How to cancel phone, internet and TV contracts
Guides for cancelling mobile, broadband and TV contracts — minimum terms, early-exit fees, equipment returns and keeping your number.
Phone, internet and TV contracts are where cancelling most often stops being a button and becomes a contractual process. Minimum terms, device payment plans and notice periods decide what leaving costs, and none of them are printed on the monthly bill.
The order of steps matters more here than anywhere else. Moving a mobile number to a new provider is usually done by the new provider, and cancelling the old line first can release the number. Equipment such as routers and TV boxes normally has to be returned, and an unreturned box is one of the most common surprise charges after a cancellation.
Carriers also bundle other subscriptions — streaming, music, cloud storage — into their plans. Those services end with the contract, so it is worth checking the full bill before cancelling to see what else disappears with it.
Before you cancel: four checks
- 1.Check the term and device balance. Find out whether you are inside a minimum term or still paying off a phone. Leaving early can make the rest due.
- 2.Transfer your number first. If you are switching and want to keep the number, start the transfer with the new provider before cancelling.
- 3.Use the provider’s cancellation route. Add-ons can often be removed online; full cancellation may require a call, chat or written notice. Keep a reference number.
- 4.Return equipment, check the final bill. Send back routers and boxes as instructed and check the last invoice for notice-period or pro-rated charges.
24 phone, internet & tv cancellation guides
- How to cancel BellCrave billed through Bell cannot be cancelled at crave.ca — it must be removed from the Bell account.
- How to cancel BelongNo lock-in means no exit fee on most plans, unlike the major carriers.
- How to cancel BT / EESport and entertainment add-ons are billed with the main account and cannot be cancelled in their own apps.
- How to cancel EE MobileThe PAC and STAC text service is the correct route in the UK and takes minutes — calling to cancel is slower and exposes you to a retention conversation.
- How to cancel FizzRollover data and referral credits are forfeited on closure — use or transfer them before leaving.
- How to cancel FoxtelMinimum terms and notice periods apply to many packages — cancelling early can trigger a charge.
- How to cancel Freedom MobileDevice financing continues independently of the plan — leaving does not cancel the device balance.
- How to cancel giffgaffNo contract means no termination fee — one of the simplest UK providers to leave.
- How to cancel Koodo MobileAn outstanding Tab balance is due when you leave — this is the actual cost of switching and is easy to overlook.
- How to cancel MagentaTVStreaming services bundled into the plan are billed by the carrier — cancelling in the streaming app does not stop the charge.
- How to cancel Optus MobileDevice repayment balances become due in full on leaving.
- How to cancel Public MobileRewards balances built up over time are forfeited on closure — check what you have accumulated first.
- How to cancel RogersStreaming services added to a Rogers package are billed by Rogers — cancelling in the streaming app will not stop the charge.
- How to cancel SkyA notice period means you are usually billed for roughly a month after you ask to cancel.
- How to cancel Sky SportNotice periods mean a further charge after your cancellation request is normal rather than an error.
- How to cancel Swisscom inOne mobileEarly termination within a minimum term usually incurs a charge covering remaining months.
- How to cancel TalkTalkEarly exit within the minimum term generally means paying the remaining months.
- How to cancel Telekom MagentaMobilPorting your number to a new provider generally triggers the cancellation — cancelling separately first can cause you to lose the number.
- How to cancel TelusAdd-on packages billed with Optik TV cannot be cancelled through the individual service apps.
- How to cancel VerizonDevice instalment balances become due in full when you leave — this is the real cost of switching and is frequently much larger than expected.
- How to cancel VideotronAdd-ons billed on the main invoice cannot be cancelled through their own apps.
- How to cancel Virgin MediaThe notice period means a final charge after your cancellation request is normal, not an error.
- How to cancel Vodafone GigaMobilCancelling before initiating a number port can result in losing the number permanently.
- How to cancel XfinityUnreturned equipment charges are the classic surprise — return everything and keep the receipt with serial numbers.
Common questions
Is there a fee for cancelling a phone or internet contract early?
Often, if you are still inside a minimum term or paying off a device. Rolling monthly and prepaid plans usually have no such fee. The contract, not the provider’s help page, is the authority.
Should I cancel my old contract before switching?
For mobile, usually not: if you want to keep your number, let the new provider start the transfer first. For broadband, line up the new service before the old one ends to avoid a gap.
What happens to streaming included in my plan?
It ends with the plan. If you want to keep the service, subscribe to it directly — and check you are not already paying for it separately.
Other cancellation categories