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The secrets behind 3 giant companies’ subscription cancellation processes

When you run an online subscription business, the cancellation process is one of the most important aspects to get right. No matter how excellent your services are, it’s inevitable that subscribers may want to leave you at

some point. So, you should make it simple and hassle-free to keep them satisfied. Otherwise, they may not come back.

We’ve already covered how important your cancellation process is in previous posts, but today we’re taking a different approach. We went through the subscription cancellation processes for three giant companies to see what they’ve done well and what could be better. Here’s what we learned.

The Zoom cancellation process

Zoom, the popular video call software, provides subscribers with five plans with monthly or annual payments. But how does it treat subscribers who want to cancel?

The subscription cancellation process

Zoom’s subscription cancellation process is customer-friendly from start to finish. Subscribers can cancel their Zoom account in a few simple steps:

  • Navigate to Zoom’s web portal
  • Click on Account Management
  • Click on Billing
  • Find the plan you want to cancel (under the Current Plans tab), select Cancel Plan, and then confirm in the pop-up dialogue window.

Subscribers can then leave the site knowing their account is cancelled.

What Zoom does right

Like any good subscription business, Zoom knows that the right offer can inspire subscribers to keep their accounts. For example, we were offered 40% off for another year’s subscription on our current plan — solid motivation for subscribers who might be on the fence about cancelling.

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Zoom also offers subscribers options, including a chance to switch from a yearly subscription to a monthly one instead. That might suit some budgets and spending habits better than others.

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Another highlight of Zoom’s subscription cancellation process? Asking subscribers for feedback. A pop-up form invites subscribers to specify “too expensive”, “too difficult to set up”, and other reasons for cancelling.

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Gathering information on why subscribers cancel can help Zoom provide a better customer experience and prevent future subscription cancellations.

Finally, Zoom presents a confirmation screen that allows subscribers to take multiple actions. For example, the “Oops! Didn’t mean to cancel?” section has a Reactivate Now button.

You can also switch to another plan, get a discount when you re-subscribe, and follow Zoom on social media.

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The Spotify cancellation process

Spotify has more than 200 million premium subscribers across the globe (as of 2022’s fourth quarter), but cancellations are inevitable.

However, like Zoom, Spotify knows that any cancellation presents a fantastic chance to learn about their subscribers and (hopefully) stop them from leaving.

The subscription cancellation process

To cancel your premium plan:

  • Sign in to your account on Spotify’s website (rather than the app)
  • Under the Your Plan section, click on Change Plan
  • Select Cancel Spotify followed by Cancel Premium

And that’s it! Spotify subscription cancelled.

What Spotify does right

The Spotify cancellation process is quick and easy, which is great for subscribers who want to cancel without fuss.

When you choose to cancel, Spotify directs you to a loss aversion page. This tells you what you’re missing by cancelling, like reminding you that you’ll hear ads between songs and that you can’t listen to your favourite songs offline anymore.

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Spotify also asks why you’re cancelling and gives you several reasons to choose from (e.g. “I had issues with plan verification”). But Spotify only asks after you cancel. It would be better to ask before — that would give them a chance to offer an incentivising discount.

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They also include another, uniquely Spotify touch in their cancellation process — a Goodbye for now :( playlist for users to listen to as they reconsider their decision to cancel.

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The Adobe cancellation process

Adobe offers users various SaaS solutions, including Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Document Cloud, and Adobe Experience Cloud. Adobe’s software packages are extensively used in businesses worldwide. But as popular as Adobe is, its subscription cancel process leaves a little to be desired.

The subscription cancellation process

We cancelled a Creative Cloud subscription by following these steps:

  • Visit the Adobe website, sign in, access your account, then click on Manage Plan
  • Select Cancel Your Plan on the right-hand side of the screen
  • Choose a reason for subscription cancellation
  • Follow the site’s instructions to confirm the subscription cancellation

It’s a simple process, but what does Adobe get right and wrong?

What Adobe does right

Before you even reach Adobe’s cancellation page, subscribers are given the option to choose a different plan that suits them better. It highlights the Change your plan button in blue, which draws the eye away from the option to cancel your subscription.

 

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If subscribers do click the Cancel your plan button, Adobe asks why you’re cancelling and lets you select several reasons, which is a nice touch — most of these forms only let you pick one. This helps Adobe discover what they can do better and reduce their cancellation rates.

As part of its subscription cancellation process, Adobe shows subscribers what they’ll miss out on if they cancel. Subscribers see what apps they’ll lose access to, that their service will end immediately, and that certain features won’t be available anymore.

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Adobe also offers a discount to entice subscribers into staying. We were offered a 40% discount on our current plan and given another chance to switch to a different plan.

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What Adobe does wrong

Out of the three subscription giants featured in this post, Adobe has drawn the most criticism for its subscription offboarding.

The primary reason for this ire is that Adobe charges customers a subscription cancellation fee if they cancel 14 days after their initial order. So, if you sign up for an annual contract, you’ll be charged a lump sum equal to 50% of your annual subscription cost when you cancel.

Subscribers have complained that this fee/refund policy is confusing, and some have even looked online for workarounds. That’s why you’ll find a lot of search results for “cancel Adobe subscription without a fee.”

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Get your cancellation process right with Limio

Limio, a startup in London, is ready to help you nail your subscription offboarding process.

How? We make creating custom cancellation flows easy.

You can:

  • Gather valuable subscriber feedback
  • Offer discounts to boost retention rates
  • Invite subscribers to switch plans
  • Create loss aversion pages
  • And more

It couldn’t be simpler for you and your subscribers.

 

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