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How to Cancel Surfshark and Get a Full Refund?

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You can cancel your Surfshark subscription to get a full refund by speaking with the customer care agents via live chat or email.

However, you might not get a refund if you’ve been using the VPN for more than 30 days, obtained a refund more than twice, or subscribed via mobile.

Looking for a reliable alternative?

How to Cancel Surfshark Subscription Plans on Any Device?

While you can subscribe to Surfshark on your PC or mobile devices, the cancelation methods differ. The steps below will walk you through cancellations on each device.

How to Cancel Your Surfshark Subscription and Get a Refund on PC?

PC users who subscribed via the official Surfshark website can cancel their subscription and get a full refund by following these steps:

  1. Go to the Surfshark contact center.
surfshark help page
  1. Fill out the form or scroll and select “Send us an email” or “Chat with us.” I prefer the second option to launch live chat.
surfshark help options
  1. Fill in your name and email address in the live chat panel form. Also, state in your message that you want to cancel, and click “Start chat.”
  1. A Surfshark customer representative will connect. They’ll check your account and walk you through the cancellation process.
  1. Follow the provided steps, and you’ll get your account canceled.
  2. Your refund is processed, and you’ll get it in a few days.

Depending on some factors, you will only sometimes get a refund from Surfshark.

So, continue reading beyond the mobile cancellation guide below to know when that applies.

How to Cancel Surfshark VPN Subscription and Get a Refund on Mobile?

If you subscribed to Surfshark via your Google Play Store (for Android) or iOS App Store (for iOS), here are the steps to cancel your subscription:

  1. Launch your device’s official app store. I’ll use the Apple App Store (iOS) for this example.
  2. Tap on your account profile icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
  1. Tap “Subscriptions.”
  1. Your active subscriptions show here. If your Surfshark account is one, click it. Otherwise, the plan may already have been canceled, or the subscription isn’t tied to the Apple ID you’re logged in with.
  2. Tap “Cancel Subscription.”
  3. Select “Confirm” on the prompt that shows up.
  4. You’ll get a subscription cancellation confirmation message. To be sure, check the subscription screen, and you’ll see an expiration date (rather than a renewal date) on the Surfshark plan.

Mobile users are at a higher risk of not getting a refund from Surfshark. 

Read the section below to know how to always get a refund.

When Won’t You Get a Refund From Surfshark After Canceling?

Mobile and PC users may not get refunded after canceling their plans. 

Here are some cases where that can happen.

You’ve Canceled Before

Surfshark allows you to buy a risk-free plan and cancel it twice before you’re not eligible for any more cancellations. This happens if you sign up with the same email address for the three trials and have gotten a refund on the first two.

surfshark subscription cancellation terms
Statement from Surfshark's ToS

Additionally, ensure your first and second refund requests don’t happen in a 6-month timeframe. Otherwise, you won’t get a refund.

You Subscribed via Mobile Stores

Surfshark’s refund department is different from Google and Apple’s.

Thus, purchasing a subscription via the Apple App Store or Google Play Store doesn’t entitle you to a refund from Surfshark.

surfshark mobile store purchase terms

In these cases, you’ll have to request a refund from the payment handler.

You Paid With Alternative Methods

The VPN provider can’t issue refunds when you pay via:

  • Gift cards
  • Prepaid cards

However, users who paid via crypto can get refunded based on these conditions:

  • Refunds will be in the same cryptocurrency used for the payment, i.e., BTC won’t be used to refund an ETH payment.
  • Refunds will be made in the USD value of the cryptocurrency used, not the crypto value.

Consider this before paying for the service too.

You’ve Passed the Free Trial Period

Surfshark has two trial formats: the 7-day free trial and the 30-day risk-free trial

Only the second requires that you put any money down upfront.

So, you must be within the allowed testing time before requesting a refund.

surfshark free trial terms

Otherwise, the provider isn’t liable and may not provide you with a refund.

In the same way, you won’t get a refund for your unused account validity period if you cancel before the expiry date.

For example, paying for a 2-year plan and canceling after one year doesn’t entitle you to refunds for the remaining year. Instead, Surfshark allows you to continue using the account for the remaining one-year period.

Also, the refund only works the first time you subscribe to your account.

So, if you bought a Surfshark plan before and got another plan (renewal), you can’t get a refund on the renewal plan.

What Are the Best Surfshark Alternatives to Switch to After Canceling?

Surfshark is an impressive VPN, but I understand that it may not meet all your needs.

You can try these alternative providers with robust security, privacy, and unblocking features.

NordVPN

nordvpn connected a finland server location

NordVPN is a juggernaut in the VPN space, but it’s not all bark and no bite. 

Here are a few features that make it a worthy Surfshark alternative:

  • Large server spread. NordVPN has 5300+ servers, compared to Surfshark’s 3200+, to prevent server overcrowding and VPN traffic jams.
  • In-house NordLynx protocol. The VPN provider developed its own protocol, NordLynx, to guarantee fast speeds, reliable security, and online privacy.
  • Safer jurisdiction. NordVPN is based in Panama, outside the 14 Eyes surveillance countries, unlike Surfshark in the Netherlands.
  • Specialty servers. Connect to NordVPN’s specialty servers to secure your Tor experience (Onion over VPN), download torrents faster (P2P servers), and encrypt your data twice (Double VPN).
  • Dedicated IP servers. If you want safe, unshared dedicated IP addresses, NordVPN is your best plug.

Like what you see? Grab these NordVPN discounts to save more and enjoy a 30-day money-back guarantee.

ExpressVPN

expressvpn all location servers

ExpressVPN might be a pricier option to Surfshark (and with fewer servers), but it makes up for that with these features:

  • Fast obfuscation on all servers. ExpressVPN hides your VPN traffic usage to bypass VPN blocks and firewalls without losing speed. Instead, Surfshark’s slow obfuscation is only possible on the OpenVPN protocol.
  • In-house Lightway protocol. The VPN provider features an audited Lightway protocol for fast obfuscation speeds, privacy, and security.
  • Port forwarding support. You can get port forwarding on ExpressVPN’s router app for faster torrent seeding, torrent downloads, and streaming speeds.
  • Robust router app. ExpressVPN is the only provider with a router app for more straightforward setup, server changes, and other controls.
  • Safer jurisdiction. Besides being audited twice for its no-logs policy, ExpressVPN is based in the privacy-friendly BVI.

Get these HUGE savings on ExpressVPN to pinch some pennies and get a 30-day risk-free guarantee.

CyberGhost

cyberghost all servers

CyberGhost competes with Surfshark on affordable pricing and beats it in other areas. Here’s how:

  • Extensive server coverage. CyberGhost boasts 9000+ servers in 90+ countries. That’s almost 3x the servers on Surfshark, ensuring better access to less crowded servers.
  • Specialty-optimized servers. Quickly get servers optimized for torrenting, streaming, and gaming without manually testing all the servers on this provider. Neat!
  • Safer jurisdiction. CyberGhost is based in Romania, outside the 14 Eyes surveillance’s reach, where it can’t be compelled to share user data.
  • Longer risk-free period. Surfshark allows you to test its service for 30 days, while CyberGhost gives you a 45-day grace period to test its service even longer!
  • Affordable. CyberGhost may not offer unlimited connections, but it matches Surfshark’s affordable pricing. So, you won’t be shelling out more than your refund to get this one.

Get those promised low CyberGhost prices with these fantastic discount deals.

Interesting Reads:

FAQs

You can cancel the Surfshark 7-day free trial from your mobile app store since it’s only available for mobile devices. It’s best to cancel at least a full day before it expires so that you don’t get charged due to different time zone settings.

Enjoy the Trial Period and Refund

It’s good to know that you can test Surfshark for the first few days without pressure since you can always get your money back. However, read its Terms of Service or check the distilled guide above to know when to expect a refund.

In the rare case that Surfshark doesn’t appeal to your needs, worthy alternatives include NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and CyberGhost.

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