Why was I charged after canceling?

Cancelling stops future bills, but Patreon still charges any **pending bills**. There are two common causes. First, the creator bills per post and published paid posts before you cancelled. Second, you cancelled on or after your renewal date (for example, billed on the 12th and cancelled on the 12th). If a failed payment was being retried, it can also go through late. If none of these explain the charge, ask for a refund in Billing history within 60 days. 'Charge still occurred after cancelling' is one of the cases Patreon's refund policy lists.

Can I pause my Patreon membership?

No. Patreon has no pause button for members. To stop paying for a while, cancel and join again later. You can resubscribe to any creator at any time. Creators can pause billing for all their paid members for a month, but that's their choice, not yours.

What happens when I cancel?

It depends on how the creator bills. With **subscription** or charge-upfront billing, you keep access to paid posts until your next billing date. With monthly (not charged upfront) or **per-creation** billing, you lose access as soon as you cancel, and Patreon still charges any pending per-post bills. Your account stays open, and you can stay on as a free member if you want the creator's updates.

How do I cancel Patreon on my iPhone?

If you paid on the web or Android, open the creator's page in the app, tap the **three dots**, then **Your membership > Edit membership > Cancel membership**. If you joined **inside the iOS app** using Apple's payment, Apple handles the subscription. Cancel in **Settings > [your name] > Subscriptions**, and request any refund from Apple, because Patreon can't guarantee it will be approved. If the cancel button is missing on Patreon, Apple billing is usually the reason.

Does Patreon have a customer service phone number?

No. Patreon says it does not offer phone support and handles everything by email ticket. Use the **Submit a request** button in the Patreon Help Center (support.patreon.com) while logged in, or write from the email address on your account. Send one ticket per issue, because duplicates slow down the reply. Phone numbers listed on directory websites are not Patreon's.

Will the creator know if I cancel?

Not directly. Patreon says creators aren't notified when you cancel, but they may see their member count change. The cancel flow includes an optional anonymous exit survey that you can skip. Refund requests are different: the creator does see those, because they approve or decline them.

How do I lower my annual Patreon membership tier?

You can't lower an annual tier partway through the year. Patreon suggests cancelling near the end of your year, which only turns off auto-renewal, and then rejoining at the lower tier once the year has passed. Patreon emails you before the next yearly charge, so set a reminder to cancel before that renewal date.

Why am I still being charged after cancelling Patreon?

Usually one of three things: the cancellation never completed (no written confirmation), the subscription bills through Apple or Google and must be cancelled there, or a minimum term is still running. Charges continuing after a confirmed cancellation can be disputed with your bank as a chargeback.

How do I delete my Patreon account?

Cancel the subscription first, then request account deletion in settings or by email. If there is no self-serve option, email a written erasure request citing the applicable data-protection law; most companies complete erasure within about 30 days.

How to Cancel Patreon Without a Surprise Charge.

Q: Does Patreon charge a cancellation fee?

Rolling monthly plans end at the period already paid for with nothing extra to pay. Fixed minimum-term plans can carry an early-exit charge until the term ends, check your signup terms for a minimum-term end date.

Here's the fastest way to cancel Patreon and what to expect.

Last verified today · data refreshes daily · sources: homepage, pricing, terms, contact, terms

The fastest way

Cancel at patreon.com/settings/memberships, then View Details, Cancel membership, and confirm. If you joined in the iPhone app, cancel in your Apple ID subscriptions instead. Patreon has no phone line. For a refund, use Billing history within 60 days, or open a support ticket with the subject 'Refund request: charged after cancellation'. Refunds take 7-10 business days.

Or let yoink do it for you.

30 seconds. AI emails Patreon, handles retention, chases the refund. You approve once, then sleep.

Get yoink (App Store) →

Every way to cancel Patreon

Online (fastest): Direct cancel flow: www.patreon.com/settings/memberships
Email: Patreon doesn’t process cancellations by email. Still worth sending one: it dates your cancellation request in writing, which matters for disputes and refunds.

Timing matters: Subscription billing charges on the day you joined, then monthly on that date. If you cancel on or after that date, the payment is still taken, so cancel at least a day early. Per-creation memberships charge pending per-post bills when you cancel. Memberships bought in the iOS app must be cancelled in Apple ID subscriptions before Apple's renewal date.

Cancelling a Patreon order by email

Patreon won’t action a cancellation from an email alone, use the fastest channel above for the cancellation itself. This email still earns its place: it puts your cancellation date in writing (your evidence if they keep billing) and it’s where the refund request happens.

Email the verified address
product-support@patreon.com, yoink-verified working email for Patreon (confirmed by tracked cancellations).
Use a precise subject
Subject: Cancellation Request, [your account email]

Send this template

Hi Patreon team,

I'd like to cancel my recent Patreon order (reference [order number], placed on [date]) under the account [your account email].

Please confirm the cancellation by reply and process the refund to my original payment method.

Best,
[your name]

Wait for confirmation
Wait 24 hours. If there's no response, send a polite one-line follow-up referencing the original request.

Patreon plans you can cancel

Monthly creator membership (subscription billing)
Each creator sets their own tier prices. Under subscription billing you are charged on the day you join, then monthly on that same date. If you cancel on or after the renewal date, that month's payment is still taken. You keep access until your next billing date.
Annual creator membership
Cancelling only turns off auto-renewal. You keep access for the full year you paid for. You can't move to a lower annual tier partway through: cancel near the end of the year and rejoin at the lower tier.
Per-creation (pay-per-post) membership
When you cancel, Patreon still charges any pending bills for paid posts the creator made while you were a member. You lose access as soon as you cancel.
Membership bought in the Patreon iOS app (Apple in-app purchase)
Apple bills these, so you cancel in iOS Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. The cancel button on Patreon's website may not appear for them. Prices in the iOS app can be higher because they include Apple's fee.
One-time digital product or gifted membership
This is a one-off purchase, so there is nothing to cancel.

What happens to what you’ve already paid

Monthly membership charges: request a refund from Billing history within 60 days. The creator decides first, and Patreon can step in for the cases its policy lists (charged after cancelling, cancelled within 48 hours without opening any content, creator suspended, or you were blocked). Annual memberships are not refunded except in extraordinary circumstances, though a creator may choose to refund the unused months. Per-creation charges go through a Patreon Product Support ticket. iOS in-app purchases are refunded by Apple, not Patreon. One-off digital products are refunded by the creator within 90 days. Every decision is at Patreon's 'sole discretion', and an approved refund takes 7-10 business days, sometimes up to 28.

“You don't need to message creators directly to ask for a refund. You can request a refund right from your Billing history, within 60 days of the original payment.”
, Patreon terms

60-day cancellation windowPro-rata refund: no

Asking specifically for money back, not just a cancellation? See the dedicated Patreon refund guide , same data, but framed around the policy + escalation paths.

Does Patreon charge a cancellation fee?

Patreon’s terms mention conditions worth checking before you cancel, see the plan notes and policy quote above for the specifics we found. In general: rolling monthly plans end at the period you’ve already paid for with nothing extra to pay, while minimum-term or contract plans can carry an early-exit charge until the term ends.

What doesn’t work for cancelling Patreon

Based on 7 sources, Reddit, app reviews, and direct testing. Skip these and save yourself the loop.

✕ Calling Patreon, Patreon offers no phone support. Its help center says it doesn't offer phone support, and its replies to BBB complaints say the same. Numbers listed on third-party directory sites are not Patreon's.
✕ Cancelling on your renewal date, On subscription billing, if you cancel on or after the monthly renewal date, that month's payment is still taken. Cancelling only stops future bills, and Patreon also charges any pending bills when you cancel.
✕ Asking for a refund on an annual membership after cancelling, Cancelling only turns off renewal. Patreon says it won't refund any part of an annual payment except in extraordinary circumstances, so only the creator might refund the unused months.
✕ Using the Billing history refund button for per-creation charges, The self-serve refund flow doesn't support per-creation charges. These must go through a Product Support ticket.
✕ Cancelling on Patreon's website when you joined in the iOS app, Apple bills in-app purchases, so they have to be cancelled in Apple ID subscriptions and refunded through Apple. Patreon can't override Apple's decision.
✕ Relying on meeting the listed refund conditions, Patreon's policy says every decision is at its 'sole discretion'. A Trustpilot reviewer who met the 60-day and proof-of-non-delivery conditions was still refused.
✕ Filing a chargeback before asking Patreon, Orders already charged back or disputed with your bank are excluded from Patreon's refund scenarios. Patreon also warns that excessive or fraudulent refund claims can lead to losing account access.
✕ Sending several support tickets about the same issue, Patreon answers tickets in order of arrival and says sending more than one about the same issue slows the reply down.

Cancelled Patreon but still being charged?

Three common reasons, in order of likelihood:

The cancellation didn’t actually complete. If you never received a written confirmation from Patreon, treat it as not cancelled. Email product-support@patreon.com referencing your original request date and ask for written confirmation plus a refund of any charge taken since.
You cancelled in the wrong place. Subscriptions started through the App Store or Google Play bill through Apple or Google, cancelling on Patreon’s site doesn’t touch them. Check Settings → Subscriptions on iPhone, or Play Store → Payments & subscriptions on Android.
Billing lag. A charge that was already in flight when you cancelled can still land a few days later. One trailing charge can be normal; two is not.

If they keep charging after a confirmed cancellation, that’s chargeback territory: dispute the charge with your bank citing “subscription cancelled, merchant continued billing”. The yoink app also flags this automatically, it keeps watching your inbox after a confirmed cancellation and alerts you if Patreon charges again.

How Patreon will try to keep you

Patreon may respond with a retention offer, a discount, a free month, or a downgrade to a cheaper tier. Don't engage with the counteroffer. Restate that you want a full cancellation and cite the consumer law again if they push back.

They’ll say: “During cancellation, the flow offers to keep you on as a free member and shows an optional exit survey.”
You say: Switch the free-membership option off if you don't want any more updates. Skip the survey and finish with 'Confirm cancellation'. A free membership has no billing either way.
They’ll say: “Patreon sends refund requests to the creator first ('payments go directly to creators').”
You say: Make the request in Billing history so it's on record. If the creator declines or ignores it, the request expires after 75 days. Then open a Product Support ticket that names the matching item in Patreon's General Refund Scenarios list, for example 'Fan canceled membership renewal, but charge still occurred'.
They’ll say: “Patreon refuses refunds at its 'sole discretion', even when the published conditions are met.”
You say: Reply on the same ticket with the exact policy wording, the transaction date and amount, and proof that you didn't receive the content or that you cancelled before renewal. Patreon asks for exactly this information. Ask for the decision to be reviewed before you go to your bank.
They’ll say: “Charges continue after cancelling because of pending per-post bills or payment retries.”
You say: Look up the post dates or renewal date in Billing history. If a charge came after you cancelled and no pending bill explains it, that matches a listed refund scenario. Request the refund within 60 days.
They’ll say: “Patreon sends iOS buyers to Apple and says it can't guarantee a refund.”
You say: Cancel in Apple ID > Subscriptions, then request the refund at reportaproblem.apple.com. Name the Patreon creator and the charge date.
They’ll say: “In replies to BBB complaints, Patreon says it can't find a ticket from the user and tells them to write in again.”
You say: Contact Patreon from the email address on your Patreon account. Keep the ticket number and quote it in every follow-up and any outside complaint.

Your rights when cancelling

The law where you live is the strongest hook, lead with it when you contact the company.

United States

FTC Click-to-Cancel Rule (2024+)
Cancel must be as easy as sign-up.
The Federal Trade Commission’s Click-to-Cancel rule requires Patreon to make cancelling at least as simple as signing up, same channel, same number of clicks. If they buried the cancel button or forced a phone call, they’re in violation; report to reportfraud.ftc.gov.
California ARL (auto-renewal law)
Renewal must be cancellable online.
California Business & Professions Code §17602 forces any company billing California residents on auto-renewal to provide an online cancel mechanism. Lawsuits have been won on this; companies often refund quickly when it’s cited.

Worldwide

Card-issuer chargeback
Your bank can reverse the charge.
Visa, Mastercard, and Amex all run chargeback schemes, “goods/services not as described” or “subscription not cancelled” are valid reason codes everywhere they operate. Your bank handles the dispute; Patreon has ~45 days to defend.

Rights in other regions (United Kingdom, European Union)

United Kingdom

Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013
14-day cooling-off on new subscriptions.
You can terminate any continuous service contract within 14 days of starting it and recover any payment, no questions asked. Applies regardless of Patreon’s own policy.
Consumer Rights Act 2015
Services must be as described.
If Patreon’s service was misrepresented or didn’t deliver what was promised, you have a statutory right to remedy (repair, refund, or price reduction) regardless of their terms.

European Union

Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU
14-day right of withdrawal across all EU states.
EU-wide statutory right to withdraw from any distance-sold contract within 14 days. Mirrored into local law in every member state. Patreon must honour it regardless of where they’re headquartered.

Delete your Patreon account (not just cancel)

Cancelling stops the billing; deleting removes your account and personal data. Do them in that order, deleting an account with an active subscription can leave the billing running with no way to log in and stop it.

If there’s no delete option in Patreon’s account settings, email product-support@patreon.com with the subject Account deletion request, [your account email] and ask for your account and personal data to be erased under state privacy laws such as the CCPA. They’re typically required to act on it, most companies complete erasure within about 30 days, and you should ask for written confirmation when it’s done.

Common questions about cancelling Patreon

On a computer, go to **Settings > Memberships**, click **View Details** next to the creator, then **Cancel membership** and confirm. In the app, open the creator's page, tap the **three dots**, then **Your membership > Edit membership > Cancel membership**. The flow may offer to keep you as a free member, so turn that off if you want no more updates. If you paid in the iPhone app, cancel in your Apple ID subscriptions instead. Creators aren't told directly that you cancelled.

Money-back questions (windows, pro-rata, chargebacks) are covered in the Patreon refund guide. Need a human for something else entirely? The Patreon contact guide lists every channel that actually answers.