To cancel a subscription to The Times UK, call customer services on 0800 018 5177 if you subscribed directly through The Times, or cancel through Apple or Google Play if you signed up through an app on your phone or tablet. Deleting the app on its own does not stop the billing. The direct-subscription line is open Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm and weekends and bank holidays 8am to 4pm, UK time.
Cancelling by Phone
For subscribers in the UK and Ireland, a phone call is the standard route. There is no self-service cancel button in the online account for direct subscriptions; you need to speak with someone or use live chat.
- UK: 0800 018 5177
- Ireland: 1800 949 687
- Rest of world: 0044 207 711 1527
Live chat and WhatsApp on 07782 386977 run during the same hours, so if you’d rather not sit on hold, try those first.
Have your customer priority number (CPN) ready before you call. You’ll find it in the My Account section of the website or in your original welcome email. The representative will also verify your registered email address. Expect a retention offer during the call, often a discounted rate. If you want to cancel, say so clearly. Before you hang up, ask for a confirmation reference number and note the date. That reference is your proof the request was made.
If You Subscribed Through an App
If you signed up through your iPhone, iPad, or Android device, The Times cannot cancel the subscription for you. The billing relationship sits with Apple or Google, and you have to cancel through the same platform. You keep access until the end of the period you’ve already paid for.
iPhone or iPad
Open Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap Subscriptions. Find The Times in the list, tap it, and tap Cancel Subscription. If there’s no cancel button and you see an expiry message in red, the subscription has already been cancelled.
Android
Open the Google Play app, tap your profile icon, then Payments and subscriptions, then Subscriptions. Select The Times, tap Cancel subscription, and follow the prompts. If you can’t find it, check whether you’re signed into a different Google account.
Cancelling From Overseas
If you live outside the UK and Ireland and hold a digital subscription, you can cancel by email instead of phone. Write to care@thetimes.com with the subject line “Overseas Cancellation Request” and include your customer priority number, your registered email address, and your full postal address. The international phone line is 0044 207 711 1527 during UK business hours.
Notice Periods That Decide Whether You Get Charged Again
Different subscription types have different cancellation timelines. Miss the window and you’ll be billed for another cycle.
- Digital-only subscriptions: call at least 2 days before your next billing date.
- Voucher subscriptions (print): give at least 15 days’ notice before the end of your current voucher booklet.
- Digital + 7 Day Print bundle: a 3-month minimum contract applies. After that it rolls quarterly, and you must call at least 2 days before your next billing date.
Check the billing date in your account settings and work backwards. For digital subscriptions, calling three or four days early gives you a comfortable margin. For voucher subscriptions, two weeks is the bare minimum.
Refunds and the 14-Day Cooling-Off Right
UK law gives you the right to cancel a new subscription within 14 days of signing up, for any reason, with a full refund to the payment method you used. This applies to The Times, and it’s the rule to lean on if you signed up for a trial and changed your mind. You don’t need to give a reason.
Outside that 14-day window, The Times does not refund the current billing period. If you cancel partway through a month you’ve already paid for, you keep digital access and any remaining print deliveries until the period expires, but you won’t get money back for the unused portion. For the Digital + 7 Day Print bundle, cancelling inside the 3-month minimum term does not release you from the remaining payments.
What to Check After You Cancel
Access should continue until the end of the billing period you’ve already paid for, then stop. A few things to verify in the days that follow:
- A confirmation email should arrive within a few days. If it doesn’t, contact customer services again using the reference number from your original call.
- Check your next bank or card statement to confirm no further charges appear. If a charge goes through after cancellation was confirmed, contact The Times first with your reference number, then raise a dispute with your bank or card provider if that doesn’t resolve it.
- Log into your Times account and check that it shows as cancelled or inactive after your cancellation date. If it still shows active, follow up.
The reference number is the single most useful thing to keep. It’s the fastest way to resolve any billing dispute, whether with The Times directly or through your bank.