A subscription that runs through the platform, not the app itself

You set up a subscription directly in an app, tap "Subscribe", and everything feels like a normal purchase within that one app. Behind the scenes, though, something different is often going on: the actual payment arrangement is then not with the company behind the app, but with the app store or platform through which the subscription was taken out. So if you want to cancel an App Store subscription, you do not do it through the app itself, but through the account settings of that platform.

For you as a user, this difference is barely visible in everyday use, but it becomes important precisely when you want to end a subscription and the app seems to offer no suitable option for doing so.

Why deleting the app does not end a subscription

Deleting an app removes the software from your device, but it changes nothing about an existing payment arrangement, which is stored with the platform independently of the installed app. The next charge is therefore taken as normal, even though the app is long gone and nothing visible reminds you of the subscription any more. Only cancelling in the account settings of the platform in question actually stops the charges.

How to tell whether your subscription is billed through a platform

One clue is the entry on your bank statement: if it shows the name of the app store or a payment platform rather than the name of the app, the billing runs through that platform rather than directly through the provider. In the account settings on your device itself, you can usually also see a list of all the subscriptions taken out there, regardless of which company originally made each app. That list is more reliable than trying to remember where you once signed up for a subscription.

Where you actually have to cancel

If a subscription runs through a platform, the cancellation belongs in the account settings of exactly that platform, not in a menu inside the app. Writing a cancellation email directly to the company behind the app often does little good in this case, because technically that company does not control the billing itself. If you are unsure, you will usually find the overview of running subscriptions in the same place where other purchases made through the platform are listed.

Worked example: two parallel billing routes

Some providers charge different prices for the same subscription depending on whether it is taken out directly through their own website or through an app store, because the platform keeps a commission for handling the payment. Say a service costs 7.99 euros a month if you book directly through the website, but 8.99 euros a month if the same subscription is taken out through an app store. The difference of 1 euro a month looks small at first, but over a year it adds up to 12 euros, just for the same service with the same features.

Refunds for a subscription through a platform

For a refund, too, the platform is the right point of contact if the subscription was taken out there, not the company behind the app. The app's provider often cannot trigger such a refund directly, because technically the payment never reaches it, but is settled through the platform. A request through the platform's account settings is therefore the more direct route than a message to the app itself.

Cancellation rights depending on the country

Within the EU, when you first take out a subscription through a platform, the same statutory 14-day right of withdrawal generally applies as with any other distance contract, regardless of whether billing runs directly through the provider or through an app store. This right mainly relates to entering into the original contract and does not replace the later, regular cancellation route through the platform itself. These are EU rules; outside the EU, for example in the UK, the US or Canada, each country has its own rules, so there the account settings of the platform remain the most reliable guide to how a cancellation works in detail.

Shared accounts and family memberships through a platform

If a subscription through a platform is shared with several people in the same household, cancelling it is usually up to the account through which the payment was originally set up, not each individual member. If that one person cancels the subscription in their own account settings, all the other shared accounts usually lose access too as soon as the current billing period ends. It is worth agreeing on this beforehand, so that a cancellation does not suddenly cut off access for several people at once.

Keeping track of several billing routes

If you have taken out subscriptions both directly with individual providers and through an app store, it is easier to lose track, because the two routes are managed separately. A single list, as described in the article Keeping track of subscriptions: cancel in time instead of forgetting, helps you keep an eye on both routes at the same time. If a subscription is still within its original trial period, cancellation deadlines similar to those for any other trial subscription apply, explained in more detail in the article Cancelling a trial subscription: deadlines and pitfalls. How vouchers and discount codes can be used with running subscriptions and contracts at all is shown in the article Discount codes for subscriptions and contracts. Answers to further general questions about subscriptions and orders can be found on the frequently asked questions page on daily-coupons.info.

Frequently asked questions

Why can I not find a way to cancel the subscription in the app itself?

Because with many subscriptions the actual billing does not run through the app, but through the platform where they were taken out. The cancellation therefore belongs in that platform's account settings, not in a menu in the app.

Does deleting the app automatically end the subscription that goes with it?

No. Deleting only removes the software from your device, while the payment arrangement with the platform continues regardless, until you actively cancel it there.

Why does a subscription through the app store sometimes cost more than directly through the website?

Because some providers build in the commission that a platform keeps for handling the payment. This surcharge often does not apply if the same subscription is taken out directly through the provider's own website.

Who do I contact about a refund for a subscription through a platform?

The platform itself, through whose account settings the subscription was taken out, not the company behind the app directly. Technically, that company often cannot reverse the charge itself.