free trial FAQ

How do I avoid being charged after a free trial?

Cancel before the trial ends, through the same place you signed up: the App Store, Google Play or the company's own website. The FTC suggests reading the trial's terms first and putting a reminder on your calendar to cancel before the trial ends.

When should I cancel an App Store free trial?

Apple says to cancel a trial subscription at least 24 hours before the trial ends if you do not want it to renew. On iPhone, go to Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions.

Does deleting the app cancel my free trial?

No. Google Play says uninstalling an app does not cancel its subscription. Cancel in Subscriptions on Google Play, or in your Apple Account subscriptions for App Store purchases.

Will Google Play warn me before my trial ends?

Google Play says you will get an email when your trial is about to end. When the trial ends, the first billing period starts and you are charged automatically, so cancel before then.

Is the FTC click-to-cancel rule in effect?

No. A federal appeals court vacated the FTC's amended Negative Option Rule on July 8, 2025. The FTC has since asked for public comment on a new rulemaking. The Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act still requires online sellers to disclose terms, get consent and offer a simple way to stop recurring charges.

What if I was charged after a free trial I did not want?

Ask the company for a refund first. If you were charged without your consent and the company will not refund you, the FTC says to dispute the charge with your credit or debit card company right away.

Sources

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