How to Cancel a Telstra Plan or Internet Service (2026)

Cancelling a Telstra mobile plan is self-serve. In My Telstra: Services, then select your service, then View or manage your plan, then "Scroll to Manage your plan and select Cancel your service and follow the prompts." Sign in at myservices.telstra.com.au/services. For internet and home phone Telstra publishes no self-serve path, only chat, so message Telstra in the app or call 13 22 00 and say "disconnect".

Telstra bills a month in advance, and its Standard Terms say "We won't refund any fees You already paid us, including any upfront fees." Telstra disconnects the service immediately, not at the end of the period you've paid for. Cancel a day into a new billing month and that month is gone.

The exit costs, in Telstra's words

Telstra lists what a cancellation can cost on one support page. Verified 11 September 2026:

If you cancel your plan, the charges may include: remaining repayments for your devices, hardware and accessories; Early Termination Charges, if your plan is on a contract; a non-return fee or the remaining cost of your modem, if you cancel within 24 months.

That page gives no dollar figure for the Early Termination Charge and no formula. It tells you where the number lives instead: "You can check what charges apply in the Critical Information Summary for your plan, or in your plan details in My Telstra." Anyone quoting you a general Telstra exit fee is guessing. Pull your own Critical Information Summary before you cancel, because the amount is specific to the plan you signed.

All figures are AUD.

Cancel a Telstra mobile plan

Port your number first if you want to keep it. Telstra's Upfront Mobile Service Terms describe the transfer as the thing that ends the service: "If You choose to transfer Your number to another mobile service provider on another network, we'll use reasonable efforts to transfer Your number. Your Mobile Service and any extras will be cancelled once the transfer is complete." Telstra's own inbound rule is the tell for why order matters. It accepts "an existing active mobile phone number from another mobile service provider", so a number sitting on a service you already disconnected is not something a new carrier can pull across. Sign up with the new provider, ask them to keep your number, and let the port close the Telstra service for you.

If you are not keeping the number, cancel directly:

1. Check your Device Payment Contract balance first. In My Telstra: Services, then scroll down to Your devices and accessories, then check the Amount remaining.
2. Open My Telstra and go to Services.
3. Select your service.
4. Select View or manage your plan.
5. Scroll to Manage your plan and select Cancel your service, then follow the prompts.

Telstra flags that this may not finish the job on its own: you can "cancel via the My Telstra app or via My Telstra in a browser (you may still need to contact us to complete your cancellation)." The fallback in Telstra's Standard Terms is a phone call. Clause 7.1 reads "You can cancel Your Services by calling Us on 13 22 00 and saying 'disconnect'." Telstra publishes a separate contact line for business accounts, 132 000.

The handset balance falls due at once

A Device Payment Contract does not survive the plan. Clause 2.10 of the Upfront Mobile Service Terms: "If You or Telstra cancel Your associated eligible Service or customer account before the end of the DPC Term, You must repay the outstanding DPC Amount when You leave. Any associated Device Payment Discounts won't apply to this outstanding DPC Amount."

If your handset was discounted on the condition that you stayed, the discount is stripped out of the payout. Clause 6.4 then sets the clock: "We will issue You with a bill for the amount payable, which You can pay using a payment method of Your choice within 10 days. If You don't pay it within 10 days, then We will automatically deduct the amount owing from the bank account, debit card or credit card that You have nominated for Your AutoPay payments."

Porting to Optus, Vodafone or anyone else does not clear the handset. The debt is Telstra's either way, the same trap you hit when you cancel an Optus plan or leave Vodafone mid-handset.

Cancel Telstra internet or home phone

Telstra publishes no self-serve path for either. Its own page opens with a chat prompt: "If you're thinking about cancelling your home internet or home phone service, or switching providers, chat now." Call 13 22 00 and say "disconnect" if you would rather not use the app.

The same page carries points that change what you should do:

• "If you're on the nbn network and you are on a voice and data bundle, it will cancel the entire bundle."
• "Disconnecting your home phone line or moving it to another provider does NOT automatically disconnect your Telstra home broadband service. You need to contact us to cancel the service."
• "Once you disconnect your home phone, you may not be able to reconnect the same phone number in the future."
• "To keep your Telstra email address after closing your account, just let us know when you close it."

The home phone number point is the one that catches people. A mobile number is portable and a disconnected fixed line often is not, so raise it on the call before anything is disconnected.

On Home Broadband Plans, Telstra's Our Customer Terms are more specific than the support pages. Part B clause 2.10, last changed 15 August 2025:

There are no Early Termination Charges if you cancel your plan. However, you will need to payout the remaining cost of your Telstra Wi-Fi Modem (if you received a modem included in your plan) if you cancel your plan within 24 months of connecting, and any outstanding Hardware Repayment Option repayments will be payable in full.

The payout is a published formula rather than an estimate. The plan tables in the same document set it as "the modem cost of $9/mth and the number of months remaining in your 24 month commitment." Clause 2.11 adds that a transfer counts as a cancellation: "If you cancel your home phone, or home broadband, or transfer one (or more) of these services to another service provider, your plan will be cancelled."

If you're moving to another telco on the same nbn line, let the new provider run the changeover rather than disconnecting first. Switching to TPG or any other nbn retailer works the same way.

Returning the modem

Telstra's current internet plans page states the fee plainly: "If you cancel, change tech type or to an Internet Only plan, within 24 months, simply return your modem or pay a $200 non-return fee." The returns page words the trigger slightly differently, as cancelling, changing "to a plan without voice or to a different tech type" within 24 months, so confirm which applies to your plan on the call.

You start the return yourself, though you do not buy postage or find packaging. Telstra's step one is to chat to it about the return. "Within seven days of your receiving a replacement or disconnection we'll send you a digital return (eParcel) code", which you take to Australia Post or a Telstra store. Telstra publishes exemptions: an nbn customer can leave the nbn connection box behind because it stays with the property, and a move order clears the non-return fee as long as "You've had an active internet service in the 30 days before disconnection" and "There's an active order for a new service within five days of disconnection."

Notice period, and why there isn't one

Telstra publishes no notice period for a consumer cancellation. Clause 7.2 of the Standard Terms, last updated 18 May 2026, says the opposite:

(a) The Service will be disconnected immediately, including any associated add-ons. (b) We won't refund any fees You already paid us, including any upfront fees. (c) If You owe Us money for a device, accessory or hardware linked to Your cancelled Service, You'll need to pay Us that money in full.

Pair that with clause 6.2(a), which describes the monthly service fee as "payable upfront every month", and Home Broadband Part A clause 2.10, "you must pay the monthly fee for your plan and any add-ons in advance". You have already paid for the month you're in and you will not get the unused part back. The only lever you have is timing. Cancel as close to your next billing date as you can manage, and confirm that date in My Telstra first.

Add-ons keep billing unless the plan goes

A Telstra bill is a common hiding place for subscriptions people no longer recognise. Clause 6.2(b) of the Standard Terms lists them as "Ongoing monthly fees for extra Services or devices, such as Netflix, an international calling pack, or monthly repayment fees under a Device Payment Contract (Extras)."

Cancelling the underlying service does take them with it, since clause 7.2(a) disconnects "any associated add-ons". Keeping the service and dropping only the add-on is the case worth checking, because those charges sit inside one Telstra line item on your statement rather than appearing as separate merchants. Scan a few months of statements before you assume Telstra is the only thing to cut.

The final bill, and getting money back

Telstra sends a separate final bill, by post. "We send your final bill by post to your address so that you have a physical copy to keep for your records", so update your postal address before you cancel if you've moved.

What's on it: "Your final bill will show any outstanding credits and any outstanding amounts you need to pay before your account can be closed off, including cancellation charges that may apply."

If Telstra owes you, the refund route depends on the amount. "You'll automatically receive a cheque refund for any amounts we owe you between $5 and $250." Above $250, the credit shows on the final bill and you have to ask: Telstra directs you to chat "to request outstanding amounts be refunded via cheque or credit transfer to a nominated account in your name." A credit sitting on a closed account is not going to move on its own.

What Australian Consumer Law gives you

Less than most cancellation advice implies. The ACCC is explicit that a consumer has no remedy where "they got what they asked for but simply changed their mind, found the product cheaper somewhere else, or decided they didn't like the purchase or had no use for it." Deciding Telstra is too expensive is a change of mind. It does not void a Device Payment Contract and it does not make an Early Termination Charge unenforceable.

The consumer guarantees bite on failure. "When a service has a major problem, a consumer can choose to: cancel the contract and get a refund", and the ACCC notes that refund may not be the full amount because you pay for work already done. A service that never worked, or repeated outages your provider can't fix, is the shape of a major problem. A price rise is not.

Telstra's own terms give you a second, narrower exit that is easier to use. If Telstra changes its Standard Terms in a way that has "more than a minor detrimental impact on You", clause 5.5 lets you "cancel Your Service on Fair Terms within 30 days of Us telling You of the change". Changes to your plan or its price run through clauses 5.7 and 5.8 instead, which carry their own notice and a Fair Terms cancellation right. Clause 5.9 defines what that costs: usage charges to the cancellation date, installation fees, and the cost of devices or hardware that "can be used with another service provider", and "You will not be required to pay any early termination charges in relation to Your Service." Clause 5.10 adds a pro-rata refund of anything you've prepaid past the cancellation date. If a change letter has just arrived, those clauses are worth more to you than any consumer-law argument, so read which one it invokes before you call.

If the billing doesn't stop

Telstra's cancellation confirmation and your bank statement are different pieces of evidence, and only one of them proves the money stopped. Check the account for two full billing cycles after the disconnection date.

If charges keep landing and Telstra won't fix it, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman handles exactly this. Complain to Telstra first, because the TIO says "First try to raise your problem with your provider. Skipping this step adds five extra days to your case." Then lodge at tio.com.au/make-a-complaint or call 1800 062 058. The TIO describes itself as free and fair help for people and small businesses.

Cancelling for someone who has died

Telstra runs deceased estates through bereavement support, not the disconnect line. Who can notify: the executor, trustee or administrator of the estate, next of kin, a lawyer or solicitor administering the will, or an authorised representative listed on the account.

Documents depend on your role. As next of kin you'll need either a birth certificate, or the will or a grant of representation such as probate or letters of administration.

How to notify Telstra:

• Phone 1800 775 932, Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm AEDT, Saturday and Sunday 8am to 5pm AEDT
• The online Telstra Bereavement Support form
• Email the completed form to bereavement@support-team.telstra.com
• Post to Telstra Bereavement Support, Locked Bag 20026, Melbourne, Victoria 3001

Telstra then cancels each service or transfers it to new ownership. A specialist gets in touch within 10 business days if they need more information.

FAQ

Can I cancel Telstra online? Yes for a mobile plan. In My Telstra, go to Services, select your service, select View or manage your plan, scroll to Manage your plan and select Cancel your service. Telstra warns you "may still need to contact us to complete your cancellation." For internet and home phone Telstra publishes a chat prompt rather than a cancel button, so message Telstra in the app or call 13 22 00 and say "disconnect".

What happens to my phone number? A mobile number survives if you port it before cancelling. Telstra's terms have the transfer cancelling the service once it completes, and Telstra only accepts an incoming number that is still active, so the order is port first and let the port do the cancelling. A home phone number is different: Telstra says that once you disconnect it, "you may not be able to reconnect the same phone number in the future."

Do I have to pay out my phone? Yes, in one payment, if it's on a Device Payment Contract. Any device payment discount you were getting is removed from the payout amount. Telstra bills you and gives you 10 days, after which it deducts the amount from your AutoPay method. Check the Amount remaining in My Telstra under Your devices and accessories before you cancel.

How much is Telstra's early termination fee? Telstra publishes no amount and no formula. It says the charge applies "if your plan is on a contract" and directs you to the Critical Information Summary for your plan or your plan details in My Telstra. On current Home Broadband Plans, Telstra's Our Customer Terms state there are no Early Termination Charges at all, only the Wi-Fi modem payout at $9 per month for the months left in the 24 month commitment, plus any outstanding Hardware Repayment Option repayments, which fall due in full.

Will I get a refund for the rest of the month? No. Telstra bills monthly in advance and its Standard Terms say it won't refund fees you've already paid, including upfront fees. The exception is a cancellation on Fair Terms after Telstra makes a change with more than a minor detrimental impact, which carries a pro-rata refund and no early termination charges.