How to Avoid Being Charged When a Free Trial Ends

Short answer: write down the trial's end date the moment you sign up, set a reminder 1 to 2 days before it, and if you don't want to keep it, cancel the subscription in your store account (deleting the app does not cancel it). Then check that you got a cancellation confirmation. Most surprise charges happen because the end date was never written down.

When you sign up

Find the exact end date. The sign-up screen or the confirmation email usually says when the first charge happens. A "7-day trial" started in the evening may end earlier than you think.
Note the price after the trial and the billing period. A trial that rolls into a yearly plan charges the whole year at once.
Note where you signed up: in the app through the store, or on the service's website. That decides where you cancel.

Set a reminder 1 to 2 days before

A reminder on the last day is too late if the charge happens early in the morning or in a different time zone. One or two days before gives you time to decide and to cancel calmly. If you start several trials at once, give each one its own reminder.

How to cancel a Google Play subscription

Open the Google Play Store app.
Tap your profile picture at the top right.
Tap Payments & subscriptions, then Subscriptions.
Choose the subscription and tap Cancel subscription.
Follow the steps to the end until it says the subscription is cancelled.

If you signed up on the service's website, cancel in your account settings on that website instead; it won't appear in your store's list.

Why deleting the app does not cancel

The subscription is tied to your store account or your account with the service, not to the app installed on your phone. Deleting the app only removes it from that phone. The trial still ends and the paid plan still starts. Always cancel first, then delete the app if you want.

Check the confirmation

Look for a cancellation email or a "Cancelled" label on the subscription.
Check that it shows the date access ends and no next payment date.
Look at your card statement after the trial's end date to be sure nothing was charged.

How Dueberry handles it

In Dueberry you can enter a free trial's end date and get a reminder before it ends. Payment reminders can be set for the day itself or 1, 2, 3 or 7 days before, with one default for all subscriptions and an override for each. When you cancel, you can mark the subscription as cancelled: it stays in your list but is no longer counted in your totals, and the stats show how much you save in a year. Dueberry does not cancel subscriptions, does not connect to banks or stores and does not detect trials automatically; you enter each one, and the data stays on your phone. There is no login. Dueberry is supported by ads.

Cancellation rules differ by service. Check the terms of the service you signed up for.

Frequently asked questions

Does deleting the app cancel my free trial?

No. The subscription belongs to your store account, not to the app on your phone. If you delete the app without cancelling, the trial still turns into a paid plan.

If I cancel during the free trial, do I lose the rest of it?

It depends on the service. On Google Play you can usually keep using it until the trial period ends, but some services stop access right away. Check the cancellation screen or the service's help page.

Can Dueberry cancel a trial for me?

No. Dueberry does not cancel subscriptions and is not connected to any store or bank. It reminds you before the trial end date you entered, and you cancel with the store or the service.

← See Dueberry: track subscriptions by hand, data stays on your phone