Cancel a Subscription and Get a Refund in Ireland

If you signed up to a subscription you no longer want, or were charged after you tried to cancel, Irish law is on your side. The Consumer Rights Act 2022 gives you a cooling-off period for contracts bought online or over the phone, and protects you against unfair contract terms and misleading or aggressive practices. Whether you are inside the cooling-off window or dealing with a renewal you never agreed to, you can cancel and pursue money you are owed.

Reviewed by Corey Musa, Founder·Last reviewed June 2026·LinkedIn

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Your rights

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022, when you buy a subscription, digital content, or service online, by phone, or on your doorstep, you generally have a 14-day cooling-off period (30 days for doorstep sales) during which you can withdraw and get a full refund. This right does not apply where you agreed the contract in a physical store, or where a digital service has been fully provided with your prior express consent. The Act also bans unfair contract terms and prohibits misleading or aggressive practices, and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) can take enforcement action against traders who breach it.

Step by step

1Notify the trader in writing that you are cancelling, and if you are within 14 days of signing up online or by phone, state clearly that you are exercising your cooling-off right under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 and request a full refund.
2If the cooling-off period has passed, cancel in line with the contract terms and dispute any charge taken after your cancellation or any renewal you did not clearly agree to.
3Keep evidence: the sign-up confirmation, the cancellation message and its date, and bank statements showing the charges, and ask the trader to confirm cancellation in writing.
4If the trader keeps charging you or refuses a refund you are owed, report the practice to the CCPC, and ask your bank or card provider about stopping a recurring payment or raising a chargeback.

What they'll say, and your comeback

“The minimum contract term has not ended, so you cannot cancel.”

Comeback, If I am within the 14-day cooling-off period for an online or phone sign-up, I can withdraw regardless of any minimum term. Please process my cancellation and refund under the Consumer Rights Act 2022.

“Your subscription auto-renewed, so the new charge is non-refundable.”

Comeback, An auto-renewal I did not clearly and separately agree to may be an unfair term or practice under the Consumer Rights Act 2022. Please cancel and refund the renewal charge, or I will report this to the CCPC.

“You have already used the service, so no refund applies.”

Comeback, The cooling-off right only falls away for a service fully provided with my prior express consent. If I withdrew within 14 days you may at most charge for what was actually used, not the full period, so please refund the balance.

FAQ

How long is the cooling-off period for an online subscription?

Generally 14 days from when the contract was agreed for online or phone purchases, and 30 days for doorstep sales. The right can be lost if you asked for a digital service to start immediately and gave express consent to waive cancellation once it is fully provided. If the trader did not tell you about your cancellation rights, the period can be extended by up to 12 months.

What can I do if the company keeps taking payments after I cancel?

Keep written proof of your cancellation, then contact your bank or card provider to stop the recurring payment and ask about a chargeback for charges taken after cancellation. You can also report the trader to the CCPC, which can take enforcement action against unfair or aggressive practices.

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A self-serve tool, not a law firm. General information, not legal advice.