How To Cancel Your Internet Service (2024)

Internet service—particularly if it’s bundled into your phone and cable bill—can be tricky to cancel. Many service providers like to lock in subscribers for multi-year plans, and canceling early often means customers have to pay an early termination fee (ETF).

The actual penalty will depend on your service provider and your plan, but generally the ETF decreases with each fulfilled month of your contract. For example, if you have just a few months left of a two-year internet service contract, you’ll pay far less than you would have to if you just renewed it.

Of course, the easiest way to cancel service without paying any additional charges is to let your contract run out and then simply don’t renew. If this is the case, be sure that any auto-renewal features are turned off so you don’t get charged for a new contract. But even if your current contract is set to expire and there’s no penalty, you might have to give prior notice—30 days, for example—to avoid being charged for additional months of service. That’s why it pays to know the details of your service agreement.

If you cannot cancel your service online, call the customer service number for your ISP. You will be connected to an associate, but be warned: They will most certainly try to woo you to stay with a new deal.

Feel free to negotiate a better price if you were canceling your service because of high monthly fees. But try to avoid being so dazzled by a new package offer that has you sign a lengthy contract—you will only find yourself in the same situation down the road.

However, if you are dissatisfied with your current service or are moving to a new area outside of your ISP’s region, then stand your ground and continue on with the cancellation.

If you are moving to a new location that is not serviced by your current internet provider, you might be able to get out of paying any penalties. In particular, if you are getting deployed to the military or moving to a housing community where you are only permitted to use the internet provider already in place, there is a good chance your service provider will waive the early termination fee.

However, you will likely need to show proof of your new address outside of the service area, and you must return any leased equipment, like your router.

Keep in mind all is not lost if you do have to pay an early termination fee. If you are already shopping around for a new service provider, there may be deals specifically for brand-new subscribers that will pay for all or part of the penalty, or they might offer such a good deal that they’ll offset the ETF.

When processing your cancellation, find out exactly when the service will cut off. Ideally, you’ll want to end the call with your old company and get on a call with your new one so that you have continuous service. But at the very least, ask your soon-to-be former ISP how much longer you’ll be able to log on so you can make arrangements for the down time.

Aside from wanting to upsell you to a new contract, the main reason internet service providers won’t let you cancel online is that they want to make sure their equipment is returned.

Unless you bought a high-speed router on your own, you probably leased one from the internet provider. That means you’ve got to return it to them within a certain timeframe or you’ll be charged a fee—perhaps the full purchase price of the router.

Some companies will make it easy for you to send back your router and other equipment via the mail or other shipping service. Others will require customers to drop off the equipment at a physical location. If it’s the latter and you are gearing up to move, you’ll want to prioritize that trip before things get too hectic and you forget.

Whichever way you return your equipment, be sure to get confirmation that it has been received. They can be sometimes slow to update their records, but they will be quick to charge fees, so be sure to have a record of your return.

Many of us have grown to rely on our internet service. If you work from home especially, you’ll want to have another service ready and waiting. But even if you don’t, you likely depend on a strong internet connection if you use smart devices or stream music, TV or movies. Unless you don’t mind being offline for a bit, make the call so that your new internet service is or will be ready to go at your new place.

Here’s something to keep in mind when signing on with a new ISP: It’s easy to get swept up into a long-term contract that saves you money. But if you are unsure about how long you’ll be needing an internet service, it might actually pay for you to sign on for a shorter contract at a higher monthly fee that will allow you to cancel easily at any time without penalty.

Canceling internet service requires a bit of patience but it can be done. Early termination fees may be charged depending on your service agreement, but you can avoid further fees by returning your equipment promptly.