Manage Prose

How to cancel your prose subscription and stop unexpected charges

Understanding prose and why you might want to cancel

Prose is a personalized haircare brand that creates custom formulations of shampoo, conditioner, treatments, and supplements based on your unique hair profile. The company positions itself in the premium segment, which means you pay more per bottle than mass-market alternatives in exchange for customization. If you've signed up for a Prose subscription, you're likely receiving automated refills on a schedule you set during onboarding.

The real challenge emerges when your circumstances change. Maybe the product didn't deliver the results you expected, or perhaps the recurring charges have become harder to justify. At Stopee (stopee.com), we've observed that many customers struggle to cancel because the process isn't straightforward, and unexpected charges are a recurring complaint across consumer platforms. If you're reading this, you've likely experienced one of these frustrations yourself. The good news is that cancelling your Prose subscription is absolutely within your control, and we'll walk you through every step.

Pricing and what you're actually paying

Understanding Prose's pricing structure helps you assess whether cancellation makes financial sense for your situation. Here's what you typically encounter:

The real expense multiplies when you choose shorter refill windows. A customer ordering every 4 weeks pays substantially more annually than one ordering every 8 weeks. Additionally, Prose frequently offers introductory discounts to new subscribers, which can mask the true ongoing cost. Once that discount expires, the full price arrives, and that's when many customers realize the subscription is eating more from their budget than they anticipated.

Why customers struggle to cancel

Consumer reports and complaint platforms reveal a consistent pattern: customers describe unexpected renewals, surprise charges, and difficulty securing cancellation confirmation. Some report that Prose billed them sooner than the stated refill date, while others say stopping future shipments required multiple attempts. What's most concerning is that many customers have successfully used dispute channels and consumer protection avenues only after traditional cancellation methods failed. This suggests the cancellation process itself may be intentionally unclear. At Stopee, we help thousands of consumers navigate these friction points, and Prose subscriptions appear frequently in our cancellation database.

Your rights as a prose subscriber in the united states

Federal consumer protection law gives you explicit rights regarding subscription cancellations and billing practices.

The restore online shoppers confidence act (ROSCA)

Under ROSCA, which is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Prose must obtain your clear, affirmative consent before charging your payment method. Critically, they must provide simple cancellation methods that are no more difficult than the signup process. If Prose makes cancellation harder than signing up, or if you cannot cancel online (when you subscribed online), the company is violating federal law. You have the right to cancel at any time, not just at the end of a billing cycle. If Prose charges you after you've requested cancellation, you can dispute the charge through your bank or credit card issuer, and you have grounds to request a refund directly from Prose citing ROSCA noncompliance.

State-level protections

Many states, including California and New York, have enacted additional protections. For example, New York requires that cancellation requests be honored within a specific timeframe, and some states mandate that confirmations be provided in writing. Because Prose's headquarters is located in New York, New York's consumer protections apply to you. If Prose refuses to stop charges or delays confirming cancellation, you have grounds to file a complaint with your state's attorney general consumer protection division.

Methods to cancel your prose subscription

Prose offers multiple cancellation pathways, though not all are equally convenient or reliable.

Online cancellation through your account

This is the fastest method if it's available in your account. Not all users report the same interface, so steps may vary slightly depending on when your account was created.

1. Visit the Prose website and log in to your account using your email and password.
2. Navigate to your account settings or subscription management page (usually labeled "My Subscription," "Manage Subscription," or "Account").
3. Look for an option to "Pause," "Skip," or "Cancel" your subscription.
   • If you see "Pause," selecting this postpones your next shipment indefinitely without fully cancelling. This is useful if you want to preserve your custom formula but stop charges temporarily.
   • If you see "Cancel subscription," click this and follow the prompts. Prose may ask why you're leaving; you don't need to provide a reason, but some customers report that skipping feedback results in faster processing.
4. Document the date and time of your cancellation request, and take a screenshot of the confirmation page if one appears.
5. Check your email for a cancellation confirmation from Prose within 24 hours. Warning: If no confirmation arrives within one business day, proceed to the next method to ensure your request was received.

Email cancellation to prose customer service

This method creates a written record and is particularly useful if online cancellation fails or if you want documented proof of your request.

1. Compose an email to Prose's customer service address. (Check Prose's website or your previous email receipts for the current address; common addresses include support@prose.com or customer.service@prose.com.)
2. In the subject line, write: "Subscription cancellation request for [your email address]."
3. In the body, include the following information:
   • Your full name
   • The email address associated with your Prose account
   • Your account number (if available; check your order confirmation emails)
   • A clear statement: "I request the immediate cancellation of my Prose subscription effective today."
   • The date of your request
4. Send the email and keep a copy for your records.
5. Prose should respond with cancellation confirmation within 2 business days. Pro tip: If you don't receive confirmation within 48 hours, send a follow-up email marked "Follow-up: Cancellation confirmation required."

Certified mail cancellation

If online and email methods fail, certified mail creates legal proof that your cancellation request was received.

1. Draft a cancellation letter that includes:
   • Your name, address, and phone number
   • The email address linked to your Prose account
   • Your account number (if you have it)
   • A clear statement: "I hereby request cancellation of my Prose subscription effective immediately."
   • The date of your request
2. Address the letter to: Customer Service, Prose, 10 Grand Street, New York, NY 11249, United States of America.
3. Visit your local post office and send the letter via certified mail with return receipt. This costs approximately $8 and gives you proof of delivery.
4. Keep the certified mail receipt and return receipt for your records.
5. Prose must acknowledge receipt and confirm cancellation within 10 business days of receiving your letter. Monitor your email closely during this period.

Phone cancellation (if available)

Check Prose's website for a customer service phone number. Phone cancellation is the least reliable method because you lack written proof, but it may be useful as a supplement to email or mail cancellation.

1. Call Prose's customer service number during business hours.
2. Request to speak with a representative about cancelling your subscription.
3. Provide your account email and request number, and state your intention to cancel.
4. Ask the representative to confirm cancellation in writing via email immediately after the call.
5. Document the date, time, representative name (if provided), and confirmation number from the call.

What to expect after you cancel

Cancellation doesn't always mean immediate results, and understanding the timeline protects you from accidental charges.

The grace period and when charges stop

Most subscription cancellations take effect immediately upon confirmation, meaning no future charges will post to your payment method. However, Prose may still ship a refill that was already in the fulfillment pipeline. If a shipment arrives after you've cancelled, you're entitled to refuse it or return it. Keep all tracking information for this shipment, as it may be relevant if you later need to dispute a charge.

Warning: Do not assume that silence means successful cancellation. Prose's lack of communication is not confirmation. If you don't receive explicit written confirmation (email or mail) within the timeframes stated above, assume the cancellation did not go through and use the next method on this list.

Monitoring your billing after cancellation

Check your bank or credit card statement closely for the next 2 billing cycles after you cancel. Look for any charges from Prose or related merchants. If a charge appears after your cancellation date, document it immediately and gather all evidence of your cancellation request (screenshots, emails, certified mail receipts). This evidence is critical if you need to file a dispute.

At Stopee, we recommend setting a phone or calendar reminder to check your statement 30 days after cancelling, then again 60 days after. This proactive monitoring catches erroneous charges early when they're easiest to reverse.

How to request a refund if prose charges you after cancellation

If you are charged after you've cancelled, you have multiple paths to recover the money.

Direct refund request to prose

1. Send an email to Prose's customer service with the subject: "Refund request for unauthorized charge dated [date]."
2. Include:
   • Your name and account email
   • The charge amount and date it posted
   • The date you requested cancellation
   • All evidence of your cancellation request (screenshots, confirmation emails, certified mail receipts)
   • A statement: "This charge was unauthorized because my subscription was cancelled on [date]. I request a full refund within 10 business days."
3. Send the email and keep a copy.
4. If Prose does not respond within 5 business days, escalate to your payment method's dispute process (see below).

Disputing the charge through your bank or credit card

If Prose refuses to refund or doesn't respond within a reasonable timeframe, you have the right to dispute the charge directly with your bank or credit card issuer.

1. Log into your bank or credit card account online, or call the number on the back of your card.
2. Request to dispute or challenge the Prose charge, citing it as unauthorized.
3. Provide your bank with:
   • The charge date and amount
   • Your cancellation date and all evidence of your cancellation request
   • Copies of all communication with Prose regarding the cancellation
   • A statement that you cancelled before the charge posted
4. Your bank will investigate and typically issue a provisional credit within 10 business days. The credit becomes permanent if Prose cannot prove the charge was authorized.
5. Pro tip: Banks favor customers in disputes when there's clear evidence of cancellation. Your certified mail receipt or dated cancellation confirmation email is powerful evidence.

Filing a complaint with the federal trade commission

If Prose's practices appear to violate ROSCA (for example, they made cancellation harder than signup, or they continued charging after you cancelled), you can file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The FTC takes patterns of billing complaints seriously, and your report contributes to regulatory action against the company. This doesn't directly recover your money, but it creates official documentation of the problem.

Common cancellation mistakes and how to avoid them

Cancellation feels stressful because the stakes are real: a missed step can result in unwanted charges hitting your account.

Pausing instead of cancelling

The single most common mistake is selecting "Pause" when the goal is full cancellation. Pausing postpones one refill or temporarily freezes your subscription, but it doesn't cancel it. Your account remains active, and charges will resume when the pause period ends (usually after 1-3 months). If you want to permanently stop your subscription, you must select "Cancel," not "Pause." Read every confirmation screen carefully, and look for language like "permanently cancel," "delete account," or "end subscription."

Failing to save confirmation details

The moment you initiate cancellation, screenshot the confirmation page and save any confirmation email. Do not rely on memory or assuming you'll find the email later. Consumer disputes hinge on evidence, and a timestamp-dated screenshot or email receipt is proof that you acted.

Not following up when no confirmation arrives

Many customers cancel online, see no immediate confirmation, and assume it worked. Days or weeks later, a charge appears. At that point, proving you cancelled is much harder. Always expect a confirmation email within 24 hours. If none arrives, immediately use the email or certified mail method to create a paper trail.

Ignoring refill dates

If your next refill is scheduled to ship in 3 days and you just cancelled, there's a window where your cancellation request and the shipment can overlap. The system may have already processed the order. Always check your account for the next scheduled shipment date and, if it's imminent, note this in your cancellation communication. This protects you if a charge or shipment arrives despite timely cancellation.

Checklist for successfully cancelling prose

Use this checklist to ensure every step is completed and documented.

Should you cancel prose, or should you pause instead?

The right choice depends on whether you want to return to Prose in the future.

Cancel if: You're certain you won't use Prose again, you want to eliminate all future charges, or you're frustrated with the service. Cancellation is permanent, though you can always resubscribe later (and may receive a reactivation discount). Once cancelled, your account and custom formula are typically deleted or inaccessible within 30 days, so you'd need to retake the hair assessment if you restart.

Pause if: You want to keep your custom formula on file for potential future use, you're taking a temporary break due to budget, or you want to see if the product might be useful again later. A pause costs you nothing and preserves your profile, but it doesn't stop your subscription indefinitely. Set a reminder to check your account when the pause period expires, so you can re-pause or cancel if your situation hasn't changed.

Comparing cancellation options at a glance

Different situations call for different methods. This table shows which is fastest, which creates the best legal proof, and which works if your account access is limited.

Why stopee recommends documenting everything

At Stopee (stopee.com), we've helped thousands of consumers cancel subscriptions and recover unauthorized charges. Prose appears frequently in our database because of the documented gap between customer intent to cancel and actual cancellation. Documentation is the bridge that closes that gap. Every screenshot, email, and certified mail receipt is evidence that protects you in a dispute. Without it, your word becomes "he said, she said," and companies have unlimited resources to make that argument in their favor. With documentation, you control the narrative and hold Prose accountable to federal law.

This is why we emphasize taking action the moment you decide to cancel, rather than delaying. The sooner you initiate the process and create a paper trail, the sooner you're protected.

Final steps and contact information

If you've completed the steps above and still face issues, here's how to escalate your complaint.

Escalation contacts if prose doesn't respond

Prose mailing address for cancellation and refund requests:

Customer Service
Prose
10 Grand Street
New York, NY 11249
United States of America

Federal Trade Commission (report unauthorized billing or ROSCA violations): reportfraud.ftc.gov or 1-877-438-4338

New York State Attorney General (for New York residents): 1-800-771-7755 or ag.ny.gov/consumer-frauds-bureau

Your state's attorney general office: If you live outside New York, file a complaint with your own state's attorney general consumer protection division. Search "[your state] attorney general consumer complaints" online for the contact details.

Next steps after you cancel

Once your cancellation is confirmed, monitor your account for 60 days. Check your bank statement regularly. If new charges appear, you now know exactly how to respond. At Stopee, we understand that cancelling a subscription shouldn't feel like a battle, yet many companies make it exactly that. Prose's complexity is not your fault, and your power lies in persistence, documentation, and knowledge of your rights.

The Stopee community has successfully cancelled thousands of subscriptions by following these exact steps. Your cancellation is next. If you need a reference guide or want to report your experience with Prose, Stopee (stopee.com) is here to help ensure companies respect your decision to cancel.