Cancellation guide · No. 17News & Publications

How to Cancel The New York Times in 2026

Last verified 9 days ago · Re-audited every 90 days

Verified

Most subscribers do not get a true one-click cancel button. The website routes you to a chat with a "Care Advocate" that is only staffed during limited hours, and reps run a retention script before processing the cancellation. This exact friction was the basis of the Moses v. The New York Times class action, which the company settled for about $2.375M. Digital fees are non-refundable, so timing the cancel before renewal matters. App Store / Google Play / Amazon subscribers cannot cancel on the NYT site at all and must use the original billing platform.

Cancellation summaryHard

Direct cancellation page

Go straight to The New York Times's cancel page ↗

Cancel now ↗

Methods accepted: OnlinePhoneLive chat
Average time: ~20min
Effective in: Immediately

If you hit a wall

Support1-800-698-4637

Retention1-800-698-4637

Why this is harder than it should be

The New York Times has one of the most notorious cancellation flows in digital media — frustrating enough to trigger a California class action (Moses v. The New York Times) that the paper settled for roughly $2.375 million. The core complaint: instead of a clean cancel button, the site routes many subscribers into a chat with a "Care Advocate" that is only staffed during limited hours and runs a retention script before anyone will actually stop your billing. Three things compound the pain. First, deleting the app does nothing — if you signed up through Apple, Google Play, or Amazon, NYT can't cancel you and won't tell you that up front. Second, add-ons like Games, Cooking, Wirecutter, and The Athletic bill separately, so people "cancel" and keep getting charged a smaller amount. Third, digital fees are non-refundable, so if you cancel a day into a new cycle, you eat the full period. The flow rewards persistence and clear language: say "cancel," refuse the pause, and keep the confirmation email.

Step-by-step

Verified June 25, 2026

01
First, figure out HOW you were billed. If you signed up through the Apple App Store, Google Play, or Amazon, you must cancel there — not on the NYT site (see the FAQ). If you were billed directly by NYT (card or PayPal), continue below.
Watch outDeleting the NYT app does NOT cancel anything and you will keep getting charged. Third-party-billed subs are invisible to NYT customer care.
02
Sign in at nytimes.com on a desktop browser (the desktop flow is less buried than the app). Go to your account menu in the top-right and open 'Subscription Overview' / 'Manage Subscription'.
Watch outLog in with the exact email tied to billing. Households often have a second forgotten account still being charged.
03
Go directly to the cancel surface: nytimes.com/subscription/redirect-cancel.html (or click 'Cancel subscription' under Manage Subscription). This routes you into NYT's cancellation flow.
Watch outFor many accounts this URL does not show a self-service 'Confirm cancel' button — it pushes you into a chat with a 'Care Advocate'. That chat is only open limited hours (roughly 7am ET to evening), so attempting at night may dead-end you.
04
If you land in chat, type clearly: 'I want to cancel my subscription effective immediately.' Decline every retention offer (discount, pause, free weeks). Repeat the word 'cancel' each time they counter.
Watch outReps are trained to offer a pause or a steep discount first. A pause is NOT a cancellation — your billing resumes automatically. Saying you are moving abroad tends to shorten the retention script.
05
Get explicit confirmation that the subscription is cancelled and note the date access ends. Wait for the on-screen confirmation and the confirmation EMAIL before closing the tab.
Watch outIf you close the window before the final confirmation, the cancel may not register. Keep the chat transcript and the email — they're your proof if you're charged again.
06
Check for SEPARATE add-on subscriptions. NYT Games, Cooking, Wirecutter, Audio and The Athletic can each be billed as their own line item and are NOT auto-cancelled when you cancel News.
Watch outPeople cancel 'the News' and keep getting a smaller monthly charge for Games or Cooking. Cancel each product individually under Manage Subscription.
07
If the site/app gives you no working cancel path, call 1-800-698-4637 (1-800-NYTIMES) or use live chat during staffed hours and ask a representative to cancel. Verify your next bill does not arrive.
Watch outCancelling does not refund the current period — digital fees are non-refundable and access simply runs out at the end of the cycle you already paid for.

Refund policy

Standard digital subscriptions are non-refundable; access continues until the end of the current billing period. Free trials lose access immediately upon cancellation. Some prepaid print/home-delivery plans may be prorated for undelivered copies. EU/UK statutory 14-day cooling-off refund may apply to recent signups.

Free trial trap

Free trials and discounted intro offers auto-convert to full price (often billed every 4 weeks rather than monthly, which sneaks in 13 charges a year). Cancelling a trial ends access immediately, so cancel right before the trial ends rather than at signup to keep access through the trial window.

What to do if they refuse to cancel

**If they refuse to cancel or keep charging you after you cancelled:** 1. **Keep your evidence.** Save the chat transcript, the cancellation confirmation email, and screenshots of your account showing "cancelled." These are your proof. 2. **Dispute the charge with your bank or PayPal.** If NYT bills you after a confirmed cancellation, file a chargeback for an "unauthorized recurring charge" and attach the confirmation. PayPal users can also revoke the recurring billing agreement directly in PayPal (Settings > Payments > Manage automatic payments), which kills NYT's ability to charge you regardless of what their site says. 3. **Report to the FTC** at reportfraud.ftc.gov — auto-renewal traps and obstructed cancellation fall squarely under the FTC's negative-option enforcement. 4. **File with your State Attorney General.** California, New York, and Vermont have strong automatic-renewal laws. California residents are especially well-positioned (the NYT settlement was a California auto-renewal case); file at oag.ca.gov. New Yorkers can file with the NY AG at ag.ny.gov. Vermont AG: ago.vermont.gov. 5. **For App Store / Google Play / Amazon billing**, request the refund through that platform's purchase history — NYT cannot refund a charge it never collected.

Reader questions

Frequently asked questions

I subscribed through the Apple App Store / Google Play. Why can't I cancel on the NYT website?

Because Apple, Google, and Amazon — not NYT — collect your money in those cases. NYT has no power to cancel a third-party-billed subscription, and deleting the app changes nothing. On iPhone: Settings > [your name] > Subscriptions > New York Times > Cancel. On Android: Play Store > profile > Payments & subscriptions > Subscriptions > NYT > Cancel. On Amazon: Memberships and Subscriptions > Manage > Cancel.

Will I get a refund for the rest of my billing period?

For standard digital subscriptions, no. NYT digital fees are non-refundable and you simply keep access until the end of the cycle you already paid for. The one exception is a free trial — cancelling a trial usually ends access immediately. Print/home-delivery plans can be different: monthly print is billed for delivered copies, and some prepaid print plans are prorated for undelivered papers.

I cancelled the News but I'm still being charged a few dollars a month. Why?

NYT bills Games, Cooking, Wirecutter, Audio, and The Athletic as separate products. Cancelling your News subscription does not automatically cancel these add-ons. Go back into Manage Subscription and cancel each remaining product individually, then confirm no line items are left active.

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A 22-page free PDF covering FTC Click-to-Cancel, chargebacks, state laws, and how to escalate when The New York Times or anyone else refuses to honor a cancellation. Sent once. No spam.