How to Cancel The Economist
Cancel The Economist in a few minutes. Exact steps, the traps to avoid, refund rules, and what happens to your data after cancellation.
The short answer
The Economist costs $22.00/month. You keep access until the end of the period you have already paid for, so cancelling early does not lose you time. Annual subscriptions renew as a block and are generally not refunded mid-term.
Leutrim Miftaraj
Founder, SubTracker · Updated July 21, 2026
Step by step
- 1
Sign in on the web
Open your account and find the subscription management section.
- 2
Expect a retention process
News and magazine subscriptions typically offer a substantial discount rather than letting you leave immediately.
- 3
Cancel and confirm in writing
Complete the process and keep the confirmation email.
- 4
Check the print and digital split
Print and digital may be separate line items depending on how you subscribed.
Before you cancel
- •Annual subscriptions renew as a block and are generally not refunded mid-term.
- •Retention offers can be large; worth considering only if you would subscribe at that price.
- •Some regions require contacting customer service rather than a self-service cancellation.
Refunds
Refunds for unused portions of an annual term are not standard.
Before you cancel entirely
Before cancelling, check whether a cheaper tier or an annual plan would solve the problem. Annual billing is typically fifteen to twenty percent cheaper than monthly.
Introductory pricing is the whole business model
News subscriptions rely more heavily on price escalation than any other category. An introductory rate of one or two euros a month renewing at fifteen or twenty is entirely standard, and the increase is communicated in an email that is easy to miss.
Before cancelling, check what you are currently paying rather than what you signed up for. People are frequently surprised, and the surprise is the point at which cancelling becomes obviously correct.
Retention offers here are unusually good
Publishers have high fixed costs and very low marginal cost per subscriber, which means keeping you at a reduced rate is almost always better for them than losing you. Retention offers in this category are correspondingly generous — returning to the introductory rate for another year is a common outcome.
If you would keep reading at a lower price, it is worth starting the cancellation to see what appears. If you would not read it at any price, decline and complete the cancellation.
Phone-only cancellation still exists
Several legacy publishers still require a phone call to cancel, despite allowing sign-up in two clicks. Regulators in the EU and US have been moving against this asymmetry, and in some jurisdictions an online cancellation route is now mandatory. If you are told to call, it is worth checking whether the publisher offers a web form for your region.
If you are charged after cancelling
- •Keep the cancellation confirmation. An email or a screenshot showing the date is the document that resolves this, and it is much easier to save now than to reconstruct later.
- •If you are charged after cancelling, contact the provider first with the confirmation attached. Most reverse the charge without argument when presented with a timestamped confirmation.
- •If the provider does not resolve it, your bank or card issuer can reverse the payment. Card networks treat a charge after a documented cancellation as a straightforward chargeback, and the confirmation is the evidence you need.
- •For recurring card payments you can also instruct your bank to block future payments to that merchant. In the EU and UK, banks are required to honour this instruction even if the merchant continues to request payment.
Current pricing: $22.00/month · economist.com
Cancelled The Economist? Track what is left.
Most people have more subscriptions than they can name. Track unlimited subscriptions free, forever — no card, no bank connection.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do I cancel The Economist?+
Open your account and find the subscription management section. News and magazine subscriptions typically offer a substantial discount rather than letting you leave immediately.
Do I get a refund when I cancel The Economist?+
Refunds for unused portions of an annual term are not standard.
What happens after I cancel The Economist?+
You keep access to The Economist until the end of the billing period you have already paid for. After that the subscription stops and you are not charged again.
How much does The Economist cost?+
The Economist costs $22.00/month based on 2026 pricing. Prices vary by region and plan tier, so check your account for the exact amount you are charged.
Other news cancellations