Parallels
Cancel subscription
How to Cancel Parallels Subscription: Official Steps
Learn how to turn off Parallels automatic renewal, distinguish direct and reseller billing, preserve access, and understand upgrades, refunds, and renewals.
- 11 current official sources checked
- 1 billing route separated
- Legacy Provider and equivalent Blog content reconciled claim by claim
- Steps, outcomes, refund boundaries, and related products revalidated
How to cancel Parallels through the correct billing owner
Web cancellation
Cancel Parallels through Web
1Open the Parallels account
In a web browser, go to my.parallels.com and sign in with the Parallels account that owns your Parallels Desktop subscription (the email address you used when purchasing or activating the product). After signing in, you should see the Dashboard page showing tiles for Parallels products associated with this account and a quick overview of their subscription status and orders.
2Open Licenses and Subscriptions
On the Dashboard, locate the tile for your edition of Parallels Desktop for Mac. In that tile, click Active Subscriptions to open a list of all active subscriptions for that product, including each subscription’s renewal or expiration date and the number of licenses attached to it.
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3Select the active subscription
From the Active Subscriptions list, click the specific subscription you want to stop renewing. The subscription details page opens and shows fields such as Status (for example Active, Grace period, or Expired), Activation Date, Expiration date, and a Subscription renewal area with a link labeled either Manage Subscription or Turn On Auto Renewal, depending on its current state.
4Turn off auto-renewal and confirm
If the Subscription renewal area shows Manage Subscription, click this link to open the external billing page for that subscription. On that page, choose the Cancel subscription option and follow the on‑screen prompts until you see confirmation that cancellation is complete. Return to the subscription details in your Parallels account, refresh the page, and verify that Subscription renewal now displays Turn On Auto Renewal, which indicates that auto‑renewal is disabled and the subscription will simply expire on its listed end date without renewing.
Refund policy
Parallels Desktop refund and return overview
Parallels’ published refund policy focuses on Parallels Desktop for Mac and distinguishes between where you purchased the product and whether the charge was an initial purchase or a renewal. Cancelling auto‑renewal prevents future billing but does not by itself trigger a refund.
Check my refund options- Initial Parallels Online Store purchases
- For Parallels Desktop licenses bought directly from the Parallels Online Store, you may request a full refund within 30 days of your initial purchase by submitting a request to Parallels Customer Support. Parallels indicates that this 30‑day window applies only to the original transaction date, not to subsequent renewals.
- No returns for renewal charges
- The official Parallels Desktop return policy specifies that Parallels cannot accept returns for renewal transactions. If your subscription has already renewed, you can still turn off auto‑renewal to avoid the next cycle, but the policy does not promise refunds for the renewal that has already been processed.
- Purchases from other online stores and App Store
- Parallels states that it cannot refund purchases made through other online stores. That includes copies of Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition and other reseller‑managed licenses, which are subject to the sales and refund terms of those stores. Any refund request must therefore be directed to the original storefront, not to Parallels.
- Retail box return handling
- If you bought a retail box of Parallels Desktop in the United States or Canada, Parallels instructs you to return it to the retail account with the original receipt. The store’s own policies determine whether a return is accepted and within what timeframe, rather than any Parallels‑specific refund window.
- License usability after a refund
- Parallels clarifies that once a Parallels Desktop refund is processed, you will no longer be able to use the refunded license. You should therefore time refund requests so that you have already migrated any important data or arranged a replacement license before your existing one is disabled as part of the refund.
If your situation is more complex—for example, involving multiple subscriptions, business licenses, or uncertainty about which storefront billed you—sign in to your Parallels account, open the Support page, and use the Request Support option so Parallels can review your specific order history and explain what cancellation or refund options remain available. Contact Parallels support about billing or refunds
Billing owner
Work out who controls your Parallels billing
Before you can successfully cancel, you need to know which storefront is actually billing you for Parallels. That determines whether you use my.parallels.com, Apple’s App Store interface, or a retailer’s own return process.
Parallels Online Store subscriptions
Subscriptions purchased directly from the Parallels Online Store are stored in your Parallels account and appear on the Dashboard. From there, you can open Active Subscriptions for a product and manage renewal status and payment options for each subscription in one place.
Mac App Store (App Store Edition)
Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition uses Apple’s subscription billing. Its subscription is managed entirely in the App Store by opening Account Settings, scrolling to Subscriptions, and choosing Manage; you cancel it there rather than in your Parallels account.
Retail boxes and reseller sales
When you buy a boxed copy in US or Canadian retail, or a one‑time license from a reseller, the license is generally a one‑time purchase without auto‑renewal. Returns of these retail purchases must be made back to the retailer according to that store’s own receipt and return conditions, not through Parallels support.
Legacy Parallels Access subscriptions
Parallels Access has been discontinued: it is no longer available for purchase or renewal, and all Access services stopped functioning after April 30, 2024. Existing terms were allowed to run to their natural expiration, so there is no ongoing Parallels Access subscription to cancel today.
Business licensing and partners
Business and enterprise subscriptions that you purchased via a Parallels sales representative or reseller must be registered in a company business account. Once registered, administrators can manage renewals, see seat counts, and adjust license quantities for those subscriptions from the Dashboard in My Account.
After cancellation
What happens when you stop Parallels auto-renewal
Turning off auto‑renewal changes how long your license remains usable but does not erase Parallels Desktop or your virtual machines. Understanding statuses like Active, Grace period, and Expired helps you plan a clean transition.
Service runs until the expiration date
When you cancel auto‑renewal, the subscription stays in Active status until the Expiration date shown in the subscription details. It is not renewed after that date, and the status eventually changes to Expired, at which point products activated under that subscription can no longer be used.
Grace period after failed payment
If a scheduled renewal payment fails, Parallels moves the subscription into a Grace period rather than expiring it immediately. The grace period is seven days for Standard and Pro subscriptions and thirty days for Business Edition; if payment is not completed during this time, products and services tied to that subscription stop functioning.
Effect on installed Parallels Desktop
As long as the subscription is Active or in Grace period, Parallels Desktop for Mac continues to launch and run virtual machines normally. Once the subscription ultimately expires without renewal, license checks fail and Parallels Desktop and any linked services included in that subscription cease to function until a valid license is added.
Virtual machines and data remain on disk
Parallels explains that uninstalling Parallels Desktop does not delete your virtual machine files (the .pvm bundles) or their contents. Those files, which contain your Windows or other guest OS and data, stay on your Mac in locations such as ~/Documents/Parallels until you manually delete them.
Bonus Parallels Toolbox access ends
Bonus Parallels Toolbox access is tied to your Parallels Desktop license type. A perpetual Desktop license includes three months of Toolbox, while Standard and Pro subscriptions keep Toolbox active only for the life of the subscription. When your subscription expires after you cancel auto‑renewal, Toolbox access provided through that subscription also ends.
Refunds
How Parallels handles refunds versus cancellation
Stopping future renewals and getting money back are handled under different rules. Parallels has a documented return policy for Parallels Desktop that depends on where and when you bought it.
30-day refund for initial online purchase
For Parallels Desktop licenses purchased in the Parallels Online Store, you may request a full refund within 30 days of your initial purchase for any reason by contacting Parallels Customer Support. Requests made after that period fall outside the documented return window.
No refunds for renewal transactions
The Parallels Desktop return policy states that Parallels cannot accept returns for renewal transactions. Cancelling auto‑renewal therefore prevents the next renewal from being charged but normally does not entitle you to a refund of a renewal that has already been successfully processed.
Purchases from other online stores
Parallels’ refund policy clarifies that it cannot refund purchases made through other online stores, including those that sell Parallels Desktop licenses on Parallels’ behalf. In such cases you must contact the store where you originally bought the license and follow that store’s own sales and refund terms.
Retail box returns through the retailer
If you bought a boxed Parallels Desktop license at retail in the United States or Canada, Parallels directs you to return the product to the retail account with your original receipt. The timing and conditions of the return are determined by the retailer, not by Parallels support.
License access after a successful refund
Parallels warns that once a Parallels Desktop refund is processed, you will no longer be able to use the license. That means you should request refunds only when you are ready for the license to become unusable, for example after backing up any needed data from your virtual machines.
Mac App Store
Cancel Parallels Desktop App Store Edition billing
If your copy of Parallels Desktop came from the Mac App Store and shows as Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition, its subscription is owned and billed by Apple. Parallels documents the steps to cancel it inside the App Store itself.
Locate the subscription in App Store
On your Mac, open the App Store application, click the sign‑in button or your name, and choose Account Settings. In the account page that opens, scroll until you see the Subscriptions section and click Manage to display your active App Store subscriptions, including Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition.
Use Apple’s Cancel Subscription control
In the Subscriptions list, click Edit next to the Parallels Desktop subscription, then click Cancel Subscription to stop future billing. Parallels notes that if you do not see a Cancel Subscription button for that entry, the subscription is already cancelled and will not renew again through the App Store.
Trial period and automatic renewal
Parallels documents that the App Store Edition typically starts with a 14‑day trial, after which the subscription renews automatically through the payment method associated with your Apple account. To avoid being charged after the trial or at a future renewal, you must cancel from the App Store Subscriptions settings before the current term ends.
Avoiding double billing when upgrading
If you upgrade from Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition to a full Parallels Desktop license purchased directly from Parallels, the company advises that you disable auto‑renewal for your App Store subscription in the App Store so you are not billed by Apple at the same time as your new Parallels Online Store subscription.
Alternatives
Alternatives to cancelling a Parallels subscription
You may not always need to cancel outright. Parallels provides options to change how you pay, what license type you use, or how many seats you hold without terminating the subscription entirely.
Update the renewal payment method
If you intend to keep your Parallels Desktop subscription active but need to change the card or payment method, sign in to your Parallels account, open Active Subscriptions, select the subscription, and use the Payment Options link to update how future automatic renewals are billed.
Uninstall without ending the license
You can uninstall the Parallels Desktop Mac application by dragging it from Applications to the Trash. Parallels clarifies that this does not affect your license entitlement or delete any virtual machines, which is useful if you plan to reinstall later while keeping the subscription in force.
Switch between subscription and one-time license
Parallels explains that one‑time (perpetual) licenses have no recurring billing but don’t include free upgrades, while subscriptions offer ongoing upgrades and are auto‑renewable by default. If you still need Parallels but want different upgrade or billing behavior, changing license type may make more sense than cancelling and leaving the platform.
Adjust seats instead of cancelling a business plan
In a business account, subscription details include a Buy More Licenses option that lets administrators purchase additional seats under the same subscription. If your primary concern is right‑sizing capacity, increasing or decreasing the number of seats with your sales contact may be preferable to cancelling an entire subscription.
Troubleshooting
If you can’t find cancellation controls in your account
If you do not see Active Subscriptions or the Manage Subscription link, the issue is usually that you are in the wrong account, purchased a non‑subscription product, or used a different billing channel such as the Mac App Store.
Verify you’re using the correct Parallels account
Parallels accounts are tied to specific email addresses. If you no longer have access to the original email used for registration, Parallels provides a process to create a new account and ask support to transfer licenses after verification, which can restore visibility of the relevant subscriptions.
Check whether your license is a subscription
If your license is a one‑time purchase, Parallels describes it as having no expiration date for its major version and it will not show subscription renewal controls. In that case there is no auto‑renewal to cancel; you can simply uninstall the product or ignore renewal settings because recurring billing is not configured.
Consider store-billed App Store purchases
Subscriptions purchased as Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition are managed by Apple, and may not appear with Manage Subscription links in your Parallels account. To stop billing for that product you must use the Cancel Subscription control in the App Store’s Subscriptions section rather than looking for options on my.parallels.com.
Use Support Center or Support page
If you still cannot see the expected subscription or Manage Subscription link, Parallels recommends opening Support Center from the Parallels Desktop Help menu or visiting the Support page after signing in. There you can select Parallels Desktop, search articles, and if needed click Request Support to open a ticket for personalised assistance.
Recognize that account deletion is different
Parallels offers a Delete Account option on your Personal Profile page that permanently removes your Parallels account after email confirmation. This action is separate from cancelling subscriptions and should not be used as a substitute for turning off auto‑renewal, since it affects all products and future account use.
Business
Business, enterprise, and multi-seat Parallels subscriptions
Organizations use Parallels business accounts to centrally manage licensing, renewals, and user access. Cancelling or changing these subscriptions can affect many users at once, so it is important to understand how they are structured.
Business subscriptions in My Account
When a Parallels Desktop Business Edition or other business license is purchased, it must be registered in a Parallels business account. Administrators then see those subscriptions on the Dashboard with license counts, activation status, and expiration dates, and can manage them from the subscription details page.
Longer grace period for Business Edition
For Parallels Desktop Business Edition, the documented grace period after a failed renewal payment is thirty days rather than the seven days used for Standard and Pro subscriptions. If payment is not completed within that extended interval, all Parallels products and services covered by the business subscription stop functioning.
SSO-managed administrator access
Parallels allows integration between a business account and identity providers like Microsoft Entra ID or Okta using SAML and SCIM. With SSO configured, adding or removing administrators in the IdP automatically grants or revokes their ability to sign in to My Account and manage business subscriptions, complementing subscription-level cancellation controls.
Server and workspace products
For server-side products such as Parallels Secure Workspace and Parallels Remote Application Server, renewals of subscriptions or maintenance plans are typically arranged via a partner or Parallels sales representative. After purchase, you sign in to Parallels My Account to confirm that the subscription or license properties have been updated to reflect the renewed term.
Clean-up
Tidying up Parallels software and data after stopping payment
After you cancel or let a subscription expire, you may want to remove Parallels Desktop, delete unnecessary virtual machines, or even close your Parallels account while making sure you don’t lose important data unintentionally.
Safely uninstall Parallels Desktop for Mac
To remove Parallels Desktop, Parallels instructs you to shut down any running virtual machines, quit the application, then drag the Parallels Desktop icon from the Applications folder into the Trash and empty it. This uninstalls the Mac application but does not delete any .pvm virtual machine files.
Remove virtual machines when you’re ready
Parallels notes that your complete virtual machine—including Windows and your files—is stored in a .pvm bundle, typically in a Parallels folder in your user or shared folders. You retain access to that environment until you delete the .pvm file manually, so you should back up or migrate any needed data before removing it.
Delete your Parallels account if desired
If you no longer want to keep a Parallels account at all, you can open the Personal Profile page while signed in and choose Delete Account. You confirm the deletion through a link sent to your account email; once completed, the account cannot be restored and the same email cannot be reused for several days.
Reusing an email after prior deletion
Parallels documents that if an email address was previously used for an account and then deleted, attempts to create a new account with that email may show an error explaining that the address cannot be reused for a certain number of days. You must wait the indicated period before registering again with that email.
Parallels cancellation FAQ
Provider-specific answers based on official sources checked August 10, 2026. Signed-in terms, region, billing owner, and applicable law still control.
Will Parallels Desktop stop working as soon as I cancel auto-renewal?
How can I verify that my Parallels subscription will not renew?
Do I need to cancel a one-time (perpetual) Parallels Desktop license?
Can I get a refund after my Parallels subscription renews?
How do I cancel Parallels Desktop if I bought it in the Mac App Store?
Does cancelling Parallels delete my Windows virtual machines or data?
What if I can’t log in or don’t see my subscription to cancel it?
What happens to Parallels Toolbox when I cancel or let my subscription expire?
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