To cancel a Telstra service, message or chat through the My Telstra app, call 13 22 00 and say "disconnect," or go into a Telstra store. There is no online button to close a service. Two catches decide how much you pay on the way out: if you're keeping your mobile number, port it to the new provider before you cancel (the port cancels the Telstra service for you), and if you're still paying off a handset, the remaining device balance falls due in one final payment. Most plans sold since 2019 are month-to-month with no lock-in and no exit fee.
Telstra runs mobile, broadband, and home phone under one account. Cancelling one service leaves the others running, and each has its own steps.
Cancel a mobile service
Keeping your number? Don't cancel first. Sign up with your new provider and choose "keep my existing number" (or wording like it) during their sign-up. Your number has to be active with Telstra at the moment of transfer, so cancelling first loses the number for good. Once the port completes, Telstra cancels the mobile service automatically. Porting usually takes up to four business hours, often less. Telstra sends a pre-port verification SMS to confirm it's you.
Not keeping your number? Cancel directly:
- Open the My Telstra app
- Select your mobile service
- Message the support team, or call 13 22 00 and say "disconnect"
Device repayments. If you're still paying off a phone on a Device Payment Contract, ending the plan makes the balance of your remaining repayments due in one final payment. Check the outstanding amount in My Telstra under your plan details before you commit, so the final bill isn't a surprise. The switch to Optus, Vodafone, or another carrier doesn't clear the handset debt; that's owed to Telstra regardless of who you port to. The same trap applies when you cancel an Optus plan or leave Vodafone mid-handset.
Cancel internet (nbn) or home phone
Telstra has no self-service cancel for broadband or home phone. Call 13 22 00 and say "disconnect," or start a chat in the My Telstra app.
Notice period. Telstra can require up to 30 days' notice depending on the plan. On month-to-month broadband, your service runs to the end of the current billing period and you pay the pro-rata amount up to the disconnection date. If you're moving to another provider on the same nbn line, coordinate the switch so you're not double-billed or left without a connection; the new provider usually handles the changeover.
Return your modem
Telstra sends a return label and a deadline. Return the modem within the window they give you or you'll be charged a non-return fee. Fees depend on the hardware and have run into the hundreds of dollars for Smart Modems and 5G Home Internet units, so confirm the exact amount and cut-off with Telstra when you cancel. If you've had the modem long enough that it's considered yours, you may not need to send it back. Ask, and get the answer in writing.
Contracts and exit fees
Most Telstra plans sold since 2019 are month-to-month with no lock-in contract and no early termination fee. You can leave any time, subject to notice and any device balance. On an older, pre-2019 fixed contract, check your original agreement; early termination charges on legacy contracts vary and are not standard across plans.
Business plans run under different terms. Check with Telstra business on 13 20 00.
Telstra routes cancellations through a "disconnect" prompt on 13 22 00 and through app messaging, both of which put you in front of a retention offer before anyone processes the request. You don't have to accept a discount, a plan change, or a pause. State that you want the service disconnected, ask for a cancellation reference number, and hold the line until you have one.
Cancelling for someone who has died
Telstra handles deceased estates through its bereavement support team, not the standard disconnect line. Each service the person held (mobile, home phone, prepaid, internet, email, Foxtel) is either cancelled or transferred to close the account.
Who can request it: the executor, trustee, or administrator of the estate; the next of kin; a lawyer administering the will; or an authorised representative already on the account. You'll need supporting documents, which vary by role (birth certificate, the will, a grant of probate, or letters of administration).
How to notify Telstra:
- Phone: 1800 775 932 (Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat-Sun 8am-5pm AEDT)
- Online: complete the Telstra Bereavement Support form
- Email: send the completed form to bereavement@support-team.telstra.com
- Mail: Locked Bag 20026, Melbourne VIC 3001
- In-store: book an appointment and staff will help fill out and submit the form
- Australian Death Notification Service (ADNS): notifies Telstra and other organisations at once
A specialist contacts you within 10 business days if they need more information.
Sort these before you cancel
- Port your mobile number first if you're keeping it; the port triggers cancellation automatically
- Check your device balance in My Telstra and be ready for the final repayment charge
- Back up any Telstra email (@bigpond.com, @telstra.com); access can be cut after cancellation
- Return the modem by the deadline to dodge the non-return fee
- Get a cancellation reference number and keep it
Your service runs until the end of the billing period (month-to-month) or until the notice period expires, then the line disconnects. A ported number transfers to your new provider without a gap. Telstra email may linger for a short while, but don't rely on it. Check your bank statement for the next couple of cycles to confirm the direct debit actually stops, and that no device repayment or non-return fee is still hitting the account. A subscription tracker built for Australia surfaces every other recurring charge in the same statement, so Telstra isn't the only bill you trim. If you're leaving Telstra for a cheaper telco, the same porting rules apply when you cancel a TPG plan later.
FAQ
Can I cancel Telstra online? No. Telstra has no self-service button to close a mobile, internet, or home phone service. You cancel by messaging or chatting in the My Telstra app, calling 13 22 00 and saying "disconnect," or visiting a store. The one exception is a mobile number you're keeping: porting it to a new provider cancels the Telstra service automatically, with no call needed.
What happens to my phone number? It's yours to keep if you port it before cancelling. Sign up with the new provider, choose to keep your existing number, and they'll pull it across; the number must still be active with Telstra when they do. Cancel the Telstra service first and the number is released and lost. If you don't want the number, cancelling directly lets it go.
Do I have to pay out my phone? Yes, if it's on a Device Payment Contract. Ending your plan makes the remaining handset repayments due in a single final payment. Porting to another carrier doesn't wipe it, the debt stays with Telstra. Check the balance in My Telstra before you cancel so you know the figure.
How do I cancel if someone has died? Contact Telstra's bereavement support on 1800 775 932, or complete the Bereavement Support form and submit it online, by email (bereavement@support-team.telstra.com), by mail, or in-store. The executor, next of kin, or a lawyer administering the estate can request it, with documents such as the death certificate, will, or grant of probate. Each service is then cancelled or transferred to finalise the account.
How long does cancellation take? A mobile port completes in up to four business hours, usually less. A direct cancellation stops the service at the end of your billing period, and broadband or home phone can carry up to 30 days' notice depending on the plan. Deceased-estate requests are worked by a specialist who follows up within 10 business days if more information is needed.
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