First, check whether the cancellation actually went through
Before disputing anything, rule out the common reasons a charge is legitimate or a cancellation silently failed. Open the subscription's account page and look for a canceled status or an end date, and search your email for a confirmation.
If you can't find either, the cancellation may never have completed. A closed tab on a retention offer, a pause instead of a cancel, or deleting an app are the usual culprits.
- Someone else bills you. Subscriptions bought through Apple, Google Play, Amazon, or a phone or internet bundle have to be canceled with that company, not the service itself.
- You canceled on a different account. Many services let you have more than one login, and the cancel option only appears on the one with the active plan.
- The plan was annual or annual-paid-monthly. Some plans renew yearly or carry an early termination fee, so a charge after canceling may be the final contract payment.
- The charge is for the period you already used. Many subscriptions bill in advance and keep access until the end of the period instead of refunding it.
- It was a different subscription from the same company, such as a Prime Video channel after canceling Prime.
Gather your proof before you contact anyone
Whoever reviews your complaint, whether the company's support team or your card issuer, will want to see when you canceled and what the company told you. Collect it in one place first.
- The cancellation confirmation page or a recording of the cancel flow, with the date visible.
- The confirmation email, including any confirmation or case number.
- The account page showing the canceled status or the date access ends.
- Any support chat transcript where an agent confirmed the cancellation or promised a refund.
- The statement showing the charge that came after your cancellation date.
Ask the company for a refund
Start with the company. It's usually the fastest route, and card issuers often ask whether you tried to resolve it first. Keep the message short and factual: the date you canceled, the confirmation number, the charge date and amount, and that you're asking for a refund of that charge.
Use a channel that leaves a record, such as email, a support ticket, or chat you can save. Note the date and the agent's name or ticket number. Give them a few business days, but keep an eye on the clock described in the next section.
If you paid by credit card: dispute it in writing within 60 days
Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, the FTC says your dispute letter should reach the card issuer within 60 days after the first bill with the error was sent to you. That's measured from the statement date, not from when you noticed, so don't let a slow back-and-forth with the company eat the window.
Send it to the issuer's address for billing inquiries, not the payment address. Include your name, address, account number, and a description of the error, plus copies (not originals) of your proof. Many issuers also accept disputes online or by phone, but the FTC's guidance is built around the written dispute, so if you start online, follow up in writing or keep a copy of what you submitted.
The FTC says the issuer must acknowledge your complaint in writing within 30 days and resolve it within 90 days. While it investigates, you can withhold payment on the disputed amount and related finance charges, but you're expected to pay the rest of your bill.
If you paid by debit card or bank transfer: revoke the authorization
Debit cards and direct bank payments work differently. The CFPB's guidance is to tell the company you're revoking permission for automatic payments, tell your bank or credit union the same thing, and follow up both in writing. Your bank may suggest a stop payment order, which can carry a fee.
If a payment comes out after you revoked authorization, tell your bank right away. The CFPB says federal law gives you the right to dispute and recover unauthorized transfers if you report them promptly.
If Apple, Google, or Amazon billed you
When an app store or marketplace billed you, the refund request usually goes to them rather than the service. Apple, Google Play, and Amazon each have their own refund process, and the service itself often can't refund those charges. Our cancellation guides note which companies send you elsewhere.
What about the FTC's click-to-cancel rule?
The FTC's 2024 click-to-cancel rule, which would have required cancellation to be as easy as signing up, never took effect. A federal appeals court vacated it in July 2025, and the FTC has since started a new rulemaking. Other protections still apply, including the federal Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act and state automatic-renewal laws, and you can report a company that made canceling unreasonably hard to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Make the next cancellation easy to prove
Almost every one of these steps goes faster when you can show the moment you canceled. Before you cancel anything, start a recording of the tab, go through the flow, and stop on the confirmation page. Kept does this for free in Chrome and keeps the video, screenshots, and a timestamped timeline on your device, so if a charge shows up next month you already have the evidence your card issuer asks for.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I get a refund if I was charged after canceling a subscription?
Often, yes. Ask the company first with your cancellation date and confirmation. If you paid by credit card and the company won't fix it, you can dispute the charge with your card issuer; the FTC says your letter should arrive within 60 days after the statement with the charge was sent.
How long do I have to dispute a credit card charge?
Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, the FTC says your dispute should reach the issuer within 60 days after the first bill with the error was sent to you. The issuer must acknowledge it within 30 days and resolve it within 90 days.
What proof do I need for a subscription chargeback?
The cancellation confirmation (page, recording, or email) with its date, any confirmation or case number, the account page showing the canceled status, your messages with the company, and the statement showing the later charge.
What if I paid with a debit card?
The CFPB recommends telling both the company and your bank that you've revoked authorization for automatic payments, following up in writing, and reporting any payment taken after that to your bank right away.
Is the FTC click-to-cancel rule in effect?
No. The 2024 rule was vacated by a federal appeals court in July 2025 before it took effect, and the FTC has started a new rulemaking. Federal ROSCA and state automatic-renewal laws still apply.