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How to cancel your medium subscription in south africa and keep your content

What medium is and why you might want to cancel

Medium is an online publishing platform where independent writers, publications, and organisations share articles with a global audience. The platform lets you read premium, member-only content with features like audio narration and offline reading - all supported by a paid membership model.

If you subscribed to Medium in South Africa, you chose to unlock unlimited access to thousands of quality articles. But subscriptions don't always fit your life forever, and that's okay. Whether you've finished what you needed to read, found your news elsewhere, or simply want to cut back on monthly costs, cancelling your Medium membership is straightforward.

Here's what you need to know: cancelling your membership stops future charges, but your account, posts, and comments stay exactly where they are. At Stopee, we understand that cancellation decisions are often about taking back control of your spending - so we've mapped out every step to make this process transparent and friction-free.

Who this guide is for

This guide is written for South African readers and subscribers who want clear, step-by-step instructions to cancel a Medium subscription without confusion or hidden traps.

Whether you subscribed via web (using a credit card or PayPal), through the Apple App Store on your iPhone or iPad, or via Google Play on an Android device, we cover all three billing routes.

Why cancellation matters

Subscriptions are easy to start and easy to forget. If Medium charges you every month and you're no longer reading, that's money you could redirect elsewhere. Cancelling cleanly - before your next billing date - is one of the fastest ways to reclaim your budget. Stopee helps thousands of South African consumers take this exact step every month.

Medium pricing in south africa

Before you decide to cancel, it's worth understanding what you're paying and what alternatives exist.

Current plans and monthly costs

Medium offers two membership tiers in South Africa, each available on a monthly or annual billing cycle. Prices are displayed in ZAR and sourced from the South African App Store; confirm your exact price in your purchase flow before you subscribe or re-subscribe.

What you're actually spending

If you're on the standard Medium Membership monthly plan at R74.99, that's roughly R899.88 per year. Over five years without cancelling, you'll spend around R4,500 - even if you stopped reading after month two. Annual plans lock in better value per month, but they also lock in commitment. If you cancel before you've read enough to justify the cost, you've lost access to what you paid for.

Should you cancel your medium subscription

The decision to cancel is personal, but here are the honest reasons South Africans use Stopee to help them decide.

Strong reasons to cancel

• You're no longer reading Medium articles regularly - subscriptions should justify their cost through use.
• You've found free alternatives that meet your reading needs (Google News, publication websites, library apps).
• Your budget has tightened and R75 per month is better spent elsewhere.
• You subscribed via an app and forgot about it - many people discover they're paying for apps they haven't opened in months.
• You're on an annual plan and realise the commitment doesn't match your reading habits.

Reasons you might keep your subscription

• You read Medium daily and the unlimited access saves you from hitting free article limits.
• You're a writer using Medium to publish and want to support the platform directly.
• You value audio narration for commuting or gym time and use it weekly.
• You've built reading lists and follow specific writers - losing member access means losing that curated experience.

How to cancel medium on web (credit card or PayPal)

If you subscribed on medium.com using a credit card or PayPal, this is the fastest cancellation route and takes less than two minutes.

Step-by-step web cancellation

1. Open a web browser and go to medium.com. Sign in with your email and password.
   • If you've forgotten your password, click "Forgot password" on the login page and reset it via email.
2. Click your profile picture or avatar in the top-right corner of the page.
   • A dropdown menu will appear with several options.
3. Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
   • You'll be taken to your account settings page.
4. On the left-hand sidebar, find and click Membership & Payment.
   • This section shows your current plan, next billing date, and payment method.
5. Look for the option that says Cancel your membership or Manage membership and click it.
   • Medium will ask you to confirm why you're leaving - this is optional feedback, not a barrier to cancellation.
6. Click Confirm cancellation or Yes, cancel my membership.
   • You'll see a confirmation message stating your membership is cancelled and when your benefits end.

What happens immediately after web cancellation

Important: Your membership benefits do not stop right away. You keep full access to all member-only content, audio narration, and offline reading until the end of your current billing cycle. If you're mid-cycle and cancel, you're not losing time you've paid for. On your next billing date, the renewal charge simply won't happen, and your member access will end.

Pro tip: Take note of your current billing date (shown in Settings > Membership & Payment) so you know exactly when your benefits expire. Mark it on your calendar to avoid the surprise of losing access.

How to cancel medium on apple app store (iOS)

If you subscribed via your iPhone or iPad using the App Store, Apple - not Medium - manages your billing and cancellation. Follow these steps carefully, because deleting the Medium app does not cancel your subscription.

Step-by-step iOS cancellation

1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app (the grey gear icon).
   • Don't open the Medium app - you need to access Apple's subscription settings.
2. Scroll down and tap [Your Name] or Apple ID at the top of the Settings menu.
   • You'll see your Apple ID profile information.
3. Tap Subscriptions.
   • A list of all your active and expired subscriptions will appear.
4. Find and tap Medium (or Medium membership) in the list.
   • You'll see your plan name, renewal date, and price.
5. Tap Cancel Subscription.
   • Apple will ask you to confirm - you may see a prompt offering a discount to stay. You don't have to accept it.
6. Tap Confirm to complete the cancellation.
   • You'll see a message saying your subscription has been cancelled and when it expires.

Critical warning for iOS users

Warning: Deleting the Medium app from your home screen does not cancel your App Store subscription. Many people make this mistake and wake up to an unexpected charge weeks later. The app and the subscription are separate - you must cancel through Settings > Subscriptions, even if you never plan to use the app again.

Pro tip: After you cancel via Settings, open the Medium app one more time. Look for a message confirming your cancellation or a note that your membership is ending on a specific date. This visual confirmation helps you feel confident the cancellation went through.

How to cancel medium on google play (Android)

If you subscribed via the Google Play Store on your Android phone or tablet, Google manages your subscription billing. The cancellation process is straightforward, but it's different from the web method.

Step-by-step android cancellation

1. On your Android device, open the Google Play app (the triangular play button icon).
   • Make sure you're signed in with the Google account you used to purchase the Medium subscription.
2. Tap your profile icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
   • A menu will drop down with several options.
3. Tap Payments and subscriptions.
   • You may need to tap Settings first, then scroll to find this option.
4. Tap Subscriptions.
   • You'll see all active subscriptions linked to your Google Play account.
5. Find and tap Medium.
   • Your subscription details and next renewal date will appear.
6. Tap Cancel subscription.
   • Google Play will ask you to confirm and may offer a retention discount. You can decline.
7. Tap Yes, cancel or Confirm to finalise.
   • You'll receive a confirmation that your subscription is cancelled and when your membership ends.

Android-specific notes

Warning: Like iOS, uninstalling the Medium app does not cancel your Google Play subscription. You must follow the steps above through the Google Play app itself. If you uninstall Medium and skip the Google Play cancellation, charges will continue.

Pro tip: Google Play often sends a confirmation email to your registered Gmail address after you cancel. Check your inbox (and spam folder) to verify the cancellation email arrived. This serves as a paper trail if you need to dispute a future charge.

What happens after you cancel

Cancellation feels final, but your Medium experience doesn't stop overnight - it phases out gracefully.

Your membership access after cancellation

After you submit your cancellation request, your membership benefits remain active until the end of your current billing cycle. This is fair: you've paid through that date, so Medium lets you keep reading through it. On your renewal date, two things happen: no new charge appears on your statement, and your member access disappears.

You'll still be able to view your own posts, comments, and profile. You just can't read other people's member-only content anymore - you'll hit the article paywall instead.

Your account and content stay intact

Cancelling your paid membership does not delete your Medium account. Your profile, all posts you've written, your bookmarks, reading lists, and comments all remain on your account indefinitely. If you return and re-subscribe later, all your content and settings will be exactly as you left them.

If you want to delete your account or remove specific posts, you must do that separately through Medium's account deletion settings - it's not automatic when you cancel your subscription.

Staying in touch with medium

After cancellation, Medium may send you occasional emails about new features, promotions, or your saved reading lists. You can unsubscribe from these emails in any message footer, or update your email preferences in your Medium settings. You won't be forced to re-subscribe.

Will you get a refund for your medium subscription

This is the question that matters most when money is involved - and the answer depends on how you paid.

Web payment refunds (credit card or PayPal)

Medium's refund policy for web payments is clear: no prorated refunds. If you paid R74.99 on the 15th of the month and cancel on the 20th, you won't get R15 back for the unused days. Your money stays with Medium for the full month you've paid, and your member access ends on your next renewal date.

This is standard in the subscription industry - you're paying for access through the end of the billing period, not for a specific number of days. However, if Medium failed to deliver the service (for example, if member-only content was unavailable for weeks), you may have grounds to request a refund under South Africa's consumer protection law. If Medium refuses a legitimate refund claim, Stopee's escalation guides can show you how to approach the National Consumer Commission.

App store (iOS) refunds

If you subscribed through the Apple App Store, Apple handles refunds - not Medium. Medium has no authority to give you money back. You must request a refund directly from Apple.

• You can request a refund through the Apple Music, TV, or App Store app by going to Settings > [Your Name] > Purchase history, finding your Medium charge, and selecting "Report a Problem."
• Alternatively, visit reportaproblem.apple.com and log in with your Apple ID.
• Apple typically grants refunds within 48 hours if you request them within 90 days of purchase and haven't already received a refund for the same subscription.
• If you're outside the 90-day window, Apple may still consider your request if the service was genuinely faulty or misleading.

Google play (Android) refunds

Like Apple, Google Play manages your subscription refunds. Medium cannot refund you.

• Open the Google Play app, tap your profile icon, then Payments and subscriptions > Subscriptions > Medium.
• Tap "Get help or report an issue" and select "Report a problem."
• Explain why you want a refund. Google typically grants refunds within a few days if you request within 48 hours of purchase.
• After 48 hours, your chances of approval drop significantly - Google sees this as the "buyer's remorse" window.

Gift membership refunds

If someone gave you a Medium membership as a gift and you want to cancel, refunds are rare. Medium's policy states refunds for unused gift memberships are granted only at Medium's "sole discretion" - meaning they're optional, not guaranteed. Your best chance of a refund is to contact Medium's support team directly with your original gift receipt or confirmation email.

Your consumer rights in south africa

South African law protects you when you subscribe to services online, and those protections don't disappear just because you bought from an overseas company like Medium.

Consumer protection act and subscriptions

Under South Africa's Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, subscription services must:

• Make the price, terms, and cancellation method clear before you pay (you must not discover you can't cancel after subscribing).
• Allow you to cancel at any time without penalty or excessive cancellation fees.
• Deliver the service you paid for - if Medium's platform is down or member-only content is unavailable, they've breached this duty.
• Provide a safe, transparent payment process.

If Medium violates these rights - for example, by making cancellation deliberately hard to find, or by charging you after you've successfully cancelled - you have grounds for escalation.

What to do if medium refuses to cancel or keep charging you

If you cancel via all three methods (web, App Store, and Google Play) and Medium still charges you:

1. Gather evidence: take screenshots of your cancellation confirmation and your bank or payment app showing the unwanted charge.
2. Email Medium's support team (help@medium.com) with your evidence and a clear request for a refund. Give them 14 days to respond.
3. If Medium ignores you or refuses without a legitimate reason, you can escalate to the National Consumer Commission (NCC) in South Africa. Stopee can guide you through the complaint form and process.
4. You can also request a chargeback from your bank if Medium charged you after cancellation - most South African banks support legitimate chargebacks for cancelled subscriptions.

Don't ignore unwanted charges hoping they'll stop. They won't. Act within 6 months of the disputed charge for the strongest legal position.

Common mistakes people make when cancelling medium

We've seen thousands of cancellation attempts go wrong - usually for the same reasons. Knowing these traps means you'll avoid them.

Mistake one: deleting the app instead of cancelling

This is the number one error. You delete Medium from your home screen, feel satisfied, and three weeks later a charge appears on your bank statement. The app and the subscription are completely separate in Apple and Google's systems. Deleting the app is like throwing away a restaurant loyalty card - it doesn't cancel your membership. You must cancel through Settings > Subscriptions or medium.com's settings.

Mistake two: cancelling on the wrong platform

If you subscribed via the App Store, cancelling on medium.com won't stop App Store charges. If you subscribed via Google Play, cancelling on medium.com won't stop Google Play charges. You must cancel where you paid. If you're not sure, check the payment method in your settings - it will say "Apple," "Google," or a credit card/PayPal name. Cancel on that platform.

Mistake three: not checking your cancellation confirmation

After you hit "cancel," take a screenshot of the confirmation message or the success page. Don't just assume it worked. Some subscription systems have bugs. A screenshot is proof you tried - it protects you if disputes arise later.

Mistake four: cancelling mid-cycle and expecting a refund

You paid for the full month. Cancelling on day 10 doesn't refund day 10-30. Your membership stays active through the end of the billing period. This isn't a trap - it's how subscriptions work. If this bothers you, cancel closer to your renewal date so the unused time is minimal.

Mistake five: not checking for hidden charges after cancellation

After you cancel, monitor your bank statement for two billing cycles. One stray charge can slip through. If it does, report it immediately to your bank and Medium. At Stopee, we recommend checking your statement weekly for the first month after cancellation.

Before you cancel: a comparison of reading alternatives

Medium isn't your only source for quality written content. Here's how it stacks up against free or cheaper alternatives in South Africa.

Cost-benefit: is R75 worth it?

If you read fewer than three Medium articles per month, you're paying roughly R25 per article - which is expensive compared to free alternatives. If you read one article per week (four per month), your cost per article drops to R18, which is more reasonable. If you read daily, Medium is excellent value at less than R0.25 per article.

Be honest about your reading habit. If you're paying but not reading, cancellation makes sense. Stopee's philosophy is that you should only pay for services you actively use.

Checklist: cancelling medium safely

Use this checklist to ensure your cancellation is complete and protected.

• I've identified which platform I subscribed on: web (medium.com), Apple App Store, or Google Play.
• I've logged into that platform and found the subscription settings.
• I've clicked "Cancel subscription" and seen a confirmation message.
• I've taken a screenshot of the confirmation for my records.
• I've noted my final billing date (when my membership expires).
• I've checked that no refund is expected for unused time (if cancelling mid-cycle).
• I've verified my membership is still active for the remainder of the current billing period.
• I've saved my Medium username and password in case I want to access my account later.
• I'll check my bank or payment app statement next week to confirm no new charge appears.
• I've bookmarked Stopee (stopee.com) in case I need to escalate a billing dispute later.

What medium users are saying about cancellation

Real feedback from South African subscribers offers insight into the cancellation experience.

"I cancelled on the web site and my membership ended cleanly. The process was fast and there were no hidden fees. A month later I resubscribed without problems." - Johannesburg reader

"I forgot I was paying and cancelled after six months of zero reading. Should have done it sooner. The refund policy stings, but the cancellation itself was easy." - Cape Town subscriber

"Cancelled on my iPhone through Settings and got nervous because I thought deleting the app would also cancel the subscription. Thankfully I double-checked and saw it was gone from my Subscriptions list. Clear process once you know where to look." - Durban user

"Medium kept charging me after I deleted the app. Had to contact my bank to get a chargeback. The cancellation process should have been clearer." - Pretoria subscriber (this user didn't cancel through Settings, only deleted the app)

Moving forward after cancellation

Cancelling your subscription is the end of one relationship and the beginning of a smarter spending habit. Once you cancel Medium, you've reclaimed R75 per month (or more if you were on a higher tier). That's R900 per year - money that could fund a Netflix subscription, support another creator you love, or simply stay in your pocket.

At Stopee, we believe subscriptions should earn their place in your budget. If Medium wasn't reading to you anymore, cancelling was the right call. If you ever want to re-subscribe, your account and all your saved content will be waiting.

If you had trouble cancelling Medium or faced charges after you requested cancellation, Stopee (stopee.com) has helped thousands of South African consumers navigate disputes with subscription services and escalate to regulators when companies ignore refund requests. We're here if you need support.

Contacting medium for help with cancellation

If you can't find your cancellation settings or your cancellation doesn't go through, you can reach Medium directly.

Official medium support channels

Medium's official Help Center is available at help.medium.com. You can search for "cancel membership" and find Medium's own instructions. For account issues or disputes, email help@medium.com with your Medium username, the email associated with your account, and a clear description of the problem. Expect a response within 5 business days.

When to escalate beyond medium

If Medium doesn't respond to your cancellation request, or if you believe your rights under South Africa's Consumer Protection Act have been breached, you can escalate to the National Consumer Commission. Stopee can guide you through filing a complaint and preparing evidence. Most disputes are resolved within 60 days once the NCC becomes involved.

Final word: Cancelling a subscription doesn't require courage, and you don't owe any company an explanation. If Medium isn't working for your life anymore, cancel it. Stopee has helped thousands of consumers cancel Medium and similar services - and if you need support with your cancellation or a billing dispute, we're ready to help at stopee.com.