Are you currently using Surfshark’s VPN to encrypt your data so you can safely roam the internet? An estimated one-fifth of the world’s population uses VPNs. In recent years, Surfshark has become one of the most popular cybersecurity services. It has even outpaced companies such as Netflix in its growth and obtained 1 million users in a 30-month period.

If you are a Surfshark user and have considered canceling your membership, there are a few things to consider first. The VPN platform gives you an unlimited number of devices to protect, servers in more than 100 countries, and other robust security features. Moreover, Surfshark’s plan doesn’t hold you to a contract term as with other VPN services. Essentially, you can pick a monthly plan with unique features and cancel it anytime.

Half of VPN users are estimated to use free VPN software. Maybe you have also considered saving money by using a free service. This article breaks down a few ideas to consider before using a free VPN service, as using one can be a risky move. Regardless of your reasons for change, learn more about modifying or canceling your Surfshark plan below.

How to cancel your Surfshark subscription

Whether you are within the 30-day money-back guarantee period or well within your annual contract term, you do have the option to cancel the automatic renewal of your Surfshark subscription. 

There are a few ways to cancel Surfshark, depending on how you initially purchased the VPN app. If you bought your VPN service through Google Play or the Amazon store, for example, you will need to go through those specific store procedures for cancellation. Learn how to cancel Surfshark by each vendor below.

How to cancel Surfshark on your web browser

If you purchased a plan through the Surfshark website, you can request a cancellation through Surfshark directly by using the live chat button. It seems the live chat feature starts off as an automated chatbot. When we typed “representative” into the chat screen, we were connected to a live agent in fewer than 30 seconds.

Surfshark recommends live chat as the first resource for canceling your subscription, but it also has a customer service email option available: support@surfshark.com.

How to cancel Surfshark on an iPhone

If you purchased Surfshark through the Apple Store, you must cancel it within the iOS app:

1. Click on your Settings app.
2. Select your name.
3. Hit Subscriptions.
4. Select the Surfshark subscription.
5. Click on Cancel Subscription.

You should see a message from Apple underneath the Cancel Subscription button telling you how much longer you can access your subscription before it expires.

How to cancel Surfshark on an Android

Did you purchase Surfshark through the Google Play Store for your Android phone? If so, you can cancel by following these steps:

1. On your phone, locate the subscription in Google Play.
2. Find the Surfshark subscription.
3. Click on Cancel subscription.
4. Follow the prompts to cancel.

How to cancel Surfshark on Amazon

If you made your purchase through Amazon, you can cancel your subscription by doing the following:

1. Log into your Amazon account.
2. In the top right corner, select the Account & Lists drop down menu.
3. Click on Memberships & Subscriptions.
4. Click on your Surfshark subscription via the box on the right-hand side of the screen.
5. Follow the prompts to cancel.

If you go back and review the main Memberships & Subscriptions menu, you should see the final date that your Surfshark subscription will expire.

How to get a refund from Surfshark

Are you entitled to a Surfshark refund? Surfshark offers a seven-day free trial period and a 30-day money-back guarantee. 

The company’s refund policy claims that, outside of the 30-day guarantee, it does not offer refunds. The fine print does state, however, that there may be exceptions if the services you bought were unusable and you made attempts to reach customer support staff. In this instance, a refund may be applied.

You can cancel your subscription no matter where you land within your contract service term, but you can expect a refund only within the 30-day money-back guarantee period. In other words, Surfshark will not refund any unused portion of your contract term if you cancel after the first 30 days of creating your Surfshark account and paying for the service.

If you are seeking a Surfshark refund, contact Surfshark’s customer service team. If you purchased your subscription through Apple’s App Store or another vendor, Surfshark is not able to give you a refund — these stores handle refunds via their own terms and conditions. If needed, you can request a refund through Apple, Google Play, or Amazon and follow the listed procedures.

How to change your Surfshark subscription

If you want to change your Surfshark subscription plan, contact support via the live chat function and speak with a live agent. If you prefer, you can email the company for information on how to change your subscription level as well.

There are a few things to keep in mind before changing your subscription level. When you sign up for Surfshark, you can either pay about $13 each month for its monthly VPN subscription, or you pay the full cost of the 12- or 24-month subscription upfront in one payment.

Essentially, you can pay for a year or two years of service to pay less money per month. Keep in mind that all plans are set to auto-renew, so you don’t have to remember to pay each month or each year around your renewal date.

If you want to use Surfshark for only a month and swap from a yearly plan to a monthly plan — or vice-versa — keep in mind that outside of the initial 30-day money-back guarantee period, you won’t get a full refund for switching plans.

Although your plan is paid-in-full for the next monthly or yearly contract term, it is possible for you to cancel recurring payments and sign up again for the plan of your choice anytime.

Other VPNs to try

After canceling Surfshark, should you then just use a free VPN service instead of paying for a different platform? Read below to find out.

Free VPNs

Many people use free VPNs for accessing geo-restricted content versus using them to protect their information. But there are multiple reasons you may not want to use a free VPN, including overall slower internet speeds, security gaps and data leaks, and the VPN company selling your personal information and activity logs.[1]

Beyond these issues, a free VPN may also come with intrusive ads that link to phishing or malware.

Paid VPNs

If you feel more comfortable with using a paid VPN, we have recommendations for the best VPN providers. Both ExpressVPN and NordVPN have headquarters outside of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and Fourteen Eyes Alliances, so you can feel safe that the companies won't share your personal data with government entities across the globe.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is great if you want to stream content with one of its servers spread throughout 94 countries. With a server upgrade in 2022 that maxed ExpressVPN's VPN connection speeds to 10 Gbps, you can expect better performance and quality of service. 

With a Threat Manager protocol, you are further protected from trackers and malware while you surf the web. ExpressVPN starts at about $8 a month, and that price covers up to five devices at the same time.

NordVPN

NordVPN is highly secure and uses military-grade encryption to protect your connection. Additionally, its Threat Protection platform automatically blocks trackers, malware, and ad pop-ups from posing a threat to your security. 

With Nord’s SmartPlay feature, your traffic is encrypted while the VPN locates the best server for you, which gives you access to geo-blocked content on Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and more. NordVPN has 5,000+ servers worldwide with a starting price of about $3 per month.

Surfshark FAQ

Bottom line

Surfshark not only offers a robust VPN platform, but it also provides additional antivirus and alert protections in its cybersecurity suite called Surfshark One. With ample competition in the cybersecurity realm, maybe you have discovered another service you would like to try and feel that canceling Surfshark is the best option for you. 

Keep in mind that a truly secure VPN service, like those on our best VPNs list, offer strong encryption, a kill switch, public audits of its logging policies, a variety of servers, and more.

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On NordVPN's website

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NordVPN

• High-quality VPN offering safety and speed
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Author Details

Robin Moore

About the Author

Robin Moore is a freelance writer and editor specializing in blockchain technology, including wallet security and data privacy. She is the current Managing Editor for Watcher.Guru, a startup blockchain and finance news publication with 1.7 million followers on Twitter. Robin has also been the lead content editor with Genfinity.IO, another startup blockchain research publication. Before entering the Web3 space, she was a business analyst within the oil and gas industry. When she is not offering advice on the best ways to protect data privacy, she is hiking, doing yoga, or networking with her Web3 family on crypto-Twitter.