WeightWatchers (formerly WW) has one of the more frustrating cancellation setups in Australia. There is a self-serve online option, but it only schedules cancellation for the end of your commitment period. If you want out sooner, you'll need to call or chat with their support team, and they'll push back.
The commitment period problem
Most people sign up to WeightWatchers on a discounted plan (3, 6, or 12 months). These are binding contracts. You cannot cancel mid-commitment without a valid medical reason or by paying out the remaining balance. This catches a lot of members off guard because the sign-up flow emphasises the discount, not the lock-in.
If you signed up for a 12-month plan at the promotional rate of $12.60/month, you're committed for the full 12 months. The standard month-to-month rate is $42/month for Core membership. WW offers these steep discounts precisely because they know the commitment period makes it hard to leave.
WeightWatchers promotes plans at 60-70% off, but buries the commitment period in the terms. Sign up for a "12 months at $12.60/mo" deal and you've signed a 12-month contract. Cancel early and you either keep paying until the commitment ends or need a medical exemption. The cancellation page itself tries to redirect you to "switch your membership" or listen to a motivational audio clip from a WW doctor before showing you any cancel options.
How to cancel online (self-serve)
This method schedules your cancellation for the end of your current commitment period. You'll keep paying until then.
- Go to weightwatchers.com.au and log in
- Go to the cancel membership page
- Click Cancel Membership
- Confirm your login details and answer a short series of questions about why you're leaving
- WeightWatchers will try to redirect you to switch plans or pause. Click through these
- Confirm cancellation
- Wait for a confirmation email. If you don't receive one within 24 hours, call or chat to verify it went through
This does not give you an immediate refund. It simply stops your plan from rolling over into a month-to-month subscription after the commitment period ends.
How to cancel by phone or chat
If you need to discuss early cancellation, refunds, or medical exemptions, contact the Customer Care team directly.
Australian members: Call 1800 958 288 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST)
Chat: Available 24/7 through the WeightWatchers website or app
You cannot cancel at a Workshop location. You cannot cancel via email or social media.
"I'd like to cancel my WeightWatchers membership effective today. I've already made my decision and I'm not interested in switching plans or pausing. Please process the cancellation."
If they push back on your commitment period: "I understand there's a commitment period. I'd like to cancel so that my membership ends at the earliest possible date and does not renew."
If you have a medical reason: "I need to cancel for medical reasons. What documentation do you need from me?"
Current pricing (AUD)
| Plan | Monthly | Commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Core 12 months (discounted) | ~$12.60/mo | 12 months, min. cost $151.20 |
| Core 3 months | ~$31.50/mo | 3 months, min. cost $94.50 |
| Core month-to-month | $42/mo | None |
| Workshops (Premium) | From $81.95/mo | Varies |
Promotional pricing changes constantly. WW regularly runs 50-70% off campaigns, but the underlying commitment periods remain the same. The discount rate only applies for the initial commitment. After that, you roll into the $42/month standard rate unless you cancel.
Medical exemptions
WeightWatchers will cancel your contract early, without penalty, for medical reasons. The most commonly accepted reasons are pregnancy and a doctor's recommendation to discontinue the program.
According to multiple users on Reddit, WW does not require proof of pregnancy or a doctor's certificate to process a medical cancellation. That said, policies can change, so be prepared for them to ask. Their official policy states you may need to provide supporting documentation.
If you have a genuine medical reason, call the customer service line and state it clearly. Don't get drawn into a conversation about alternative plans.
What happens after you cancel
Your access to the WW app, recipes, community (Connect), and tracking tools continues until the end of your current billing period or commitment period. After that, you lose access to everything. WW does not offer prorated refunds for unused months on prepaid plans (except for medical exemptions). Your weight tracking data and food logs are not exportable. If you resubscribe later, your previous data may still be available on your account, but WW makes no guarantees.
Worth knowing
- No cooling-off period. Despite what Australian Consumer Law provides for some contracts, WW's terms do not offer a cooling-off period for online sign-ups. Multiple users have reported being told they cannot cancel even days after joining. If you believe this is unfair, you can lodge a complaint with the ACCC.
- Prepaid plans auto-renew. When your 3, 6, or 12-month plan expires, it automatically rolls over into a month-to-month plan at the full $42/month rate. If you want to cancel, do it before your commitment period ends.
- BBB and Trustpilot complaints. WW has a 1.4-star rating on Trustpilot. The most common complaints are about billing after cancellation and difficulty getting through to customer service. Save your cancellation confirmation email.
- App Store subscriptions. If you subscribed through the Apple App Store or Google Play, WW cannot cancel your subscription. You'll need to cancel through your device's subscription settings instead (Settings > Your Name > Subscriptions on iPhone, or Google Play > Payments & subscriptions on Android).
Free alternatives
If you're leaving WW because the cost doesn't match the value, consider these free options:
- MyFitnessPal (free tier): calorie and macro tracking with a large food database
- Lose It! (free tier): similar calorie tracking with barcode scanning
- Samsung Health / Apple Health: basic food and activity logging built into your phone
- The Australian Government's Eat for Health guidelines are free and evidence-based
WeightWatchers sorted. Now, how many other subscriptions are quietly renewing while you're not looking?
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.