You signed up for a free trial, forgot about it—or thought you had more time—and then noticed a charge on your credit card or bank statement.
Now what?
Many free trials automatically turn into paid subscriptions unless you cancel before a specific deadline. But whether you can get your money back depends on what you originally agreed to, how clearly the company disclosed the paid subscription, and when you canceled.
Here’s what to check and what to do next.
Why Did a Free Trial Turn Into a Charge?
Many free trials use what is known as a negative option.
In simple terms, if you do nothing, the company treats that as permission to begin or continue charging you after the free period ends.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is a U.S. government agency that helps protect consumers from unfair or deceptive business practices. It advises consumers to understand a free trial’s terms before signing up, including:
How long the trial lasts
When the first paid charge will occur
How much the subscription will cost
Whether it automatically renews
How and when to cancel
The FTC also recommends keeping track of the cancellation deadline and monitoring your credit or debit card statements after signing up.
First, Figure Out Why You Were Charged
There is an important difference between forgetting to cancel and being charged for something you did not knowingly agree to.
You forgot to cancel before the deadline
Imagine you signed up for a seven-day trial that clearly stated you would be charged $14.99 per month afterward.
If you forgot to cancel before the trial ended, the first paid charge may be consistent with the agreement you accepted.
But that does not mean you cannot ask for a refund.
Cancel the subscription immediately and contact the company. A refund may be more likely if:
The charge just occurred
It is your first paid billing period
You have not used the paid service since the trial ended
Some companies may offer a courtesy refund, but they are not automatically required to refund a charge simply because you forgot to cancel.
You did not clearly agree to the charge
The situation is different if:
The company did not clearly disclose that the trial would become paid
You were charged a different amount than expected
You were enrolled in a plan you did not knowingly choose
The company charged you before the promised date
You canceled but were still charged
The FTC advises consumers who are charged without their consent and cannot get a refund from the company to contact their credit or debit card issuer and dispute the charge.
What to Do If You Were Already Charged
1. Check the Original Free-Trial Terms
Before contacting the company, look for:
Signup or welcome emails
Receipts
Screenshots of the original offer
Trial expiration date
Regular subscription price
Whether the plan was monthly or annual
Cancellation instructions
Also check the merchant name shown on your credit card or bank statement. The billing name may look different from the brand name you recognize.
The goal is to determine exactly what you agreed to.
2. Cancel the Subscription Now
Even if you plan to request a refund, cancel first so another renewal does not occur.
Save evidence of the cancellation, such as:
A confirmation email
Screenshot
Cancellation number
Customer-service chat transcript
Some services allow you to continue using the product until the end of the period you already paid for. That does not necessarily mean the cancellation failed.
Look for confirmation that future renewal has been turned off.
If you already canceled but the company continues billing you, see Canceled a Subscription but Still Being Charged? What to Do for more specific steps on dealing with recurring charges after cancellation.
3. Ask the Company for a Refund
If the problem can reasonably be resolved with the company, contact it first.
You might say:
“I signed up for the free trial and did not intend to continue the paid subscription. I canceled as soon as I noticed the charge. Could you please refund the first subscription payment?”
Contacting the company quickly may help, especially if you have not used the paid service.
But remember: if the automatic renewal was clearly disclosed and you simply missed the deadline, a refund is not guaranteed.
What If the Free Trial Charged You for a Full Year?
This can be much more alarming than seeing one monthly payment.
Some free trials convert directly into an annual subscription, meaning the first charge could be $50, $100, $200, or more rather than a small monthly fee.
If this happens, first check whether the signup page clearly stated that the trial would convert to an annual plan.
If you knowingly agreed to an annual subscription but forgot to cancel, contact the company immediately and ask whether it will cancel the plan and provide a refund.
If the annual charge was not clearly disclosed, the amount differs from what you agreed to, or you did not knowingly select an annual plan, save your evidence and consider contacting your card issuer if the company will not resolve the problem.
The size of the charge does not by itself determine whether it is valid. What matters is what was disclosed and what you agreed to.
4. Consider Disputing a Charge That Was Not Authorized or Was Incorrect
If the company billed you without proper authorization, charged the wrong amount, or continued charging after you canceled, contact your card issuer promptly.
For credit cards, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says you should notify the card company about a billing problem right away.
To preserve certain federal billing-error rights, a written billing-error notice generally must reach the card issuer within 60 calendar days after the charge appeared on your statement.
Debit-card and bank-account rules can differ, so contact your bank promptly if the money was taken directly from your checking account or debit card.
Keep copies of emails, receipts, cancellation confirmations, screenshots, and conversations with the merchant.
Does a Company Have to Refund a Free-Trial Charge?
Not always.
If the company clearly disclosed the automatic renewal and price, and you agreed to those terms but forgot to cancel, the payment may be treated as a legitimate subscription charge.
There may be stronger grounds to challenge the charge when:
Automatic billing was not clearly disclosed
You were charged earlier than promised
The amount was different from what you agreed to
You were placed into a different plan
You canceled but were still charged
The business refuses to stop recurring charges
The FTC continues to take enforcement action involving subscription practices it alleges are deceptive or lack proper consumer consent.
What Happened to the FTC “Click-to-Cancel” Rule?
You may have heard that a new federal rule would require many businesses to make canceling subscriptions as easy as signing up.
The FTC adopted a broader Negative Option Rule, often called the Click-to-Cancel rule, in 2024. However, a federal appeals court vacated that amended rule in July 2025.
In 2026, the FTC began a new rulemaking process to consider possible changes to federal negative-option rules.
Consumers may still have protections under other federal laws, state laws, card agreements, and existing consumer-protection rules depending on the situation.
For everyday consumers, the most practical approach is still simple: understand the terms before joining, keep proof when you cancel, and respond quickly when an unexpected charge appears.
How to Avoid the Next Free-Trial Surprise
Free trials can be useful. The key is treating them as a future bill rather than something completely free.
Before signing up:
Find the exact trial expiration date
Check whether the paid plan is monthly or annual
Find the regular price
Make sure you know how to cancel
Take a screenshot of the offer and terms
Set a calendar reminder several days before the deadline
Check your card statement afterward
It also helps to ask yourself one question before entering your card number:
Would I still want this service if I had to pay the regular price today?
If the answer is no, the free trial may not be worth signing up for.
Free trials are also only one way small recurring payments can quietly accumulate. If multiple subscriptions are starting to add up, see Why Does Everything Need a Subscription Now? The Real Cost of Subscription Creep for ways to decide which services are still worth keeping.
The Bottom Line
Being charged after a free trial does not automatically mean the company did something illegal.
If you clearly agreed to automatic billing but forgot to cancel, cancel immediately and ask the company for a refund.
If the charge was not clearly disclosed, the amount was different from what you agreed to, you were enrolled in the wrong plan, or the company continued charging after cancellation, document what happened and contact your card issuer or bank promptly if necessary.
The best protection begins before the free trial starts: know when it ends, what it will cost afterward, whether the paid plan is monthly or annual, and exactly how to cancel it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a refund if I forgot to cancel a free trial?
Possibly, but it is not guaranteed. Cancel immediately and contact the company. A company may be more willing to provide a courtesy refund if the charge is recent and you have not used the paid service.
Can I dispute a free-trial charge with my credit card?
You can contact your card issuer if you believe the charge was unauthorized, incorrect, or different from what you agreed to. Simply forgetting to cancel a clearly disclosed subscription, however, does not automatically make the charge unauthorized.
What if a free trial charged me for an entire year?
Check whether the original terms clearly stated that the trial would convert into an annual subscription. Contact the company promptly and request a refund. If the annual charge was not properly disclosed or was different from what you authorized, save the evidence and contact your card issuer if necessary.
What should I do if a company keeps charging me after I cancel?
Save proof that you canceled and contact the company. If billing continues, contact your credit card company or bank promptly and ask about its dispute process.
Should I cancel a free trial immediately after signing up?
It depends on the service. Some companies let you cancel immediately and keep access until the trial ends, while others may end access when you cancel. Check the terms first.