Cancelled a Subscription but Still Being Charged? What to Do (UK)

First, check what your cancellation actually did

A lot of these disputes are about timing, not refusal. Many subscriptions run to the end of a paid period, or have a notice period or minimum term. So a payment after you clicked cancel is not always a payment after the cancellation took effect. Work this out before you write. It tells you which payments you can fairly ask to have back.

Stopping the payments yourself

How you stop the payments depends on how you pay. For a recurring card payment, also called a continuous payment authority, the FCA says you can cancel through the business or your card issuer, and your card issuer cannot insist you contact the business first. You need to do it by the end of the business day before the next payment is due. If a payment is taken after that, it is unauthorised and the card issuer must refund it and any related charges. For a Direct Debit, you can cancel at any time by contacting your bank. The Direct Debit Guarantee gives you a full and immediate refund if a payment is taken in error. Either way, Citizens Advice notes that if you stop payments for something like a subscription, you still need to settle any money you genuinely owe under the agreement.

Getting back money already taken

Ask the company first, in writing, with the dates and amounts. If it refuses or does not reply, go to your card issuer. Payments taken after you cancelled a recurring card payment with the issuer are unauthorised and should be refunded. For other disputed payments, you can ask for a chargeback on a debit or credit card. It is a card scheme process rather than a legal right, and it is time-limited, so do not leave it long. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act only covers credit card purchases where a single item costs more than £100 and no more than £30,000, so it often does not fit a low monthly subscription. If your card issuer will not help, you can complain to it and then to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

The 14-day cancellation period

If you signed up online or by phone, the Consumer Contracts Regulations usually give you 14 days to cancel a service, starting the day after the contract was made. If you asked for the service to start in that time, you may have to pay for what you used. For digital content such as streaming or downloads, you lose the right to cancel once supply has started, but only if you expressly agreed to it starting early and acknowledged that you would lose the right. After the 14 days, what you can do depends on the contract terms.

What changes in January 2027

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 contains a new regime for subscription contracts, but it is not in force yet. On 9 August 2026 the government said the rules will start in January 2027. They will require clearer information up front, regular reminders, an easier way to leave, and a new 14-day cooling-off period after a free trial ends or a long-term contract renews. Until then, disputes about charges after cancelling depend on your contract, the payment rules above and existing consumer law.

Letter disputing charges after cancelling

Edit this template with your facts, dates, and requested outcome before sending.

Subject: Charges taken after cancellation — account [reference]

Dear [Company] Customer Services,

I cancelled my [name of subscription] on [date] by [method, for example the online account page / email / phone], [and received confirmation reference [reference] on [date]]. [Under your terms, the cancellation took effect on [date].]

Despite this, you have taken the following payments from my [card ending [digits] / bank account]:
- [date]: £[amount]
- [date]: £[amount]

These payments were taken after my cancellation took effect, and I did not agree to them. I am asking you to:
1. Refund £[total] to the original payment method.
2. Confirm in writing that the subscription is cancelled and that no further payments will be taken.

Please respond within 14 days. [I have also asked my card issuer to stop any further payments to you.] If this is not resolved, I will ask my card issuer to recover the payments.

A copy of my cancellation confirmation is attached.

Yours faithfully,
[Your Name]
[Email / account email]

Common mistakes to avoid

• ✕Relying on the company to stop the payments when your bank can stop recurring card payments directly
• ✕Cancelling the payment but not the subscription, and then being chased for money owed under the contract
• ✕Asking for refunds of payments taken before the cancellation actually took effect under the terms
• ✕Not keeping the cancellation confirmation, or a screenshot of the cancellation page
• ✕Leaving a chargeback request too late while waiting for the company to reply
• ✕Claiming under Section 75 for a charge under £100, which it does not cover

Next steps

1. 1Find your cancellation confirmation and the date the cancellation took effect
2. 2List every payment taken after that date, with amounts
3. 3Tell your card issuer or bank to stop further payments, and confirm it in writing
4. 4Write to the company asking for a refund and confirmation that the subscription is closed
5. 5If it refuses or ignores you, ask your card issuer to recover the payments, and complain to the Financial Ombudsman if the issuer will not help