Want to cancel a subscription easily? Sign up for it through an iPhone app first

Earlier this month the White House announced a slew of new actions aimed at stopping corporations from trapping people in endless customer service loops and tricking people into parting with their cash. The crackdown is dubbed the “Time Is Money” effort, and it targets a host of common corporate practices.

“Americans know these practices well,” a press release announcing the new initiative read. “It’s being forced to wait on hold just to get the refund we’re owed; the hoops and hurdles to cancel a gym membership or subscription; the unnecessary complications of dealing with health insurance companies; the requirements to do in-person or by mail what could easily be done with a couple of clicks online; and confusing, lengthy, or manipulative forms that take unnecessary time and effort.”

Of all the dubious practices the White House mentions, the one consumers are most familiar with is probably the difficulty they face when simply trying to cancel a subscription, be it for software, a magazine, or a gym membership.

It is in a company’s interest to make canceling a subscription as hard as possible. The harder it is to cancel, the more likely a consumer is to give up, which ensures that the company can squeeze at least another month’s fee from your bank account. It’ll be a while before you muster the time and effort to try to cancel your subscription again.

But the hassle of canceling subscriptions is why, for years now, I always sign up for a subscription via an iPhone app’s in-app purchase mechanism, if possible. And if you want to be able to easily cancel your subscriptions, you should, too.

Apple makes it easy to cancel subscriptions

Some people love Apple’s “walled garden” approach to the iPhone and its App Store, and some people hate it. I’m one who has always seen its benefits, particularly when it comes to subscriptions.

I remember the nightmare days of the early 2000s when, if you signed up for a magazine subscription, you had to resign yourself to the fact that canceling it would be one of the most frustrating, time-consuming experiences of your consumer life.

But then came the App Store and its in-app purchases and in-app subscriptions. And with it, that cancelation nightmare went away. That’s because if you subscribe to a piece of software, magazine, or anything else through the App Store’s in-app purchase system, Apple makes it as easy as it can possibly be to cancel that subscription. Here’s how you do it:

1. Open the iPhone’s Settings app.
2. Tap your Apple ID name.
3. Tap Subscriptions.
4. Tap on the name of the subscription you want to cancel.
5. Tap the red Cancel Subscription button.
6. Tap the Confirm button.

That’s it. Your subscription is canceled—no arguing with customer support. No having to suffer through pop-ups begging you to stay as a subscriber. No trying to navigate dark patterns. It doesn’t matter if it’s a subscription from Apple or a third-party. If you want it canceled, you can get it canceled in seconds.

Of course, it should be noted that some iPhone apps take you to a subscription sign-up page outside of the App Store’s in-app purchase system. If this is the case, you’ll need to deal with the individual company’s subscription cancelation process and won’t be able to take advantage of Apple’s easy system.

Google makes it pretty easy to cancel subscriptions, too

While Apple led the way on easy subscription cancelation, Google has adopted the process, as well, provided that you are signing up for the subscription using the Google Play store’s in-app purchasing system. 

To cancel subscriptions made via an Android app from the Google Play store, simply do the following:

1. Open the Google Play Store app on your Android phone.
2. Tap on your profile’s icon in the upper-right corner.
3. Tap Payments & Subscriptions.
4. Tap on the subscription you want to cancel.
5. Tap Cancel Subscription.
6. Select a reason why you are canceling.
7. Tap Cancel Subscription.

As you can see, Google’s workflow for canceling a subscription is slightly more annoying, as it wants to know why you want to cancel. Still, the company makes it relatively easy to cancel subscriptions made via apps that support Google Play Store in-app purchases.

But the same caveat above applies here: If an app takes you outside of Google Play’s in-app purchase system, you’ll need to deal with the individual company’s subscription cancelation process, which may not be as straightforward.

FTC’s ‘Click to Cancel’ could become a reality

Of course, the reality is not all companies that offer subscriptions let you sign up for them through an iPhone or Android app, where they need to play by Apple and Google’s easy-cancelation rules.

But that may not matter much longer. Last year the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a new “Click to Cancel” rule that would require companies “to make it as easy for consumers to cancel their enrollment as it was to sign up.”

That rule has not been finalized yet, but it was highlighted in the White House’s “Time Is Money” announcement. And if the rule is finalized, all subscriptions could one day be as easy to cancel as Apple and Google currently make it.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91172063/how-to-cancel-a-subscription-easily-iphone-app-google-play-ftc-white-house-time-is-money?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss