Does Hetzner have a refund policy?

Yes, but it's narrow: a **14-day withdrawal right** from the day the contract was concluded, mandated by German/EU consumer law. Cancel the **order** inside that window and Hetzner refunds every cent to the original payment method within 14 days — no fees, even if you used the server heavily. After day 14, there is no refund of paid months; you simply serve out the 30-days-to-end-of-month notice. Cloud resources bill hourly so you never overpay.

Will I be charged if I cancel Hetzner within 14 days?

No — as long as you click **'Cancel order'** (not 'Cancel server') inside 14 days of ordering, Hetzner refunds in full, no questions asked. This is the German *Rückgaberecht* / EU Consumer Rights Directive right and it applies to every product line except domains, which are always billed for the full year. Do this repeatedly and Hetzner will flag your account for abuse and refuse future orders.

Is annual payment possible at Hetzner?

No. Hetzner bills strictly monthly (with hourly rounding for Cloud), and does **not** accept annual, semi-annual or any advance prepayments. Everything is invoiced retroactively at the end of the month. That means there's nothing prepaid to refund if you cancel — you only ever owe up to your effective cancellation date, which is either immediate (Cloud) or the end of the 30-day notice window (dedicated, hosting, storage).

Can I get a refund on a Hetzner domain?

No. Domains are always billed for a full year and Hetzner explicitly states that if you cancel shortly after registering, you still pay for the full year. Cancellation via Robot → Domains → Cancellation only stops the *next* year's renewal. The 14-day EU withdrawal right does not restore a domain fee once the registry has processed the registration, because it counts as a service that has already been fully performed.

What happens to my data when I cancel Hetzner?

Hetzner deletes it **immediately** after the cancellation takes effect — their own docs warn 'you should assume that deletion will be immediate.' Take a full backup before you click Cancel: Hetzner's T&Cs explicitly place the backup obligation on you and say that if data is lost, it's on you to re-upload it free of charge. For dedicated servers you get the 30-day notice window to migrate; for Cloud, once you click Delete the disk is gone.

What if Hetzner ignores my cancellation request?

First, escalate inside the same ticket — Hetzner asks you to reply in-thread rather than call. If that stalls, email `info@hetzner.com` with a dated withdrawal notice citing §12.1 of the T&Cs and Art. 9 of EU Directive 2011/83/EU. Still nothing? EU consumers can file with the EU Online Dispute Resolution platform (referenced in Hetzner's own legal notice) or their national consumer authority. UK cardholders can pursue Section 75 or a bank chargeback as a last resort.

Does Hetzner offer a free trial?

No formal free trial — but the 14-day EU withdrawal right functions as one for new orders. Order a server, use it, then click **'Cancel order'** (not 'Cancel server') within 14 days and Hetzner refunds in full. This is a legal right, not a marketing promo, and it exists because Hetzner is a German (Bavaria-registered) company subject to §355 BGB. Repeated abuse will get your account suspended for future orders.

REFUND GUIDE

How to Get a Hetzner Refund After 14 Days.

Inside 14 days you have a statutory cancellation right in most jurisdictions (UK CCR, EU Directive 2011/83, US state auto-renewal laws). Outside it, you've still got tools — a clear email, a card-issuer chargeback, the lot. Here's the playbook for Hetzner.

Last verified today against Hetzner’s own Terms · UK, US, and EU rights covered below

The short answer

Hetzner honours a 14-day withdrawal right on the first order of every product — cancel the ORDER (not the server) inside 14 days and you get a full refund with no questions asked. After day 14, dedicated servers, hosting and Storage Boxes fall under a 30-days-to-end-of-month notice: you keep paying until that date and no partial refund is given for unused time. Cloud resources are the exception — delete them in the Hetzner Console and hourly billing stops the same hour, so no refund is required. Domains are always billed for the full year and are non-refundable.

Or let yoink chase the refund.

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What Hetzner actually says

“The Customer has the right to cancel this contract within fourteen days after the conclusion of the contract without providing any reasons.”
— verbatim from Hetzner’s terms

14-day cancellation windowPro-rata refund: yesStatutory cooling-off: 14 days in UK + EU on new subs

What you can claim, by region

Consumer law varies by where you live. The strongest hook for your country is the one to lead with when you contact the company — pick the one that applies and quote it in your email.

United States

Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA)
Dispute any credit-card charge in writing within 60 days.
For US credit-card payments, the FCBA gives you 60 days from the statement date to dispute a Hetzner charge in writing. Your card issuer is required to investigate and may withhold the disputed amount during the process.
California ARL refund right
Refund if cancel was blocked or unclear.
If Hetzner made it hard to cancel under California ARL, you’re entitled to a refund of charges taken since the obstruction. Multiple class actions (including against Adobe + Hulu) have set the precedent.
FTC enforcement actions
FTC has won refunds against subscription dark-patterns.
The FTC has secured $100M+ in refunds from companies running dark-pattern cancel flows (Amazon Prime, Vonage). Document Hetzner’s flow, file at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

United Kingdom

Section 75, Consumer Credit Act
Credit card issuer is jointly liable. £100-£30,000.
For UK credit-card charges between £100 and £30,000, your card issuer is jointly liable with Hetzner for any breach. Call your bank, say “Section 75 claim”, send evidence. Usually resolved in 2-4 weeks.
Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013
Full refund within the 14-day window.
Inside 14 days of starting any Hetzner subscription, you’re entitled to a full refund of any payment taken — no questions, no policy override.
Citizens Advice + Trading Standards
For repeated bad-faith refusals.
Free escalation lane: file with Citizens Advice (08082231133), they pass it to Trading Standards. Slow (8-12 weeks) but creates a paper trail Hetzner can’t ignore.

European Union

Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU
14-day withdrawal across all EU member states.
EU-wide statutory right to withdraw and recover any payment within 14 days of subscription start. Mirrored in local law in every EU country.
ECC-Net cross-border escalation
EU Consumer Centre network mediates against EU sellers.
If Hetzner is based in another EU country, your local European Consumer Centre will mediate the dispute for free. List of national contacts at commission.europa.eu.

Worldwide

Card-issuer chargeback
Visa/Mastercard chargeback works everywhere they do.
Open a chargeback for “subscription not cancelled” or “services not as described” — your bank initiates, Hetzner has ~45 days to defend. Works regardless of where Hetzner is headquartered.
PayPal Buyer Protection
If you paid via PayPal, open a dispute.
PayPal’s Buyer Protection covers “item not as described” — applies to subscription services that didn’t deliver. Resolution typically within 20 days.

The 4-step refund email

Email the right address
Use info@hetzner.com — the route yoink has verified actually gets read for Hetzner.
Use a clear subject line
Subject: Refund Request — [your account email]

Send this body

Hi Hetzner team,

I'm writing to request a refund for my recent Hetzner subscription charge.

Under applicable consumer-protection law (the UK Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, EU Directive 2011/83/EU, or US state auto-renewal laws — whichever applies in my jurisdiction), I'm exercising my right to cancel and to recover the payment in full. Please confirm by reply that the cancellation has taken effect and that the refund will be processed to my original payment method.

If your policy allows a pro-rata refund for any unused service, I'd appreciate that being applied here.

Best,
[your name]

Wait 7-14 days, then escalate
If you haven’t heard back in 14 days, see “If they refuse” below — Section 75 is the next stop.

Refund FAQ for Hetzner

Log into **Robot**, open the server, click the **Cancellation** tab and pick a date. Standard notice is **30 days to the end of the month** — cancel on 17 May and you'll pay through 30 June. If you're inside the first 14 days after ordering, click **'Cancel order'** (not 'Cancel server') to trigger the fee-free EU withdrawal instead. Locked out of Robot? Email `info@hetzner.com` with your customer number and last invoice number.