You signed up for a free trial three weeks ago. Today you got charged $14.99. Sound familiar?
Free trials are designed to convert. The company bets that most people will forget to cancel before the trial ends. They're usually right. Here's how to stop it from happening, and what to do if it already has.
The calendar trick (do this every time)
The single best habit: set a reminder the moment you sign up.
iPhone: Say "Hey Siri, remind me to cancel [service name] in [number] days." Siri creates a reminder in the Reminders app. Set it for two days before the trial ends, not the last day.
Android: Say "Hey Google, remind me to cancel [service name] in [number] days." Same idea.
Why two days early? Some services require 24-48 hours' notice before the billing date. If your trial ends on a Saturday and you try to cancel on Saturday morning, some companies will say the charge already processed.
Cancel immediately after signing up
This is the trick most people don't know about.
Apple subscriptions: If you cancel an Apple-billed free trial immediately after signing up, you still get the full trial period. Apple doesn't cut off access early. Cancel now, use the trial, and it expires naturally without charging you.
Go to Settings > your name > Subscriptions > find the trial > Cancel Subscription.
Google Play: Same deal. Cancel right away and you keep the trial until the end date. Play Store > profile icon > Payments & subscriptions > Subscriptions > Cancel.
Direct subscriptions (not through app stores): This varies. Some services (like Netflix) let you cancel immediately and keep the trial. Others (like Adobe) may cut access the moment you cancel. Check the specific service's policy before cancelling early.
Common free trial traps
The "7-day trial" with your credit card. If they're asking for payment details upfront, they're banking on you forgetting. Set that calendar reminder.
Annual plans with a trial. Some services offer a free trial on an annual plan. If you forget to cancel, you get hit with the full year's charge (not just one month). Adobe and Audible both do this.
App trials that bill through different platforms. You signed up through the iPhone app, but the subscription might bill through the App Store, the service directly, or even PayPal. Check all three if you can't find the subscription.
The "cancel anytime" promise. "Cancel anytime" technically means you can cancel. It doesn't mean it's easy. Some services require a phone call, a chat session, or navigating through six confirmation screens. Check our cancel guides for the specific steps.
Already got charged? Here's what to do
Within 48 hours: Contact the service directly and ask for a refund, citing the free trial. Most will refund it, especially if you haven't used the paid features.
Apple App Store charges: Go to reportaproblem.apple.com, find the charge, and request a refund. Apple approves most first-time requests within 48 hours.
Google Play charges: Open Google Play > profile > Payments & subscriptions > Budget & history > find the charge > Request a refund. Google's refund window is typically within 48 hours of the charge.
PayPal charges: Open a dispute through PayPal's Resolution Centre. If the merchant won't refund, PayPal often sides with the buyer for trial-to-paid conversions.
Credit card chargeback: If nothing else works and it's been less than 120 days, contact your bank and dispute the charge. Under Australian Consumer Law, you have rights around recurring charges you didn't explicitly authorise.
Services that catch people out most
These are the free trials that convert to paid most often, based on how frequently people search for how to cancel them:
- YouTube Premium (1-3 month trials with new devices)
- Apple TV+ (3-month trial with Apple device purchases)
- Amazon Prime (30-day trial, then $9.99/mo)
- Audible (30-day trial, then $16.45/mo)
- Paramount+ (7-day trial, then $6.99-$13.99/mo)
The new rules coming
The Australian federal government announced plans in 2025 to ban subscription traps, including making it illegal for companies to require more steps to cancel than to sign up. The draft legislation is expected in 2026. Until then, the calendar trick and the cancel-immediately approach are your best defence.
After cancelling a free trial, your access typically continues until the original trial end date (for Apple and Google subscriptions). For direct subscriptions, check whether access cuts off immediately or runs to the end of the trial period. Either way, you won't be charged.
Free trials handled. But what about the ones that already converted without you noticing?
Most people find 3-5 subscriptions they forgot about when they actually look. Upload a bank statement to Subtracker and see every recurring charge in 2 minutes. No bank login. No manual entry. $12.99 once.
See what you're paying forChris Raad
Chris is the founder of Subtracker. He built this tool after experiencing the pain of discovering thousands of dollars in unused SaaS sprawl just before tax time.