Medium
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How to Cancel Medium Subscription: Official Steps
Learn how to cancel a Medium membership on web, iOS, and Android, what changes after you cancel, basic refund limits, and how to handle your account and data.
- 11 current official sources checked
- 3 billing routes separated
- Legacy Provider and equivalent Blog content reconciled claim by claim
- Steps, outcomes, refund boundaries, and related products revalidated
How to cancel Medium through the correct billing owner
Web cancellation
Cancel Medium through Web
1Open Settings
On a desktop browser, sign in to medium.com, click your profile picture in the top-right corner of the homepage, and choose Settings to open your account controls and billing options.
2Open Medium membership
On the Settings page, scroll to the Membership and payment section. Here you can see your current membership plan, billing period, and payment method, confirming that the subscription is billed directly by Medium.
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3Choose Manage subscription
Within the Membership and payment area, locate the link or button that manages your plan (for example, options such as managing or cancelling your membership) and select it to open the membership management screen for your current subscription.
4Cancel the membership and verify the end date
On the membership management or cancellation screen, choose the option to cancel your membership and confirm when prompted. Then return to the Membership and payment section to confirm that your membership now shows that benefits will continue only until the end of the current billing cycle, with no further automatic renewals scheduled.
iOS cancellation
Cancel Medium through iOS
1Open Settings
On your iPhone or iPad, unlock your device and tap the Settings app icon to open the system settings where Apple manages your Apple ID and subscriptions.
2Tap your name
At the top of the Settings screen, tap the banner that shows your name and Apple ID details. This opens your Apple ID account settings, which include your subscriptions.
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3Open Subscriptions
In your Apple ID settings, tap Subscriptions to view the list of active and expired subscriptions associated with your Apple ID, including any Medium membership purchased via the iOS app.
4Choose Medium
In the Subscriptions list, find the Medium membership entry and tap it to open the detailed page showing its renewal status, billing period, and available options.
5Tap Cancel Subscription and confirm
On the Medium subscription page, tap Cancel subscription and follow Apple’s on-screen prompts to confirm. Afterward, check that the Medium subscription shows an end or expiration date instead of ongoing renewal. Remember that uninstalling the Medium app or deleting your Medium account does not cancel an Apple-billed Medium membership.
Google Play cancellation
Cancel Medium through Google Play
1Open Google Play
On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Play Store app while signed into the Google account that pays for your Medium membership.
2Open Payments & subscriptions
From the top-right profile icon in Google Play, open the account menu and select Payments & subscriptions to access your Google billing options.
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3Open Subscriptions
In Payments & subscriptions, tap Subscriptions to see all active subscriptions tied to this Google account, including any Medium membership purchased through the Android app.
4Choose Medium
In the subscriptions list, tap the Medium entry to open its subscription details, including renewal date and available management options.
5Tap Cancel subscription and confirm
On the Medium subscription page, tap Cancel subscription and follow Google’s prompts to confirm cancellation. Afterward, verify that Medium no longer appears as an active subscription or now shows an end date. Deleting the Medium app or your Medium account does not cancel a Google Play–billed membership; it must be ended in Google Play.
Refund policy
Medium membership refunds at cancellation
Medium’s Membership Terms set a clear baseline: subscription fees are generally final and nonrefundable, and cancelling a membership mainly affects future renewals, not amounts already paid. Limited exceptions may be granted at Medium’s discretion or where third-party app-store rules apply.
Check my refund options- Cancellation doesn’t refund the current billing period
- The Membership Terms specify that when you cancel a renewing membership, the cancellation takes effect at the start of the next billing period. You retain access through the end of the current period, but you will not receive a refund or credit for any remaining days in that billing cycle.
- Subscription fees are final unless Medium decides otherwise
- Medium states that subscription fees are final and nonrefundable, including in cases where prices change or promotions appear later. Any refunds or credits for membership fees are described as discretionary, to be determined by Medium rather than guaranteed by default.
- Refund requests go through Medium or the billing platform
- The Terms mention that refund requests for Member Services should be submitted through Medium’s dedicated support channel, and also note that payments rely on third-party processors such as Apple, Stripe, Google, or PayPal, whose own terms may govern how refunds are handled for purchases made through them.
For full legal language on cancellations, renewals, and refunds, review Medium’s Membership Terms of Service before making time-sensitive decisions or refund requests. Open Medium Membership Terms of Service
Billing sources
Know who bills you for Medium
Understanding where your Medium membership is billed—Medium itself, Apple, or Google Play—is essential because you must cancel through the same service that charges you. Medium’s Settings and invoice tools help you identify the billing owner and locate the correct cancellation path.
Check billing details in Membership and payment
On the Medium website, the Membership and payment section of Settings shows your current plan, billing period, and payment method. If it lists a credit card or PayPal and offers a Cancel your membership option, cancellation is handled directly on Medium.
Signs your membership is billed by Apple
If your Medium Settings page lacks a web cancellation option and you receive Apple receipts for Medium, your membership is likely billed through Apple. Medium’s help articles explain that iTunes-billed memberships must be managed and cancelled in the Apple subscription settings, not on medium.com.
Signs your membership is billed by Google Play
If you get Google Play order receipts for Medium and your Medium Settings page does not show a web-based cancel link, the membership is probably billed through Google Play. Medium directs Android subscribers to manage and cancel these memberships via the Google Play app’s subscription settings.
One membership per Medium account
Medium notes that a membership subscription is for one Medium account only and cannot be shared between separate accounts. If you use multiple sign-in methods, ensure you are signed into the specific Medium account that actually holds the paid membership before attempting to cancel.
After cancellation
What cancelling Medium actually changes
Medium distinguishes between cancelling a membership, which affects billing and access to member-only features, and managing your underlying account. Official guidance explains how long access continues after cancellation and what does not change automatically.
Keeps benefits until the end of the billing cycle
Medium states that you can cancel your membership at any time, and once you cancel, you retain access to all membership benefits until the end of the current billing cycle. After that date, your membership benefits end and future renewals stop.
Stops future renewals, not current charges
Medium’s Membership Terms explain that cancelling a renewing subscription takes effect for the next billing period. You will not be charged again after cancellation takes effect, but fees already paid for the current period remain in place and are not automatically refunded.
Leaves your Medium account and content in place
Medium documents cancellation, deactivation, and deletion as separate actions. Cancelling a membership only changes access to Member Services; your underlying account and data remain unless you later deactivate or delete the account under Settings, where additional data-handling rules apply.
Deleting apps or accounts does not cancel store billing
Medium repeatedly notes that uninstalling the app or deleting a Medium account does not automatically cancel memberships purchased via iTunes or Google Play. Those subscriptions continue to bill until cancelled in the respective app store’s subscription settings.
Account vs membership
Account deactivation and deletion are separate
Medium offers deactivation and permanent deletion for your account, which are distinct from cancelling a paid membership. These actions affect how your profile and data appear but do not automatically replace proper cancellation of a paid subscription, especially for app-store billing.
Deactivation hides your profile but is reversible
Medium’s help center explains that deactivating your account makes your profile and data disappear from Medium, but your account data stays in Medium’s database and can be restored at any time simply by signing in again.
Deletion is permanent under the Privacy Policy
For deletion, Medium notes that Delete account permanently removes your account data in accordance with its Privacy Policy. The Privacy Policy also clarifies that some information may be retained as required by law or for legitimate business purposes even after account deletion.
Store-billed memberships outlive account deletion unless cancelled
Medium specifically warns that deleting your Medium account or uninstalling the app does not cancel memberships purchased through iTunes or Google Play. Those subscriptions remain active with Apple or Google until you cancel them in their subscription settings.
Use cancellation plus deletion if you want both
If you want to stop billing and also leave Medium, official materials support cancelling your membership first via the appropriate billing owner, then using the Delete account controls in Settings so that billing stops and account data is handled under the Privacy Policy.
Billing cycle
End-of-term access, renewals, and history
Medium’s Membership Terms and help articles describe how memberships renew, when cancellations take effect, and how to review previous charges. This clarifies what to expect on your final billing cycle and where to find records of past payments.
Medium memberships auto-renew by default
The Membership Terms explain that membership fees are recurring payments with monthly or annual terms. Subscriptions begin when you first pay and then renew automatically on the same day of each billing period until you cancel.
Cancellation applies to the next billing period
According to the Membership Terms, if you cancel a subscription that automatically renews, the cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. You will retain access through that period but will not be billed again for subsequent cycles.
No refunds for unused days in a period
Medium’s Terms state that you will not receive a refund or credit for remaining days in your current billing period when you cancel, and that subscription fees are final and nonrefundable unless Medium decides otherwise.
View billing history and download invoices
For web-billed memberships, Medium’s Settings page includes a Membership billing history link where you can view past payments and download or print invoices. The invoice help article provides additional step-by-step instructions for accessing these documents.
App stores
Apple and Google Play Medium memberships
Medium’s guidance covers how memberships purchased through the iOS and Android apps are managed by Apple and Google. These subscriptions appear in your device’s subscription settings and must be cancelled and invoiced through those systems, not from Medium’s web billing controls.
Use iOS subscriptions for Apple-billed memberships
Medium instructs iOS users with memberships purchased via iTunes to go to their device’s Settings, tap their name, then Subscriptions, select Medium membership, and tap Cancel subscription. This is where Apple surfaces its recurring app subscriptions.
Use Google Play subscriptions for Android-billed memberships
For Android, Medium’s help articles direct you to open the Google Play app, tap the profile icon, choose Payments & subscriptions, tap Subscriptions, select the Medium subscription, and tap Cancel subscription, following Google’s prompts.
Invoices come from Apple or Google for store purchases
When a membership is purchased via Apple or Google Play, Medium explains that invoices and receipts are accessed through those payment systems or via the receipt emails titled "Your receipt from Apple" or "Your Google Play Order Receipt," rather than from Medium’s own billing history.
Restoring store purchases to the correct Medium account
If a membership bought through iTunes or Google Play is not recognized in the app, Medium suggests restarting the app or using the Restore purchase option in iOS. If errors persist, you may be signed into the wrong Medium account and should sign out and back into the account that made the purchase.
Gift & add-ons
Gift memberships, Friend of Medium, and add-ons
Medium offers variants such as gift memberships and the Friend of Medium plan. These are still covered by the core Membership Terms, but they differ in how they renew and how cancellation or expiry works compared with a standard recurring membership.
Gift memberships are one-year, non-recurring codes
Medium’s materials describe gift memberships as pre-paid, non-recurring plans that activate when a recipient redeems a code, typically lasting one year and then ending unless renewed. Redeeming a gift does not require attaching a new credit card to begin recurring billing.
Gift membership cancellation and refunds
The Membership Terms explain that recipients can cancel a gift membership at any time after registration but that there is no refund or credit for partially used periods, and gift memberships cannot be redeemed or refunded for cash.
Switching between recurring and gift-style payments
If you prefer to pay via the app or via the web instead of your current method, Medium states you must cancel the existing subscription and then resubscribe on the desired platform after the current subscription expires. A one-time gift membership can be used as a non-recurring alternative.
Friend of Medium follows membership rules
Friend of Medium is presented as a higher-impact membership tier that grants all standard Medium Member benefits and uses the same billing and cancellation framework. Official terms treat it as part of the broader Member Services governed by the Membership Terms of Service.
Troubleshooting
If you can’t access or cancel your Medium membership
Medium provides troubleshooting guidance for situations where the cancel option is missing, membership access is not recognized, or you may be on the wrong account. These steps help you confirm the correct account and billing route before contacting support.
Confirm you’re on the correct Medium account
If you don’t see a cancel option in Settings, Medium notes that the account you’re signed into probably doesn’t have an active membership. Sign out, then request a sign-in link for the email address that received your "Thank you for becoming a member" message and use that account instead.
Use receipts to identify the billing owner
Search your email for Medium-related receipts. A receipt from Medium or Stripe suggests direct web billing, while "Your receipt from Apple" or "Your Google Play Order Receipt" indicates an app-store subscription. This helps you decide whether to cancel on medium.com or via Apple or Google Play.
Restart the app and restore purchases after changes
If you recently purchased or restored a membership and don’t have access, Medium recommends restarting the app. On iOS, you can also use the Restore purchase option in Settings so the app re-links your Apple subscription to the correct Medium account.
Contact Medium support if issues persist
When you cannot resolve billing or access problems through self-service steps, Medium provides a Help Center contact form where you can choose a membership issue category, describe the problem, and submit a request for review by the support team.
Medium cancellation FAQ
Provider-specific answers based on official sources checked August 10, 2026. Signed-in terms, region, billing owner, and applicable law still control.
Can I cancel my Medium membership at any time and keep access?
Where do I cancel if I paid for Medium through Apple or Google Play?
Does cancelling my Medium membership delete my account or stories?
Can I pause or downgrade my Medium membership instead of cancelling?
How do refunds work if I cancel or was charged unexpectedly?
How do gift memberships and one-time codes interact with cancellation?
What should I do if I can’t find the option to cancel my Medium membership?
How can I export or delete my data when I cancel or close my account?
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