# How to cancel Substack paid publication

Cancel a paid Substack subscription from Settings: under Subscriptions select the publication, scroll to Account actions and select Cancel Subscription. It takes about 90 seconds and paid benefits continue through the paid term, after which you become a free subscriber. Refunds are usually at the publisher's discretion, with eligible requests honored within seven days of payment.

Paid reader subscription to an independent publication hosted on Substack.

- Category: Publishing & creators
- Entry plan: Monthly publication subscription at Set by each publisher
- Billed via: web, iOS App Store
- Difficulty: Easy (1.6 / 10 on the Cancellation Difficulty Index), takes about 90 seconds
- Direct cancellation page: https://substack.com/settings
- Manually verified on 10 Aug 2026 against official sources
- Canonical guide: https://canicancelit.com/cancel/substack

## Cancel in a web browser

1. **Open Substack settings** Sign in at Substack and open Settings.
2. **Choose the publication** Under Subscriptions, select the paid publication you want to cancel.
3. **Open Account actions** Scroll to Account actions and click the cancellation link.
4. **Cancel the subscription** Select Cancel Subscription. Paid benefits continue through the term, then you become a free subscriber.

## Cancel on iPhone / iPad

1. **Check who billed you** If the receipt is from Apple, open Settings on iPhone or iPad, tap your name, then Subscriptions.
2. **Cancel the publication** Select the publication subscription and tap Cancel Subscription. Manage web billing in Substack Settings instead.

## Refunds, pausing, downgrades and your data

- **Refunds:** Refunds are usually at the publisher's discretion. Substack honors eligible requests within seven days of payment unless a subscriber perk was claimed, and may refund dormant publications or processing errors. Apple purchases use Apple's process.
- **Pausing:** Eligible web-billed publication subscriptions can be paused from the cancellation screen for a selected number of months. Substack shows the resume date and sends a reminder three days before resumption.
- **Downgrading:** After the paid term ends, the reader becomes a free subscriber and loses paid-only posts and comments. Unsubscribing from all email is separate.
- **Account data:** Cancellation keeps the Substack account and free publication subscription. It does not delete the account or automatically stop free emails.

## At a glance

- Effective: End of paid term
- Eligible refund request: 7 days
- Pause: Eligible web plans
- Outcome: Free subscriber

## FAQ

**Does cancellation stop paid access immediately?**

No. Paid benefits continue through the period already paid for, except a trial ends immediately.

**Can I pause a subscription?**

Eligible web subscriptions can be paused for a selected number of months.

**Can I get a refund?**

The publisher usually decides, while Substack documents certain eligible requests within seven days and other limited cases.

**Will I still receive free emails?**

Yes. Cancellation makes you a free subscriber. Unsubscribe separately to stop all emails.

## Official sources

- [Cancel a paid Substack subscription](https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037489252-How-do-I-cancel-my-paid-subscription-on-Substack) (checked 2026-08-10)
- [Substack reader guide](https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/33655200073620-A-reader-s-guide-to-Substack) (checked 2026-08-10)
- [Substack refund policy](https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/8915992656660-What-is-Substack-s-refund-policy) (checked 2026-08-10)
- [Substack reader pricing](https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037607131-How-much-does-Substack-cost) (checked 2026-08-10)
- [Substack reader payments](https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/18687769631252-How-can-readers-pay-for-a-subscription-on-my-Substack-publication) (checked 2026-08-10)
- [Cancel an Apple subscription](https://support.apple.com/en-us/118428) (checked 2026-08-10)

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Verified cancellation guide from Can I Cancel It? (https://canicancelit.com). JSON version: https://canicancelit.com/cancel/substack.json