A free trial can turn into a paid subscription if you miss its terms. Before signing up, record when the trial ends, what will be charged and how to cancel. This worksheet draws on US Federal Trade Commission consumer guidance. Actual deadlines, refunds and cancellation channels depend on the provider, payment route and applicable country.
- Read renewal terms
- Set a review reminder
- Cancel through the right channel
- Save proof and check charges
Fill in four fields before you subscribe
Write down the trial start and end times, first charge and later billing cycle, exact cancellation path, and any notice requirement. Do not assume that cancelling on the last calendar day is enough. An app-store subscription may be managed in the store, while a website subscription may be managed in the service account.
Do not record your full card number in the worksheet. Keep the service name, account identifier, renewal date and terms link instead; these are more useful when you need to find the subscription later.
Set a reminder, then keep proof
Put a calendar reminder comfortably before renewal, but do not treat an arbitrary ‘48 hours before’ rule as a provider's legal cutoff. Read the actual terms. After cancelling, save the confirmation screen, email, reference number and displayed subscription status.
Deleting an app or switching off notifications is not the same as confirming cancellation. Check the subscription screen and later statements for unexpected charges.
| Check | My notes |
|---|---|
| Service and payment route | — |
| Official subscription-management URL | — |
| Official cancellation cutoff and time zone | — |
| Personal reminder (not the official cutoff) | — |
| Completion proof and next-charge check | — |
Copy this blank table into your private notes, mark unconfirmed entries as ‘unconfirmed’, and omit card numbers, passwords, full names and account email addresses.
If a charge appears anyway
Match the merchant name, date and amount against your account and saved cancellation proof. Contact the service with those facts. If unresolved, ask your payment provider and the relevant consumer-advice service in your country about the next steps. A refund cannot be promised from this checklist.
The FTC source is US consumer advice. This article does not claim that its legal rules or refund periods apply in every country.
A worked example
Suppose the terms say a trial ends at 10 a.m. on 12 October. You could set your own review reminder for 10 October to leave time to act. That is a planning buffer, not a guaranteed cancellation deadline; the provider's stated cutoff controls.
Common questions
Does deleting the app cancel the subscription?
Do not assume so. Check cancellation in the account or app-store subscription manager used for payment.
Why save proof after pressing cancel?
The confirmation and effective date may matter if a later charge needs checking.
Is payment information always required for a free trial?
No single rule covers every service. If it is requested, read the renewal and charge terms carefully.
Official sources checked
This is general information; individual circumstances and product or agency instructions may differ.