How to cancel a VPN subscription and request a refund

Start with the receipt for the payment you want to stop or recover. A VPN downloaded to an iPhone can be billed directly by the provider, and a Google Play download can be used with a subscription you bought elsewhere. The company named on the receipt determines where to go. Deleting the app does not cancel its billing arrangement.

There are two jobs here. Cancel renewal to prevent the next subscription charge. Request a refund if you want a payment already taken returned. A screen saying “expires on 20 December” can be good evidence of cancellation while telling you nothing about whether a refund has been approved.

If you bought directly from the VPN provider

Sign in on the provider's official website under the account shown on your invoice. Open the subscription or billing section, find renewal settings and complete the cancellation journey. A retention offer can appear part-way through. Look for the resulting expiry date or written confirmation before closing the page.

Find the refund terms that apply to your particular purchase. Check when the window starts, whether renewals qualify, which payment methods are covered and how to submit the request. A direct purchase made with Apple Pay can still be billed by the provider. Apple's wallet appearing at checkout does not on its own mean the subscription is managed in App Store settings.

For example, Proton's published direct-purchase guidance asks eligible customers who subscribed within the previous 30 days to contact support for a refund. It lists bank transfers and cash among the payment methods it cannot refund. Other sellers set their own guarantee terms. Proton's cancellation and refund instructions

If Apple issued the receipt

1. On iPhone, open Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions. Select the VPN and choose Cancel Subscription, following any confirmation prompt.
2. Check the expiry details. If the subscription is missing, compare the Apple Account on the receipt with the account you are using. A purchase billed directly will not show here.
3. To request money back, sign in to Apple's Report a Problem service with the purchasing account. Choose Request a refund, select a reason and the relevant purchase, then submit. Keep the acknowledgement. Apple assesses eligibility.

A charge that is still pending may not yet be available for a refund request. Check the receipt and purchase history again once it has completed. Apple's cancellation guide · Apple's refund request instructions

If Google Play billed you

Open Google Play under the purchasing Google Account and go to Payments and subscriptions → Subscriptions. Select the VPN, choose Cancel subscription and follow the remaining prompts. Google also provides a web cancellation route if you no longer have the Android device. Open the subscription again and check the end date.

For the charge already made, use Google's refund request form and identify the individual purchase. If you have several Google Accounts, use the one that received the order email. Google's UK and EEA policy takes account of what was purchased, when, and the reason for a request. Describe what actually happened, such as a feature sold for your device that did not work as described, and keep any support reference. Cancel a Google Play subscription · Request a Google Play refund · Google's UK refund policy

Keep a record until the matter is settled

Save the invoice or order number, amount and currency, date charged, cancellation confirmation, expiry date and refund case number. Note whether the seller agreed to refund the original payment method or offered account credit. If the response covers only cancellation, follow up on the same case with a specific request.

Please confirm that renewal is off for order [number]. I also request a refund of [amount and currency], charged on [date], because [reason]. Please confirm the decision and where any repayment will be sent.

Keep a copy of the response until you see the credit on the original account or statement. If you are shopping for a replacement for occasional use, compare buying one month against paying for a year before starting another recurring subscription.