To cancel a Youku subscription, end the billing in the same place you started it: the Youku website or app, the Apple App Store, Google Play, or the Alipay or WeChat Pay wallet that authorized the charge. Canceling in the wrong place looks like it worked but doesn’t stop the money moving. So the first job is figuring out who is actually charging you.
Check Where You’re Being Billed
Open your card or bank statement and read the merchant name on the recurring Youku charge. “Apple” or “Google” means you subscribed through an app store and have to cancel there. A charge tied to Alipay or Alibaba means the payment runs through Alipay or was set up directly on Youku’s site. “Tenpay” or “WeChat” means WeChat Pay is the authorizing wallet.
This matters because turning off auto-renewal inside the Youku app does nothing if Apple or Google is the one billing you. The billing relationship lives wherever your payment details were first entered, and that is the only place it can be closed.
Cancel on the Youku Website
Sign in at youku.com and go to the VIP membership page at vip.youku.com. Open “My Account” and look on the left side for payment or auto-renewal settings. The option to stop the recurring subscription is labeled something like “Close consecutive monthly subscription.” Click it, confirm in the popup, and the auto-renewal stops.
The site defaults to Chinese and browser translators sometimes miss dropdowns or mislabel buttons. In Chrome, right-click the page and choose “Translate to English,” then hunt for menu items related to VIP, auto-renew, or payment settings.
Cancel in the Youku App
Open the app and tap the “My” or “Personal Center” tab at the bottom. Your VIP status sits near the top of that screen. Tap the VIP banner to open membership details, then find the auto-renewal toggle and switch it off. That disconnects the app from your payment source for future charges.
Even the international version of the app leaves many settings screens in Chinese. If you can’t locate the toggle, the app store route or an email to support is usually faster than fighting the menus.
Cancel Through Apple
If you signed up in the App Store, Apple controls the billing and you have to cancel through Apple.
- Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap your name at the top.
- Tap Subscriptions.
- Tap the Youku subscription.
- Tap Cancel Subscription.
If there’s no Cancel button and instead an expiration date in red, the subscription is already canceled and will lapse on that date. You can also manage Apple subscriptions from a browser at apps.apple.com.1Apple Support. If You Want to Cancel a Subscription From Apple
Cancel Through Google Play
Android subscribers who signed up through the Play Store have to cancel there. Uninstalling the app does not cancel anything; Google keeps billing until you turn the subscription off.
- Open the Google Play Store app.
- Tap your profile icon in the upper right.
- Select Payments & Subscriptions.
- Tap the Youku subscription.
- Tap Cancel Subscription and follow the prompts.
For disputes over a legitimate subscription, Google often points you back to the app developer.2Google Play Help. Learn About Google Play Refund Policies
Cancel Through Alipay or WeChat Pay
If the subscription was set up through a Chinese wallet, the auto-debit authorization lives inside that wallet. Turning things off inside Youku won’t stop charges while the wallet still has an active payment agreement.
In Alipay, open “My” or “Settings” and find the section for payment authorizations or auto-debit agreements. Locate the Youku entry in the authorized services list and revoke the agreement. Menu labels shift between versions, but the path always runs through the payment settings.
In WeChat Pay, tap “Me,” then “Payment” (or “Services” in some versions), then the three-dot menu in the upper right, then “Deduction Service.” Find the Youku auto-payment entry and tap “Close Service.”
Revoking the wallet authorization is the definitive step. Even if Youku’s own screens still show an active membership, the wallet will reject future charge attempts once access is pulled.
Email Youku Support if the Menus Fail
When none of the in-app paths work, contact Youku directly. The official international support address is youkuglobalservice@alibaba-inc.com. A second address, YoukuChinaService@alibaba-inc.com, has appeared on Youku’s official social media for membership issues.3Facebook. Youku’s Post
Include your account ID or the email tied to your Youku profile, the date of your last charge, and a clear request to cancel auto-renewal. Replies can take several business days. If your next billing date is close, ask your bank or payment provider to block the charge in the meantime.
What Happens After You Cancel
Canceling stops future charges but doesn’t cut off the access you’ve already paid for. VIP benefits run through the end of the current billing period. Pay on the 5th and cancel on the 18th, and VIP status lasts until the 5th of the following month. Youku does not prorate refunds for the unused portion of a cycle canceled through the site or app.
After the paid period ends, the account drops back to the free tier. Your account, watch history, and preferences stay; VIP-only content and ad-free viewing go away. Look for a confirmation email or in-app notice after canceling, and save it. If a charge lands after that date, the confirmation is your evidence.
If You’re Still Charged After Canceling
Start with Youku support and send them the cancellation confirmation. If that goes nowhere, you can stop a preauthorized electronic transfer by notifying your bank at least three business days before the scheduled charge. The bank may ask for written confirmation within 14 days.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1693e – Preauthorized Transfers
A credit card chargeback is the other route. Call the number on the back of the card, explain that you canceled and were still charged, and send in the confirmation. The issuer typically posts a provisional credit while it investigates. The FTC’s click-to-cancel rule, finalized in late 2024, requires sellers to provide a simple cancellation mechanism and to stop charges once you cancel, and deliberately obstructive cancellation flows may themselves violate federal trade regulations.5Federal Trade Commission. Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Click-to-Cancel Rule Making It Easier for Consumers to End Recurring Subscriptions