Since its inception in 1923, TIME Magazine has been a leading source of authoritative and informative content about politics, business, science, health, and entertainment. The publication has a global readership of 26 million (20 million in the U.S. only) as of 2024.
Even with such a storied history and a loyal readership, you may find yourself looking to cancel your TIME Magazine subscription. Whether for personal reasons, financial constraints, or a change in reading interests, this guide can help you stop your subscription. It will outline the steps to cancel via the website, over the phone, or by email and offer tips for a hassle-free cancellation process.
The content in this guide is valid as of January 2024. Please visit the official TIME magazine website or contact customer support directly for updates.
How To Cancel a TIME Magazine Subscription—Steps To Take
The steps for canceling your TIME Magazine subscription will vary depending on your chosen method. To cancel through TIME's official website, follow these steps:
- Log in to your TIME account using a computer browser.
- Click Manage My Subscription.
- Sign in to the account management portal.
- Click Cancel My Subscription on the left navigation panel.
- Fill out or submit the form with the required information.
- Follow the prompts to finish unsubscribing.
You can also cancel by phone or email. To cancel by phone, call TIME Magazine's customer support at 1-800-843-8463 Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET or Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET.
If you choose to cancel by email, you can send an email with the subject line "Cancel" to time-customerservice@time.com. Be sure to include your full name, account details, and the TIME subscription you want to cancel. If you reside outside the U.S./Canada, you can email customer care for:
- Asia and the Pacific
- Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latam
What Happens After Canceling a TIME Magazine Subscription?
After canceling your TIME subscription, you will stop receiving new issues of the magazine, and your provided payment method won't be charged moving forward. You should also note that depending on the terms of the offer you accept, you may be eligible for a refund after terminating your subscription. If you have a print subscription where refunds are offered, you will receive a refund for unserved issues or issues that are yet to be processed for fulfillment.
How Virtual Cards Help You Manage Subscription Payments Effectively
Troubles when canceling subscription services are not uncommon, with most issues stemming from honest errors, miscommunication, or technical hitches. Unfortunately, some companies may intentionally employ deceptive practices to prolong the cancellation process and deter you from leaving so that you can continue paying for their services.
These companies often have specific cancellation requirements, which may include the following:
- Requiring you to call customer service during specific hours and keeping you on hold
- Requiring you to visit a specific physical location for cancellation
- Making the cancellation buttons unnoticeable on their website
- Using guilting language to make you rethink your decision to cancel
- Offering you special benefits or discounts to tempt you into staying
These delay tactics may result in you getting charged for another month of services you are no longer interested in. To protect yourself from accidental and intentional charges, consider using Privacy Virtual Cards to pay for your subscriptions.
While connected to a real bank account or debit card, virtual cards replace your actual financial information with fake card numbers, adding a layer of security around your online transactions. Comprehensive virtual card providers like Privacy also offer robust spending control features that can help you avoid unexpected charges from any subscription-based company.
Stop Excessive Subscription Payments With Privacy Virtual Cards
Privacy Virtual Cards give you the ability to define how much a company can charge you, helping you protect your financial account from unexpected payments. You can use Privacy Virtual Cards for various subscriptions, including other publications like the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times, and streaming services such as Apple TV, Apple Music, PlayStation Plus, and Philo.
Privacy allows you to generate two types of virtual cards—refer to the table below for more information about them:
| Single-Use Cards | These cards close automatically shortly after you complete your first transaction. You can use them on unfamiliar websites or those you don't plan on visiting again. |
| Merchant-Locked Cards | These cards "lock" to the first vendor you use them at. You can use them repeatedly with that same merchant, which makes them ideal for recurring payments such as subscriptions. |
Privacy Cards come with the following features, which are helpful for managing your subscription expenses:
- Card pausing/closing—When stopping a subscription, you can pause or close the card you used when signing up, and Privacy will block all future charge attempts on said card. This feature lets you focus on the cancellation process without worrying about the merchant imposing charges during and after canceling.
- Spending limit—By setting a spending limit, you can control how much a merchant can bill you for their services. Privacy will decline all transactions that exceed your preset limit. That includes accidental double charges for the same month, price increases you had no prior notification about, and other hidden fees.
Control Your Online Spending With Privacy
To start using Privacy Virtual Cards, follow these four easy steps:
- Register for an account
- Provide the information needed to verify your identity
- Connect a funding source (bank account or debit card)
- Request and generate your first Privacy Virtual Card
Privacy Virtual Cards are issued by Mastercard® and Visa®, so they are accepted at most U.S. merchants and websites that accept these card payment methods, including popular subscriptions like Tinder Gold, Shopify, Xbox Game Pass, and NordVPN.
As a Privacy user, you also gain access to a browser extension that autofills checkout fields with your virtual card numbers. This extension saves you from having to memorize card numbers and key them in manually. The extension is available on:
Privacy also has a dedicated mobile app for iOS and Android devices, allowing you to create and manage virtual cards on the go.
With Privacy, you can choose from three plans depending on your needs and budget. In the table below, learn about the cost and features that come with each plan to see which one suits you best:
| Plan | Cost per Month | Virtual Cards per Month | Benefits |
| Personal | Free for domestic transactions | 12 |
|
| Pro | $10 | 36 |
|
| Premium | $25 | 60 |
|
