How to ‘Soft-Cancel’ Netflix to Save Money
Netflix has always been a great option for movie and TV lovers. But if I’m honest, there are months where I lose interest. I’ll go down a rabbit hole on Kanopy or Tubi. Right now, I’m invested in the NBA and NHL playoffs on linear channels. But I’m paying for Netflix, even when I’m not watching it. Thankfully, there’s an option for you to “pause” your Netflix subscription while saving your profiles and watch history. Here’s how to do it.
Pause Your Netflix Account for 1 Month
One option is to put your Netflix account on hold for one month. Billing and access will restart when your month is up.
On a computer, hover over your user icon in the upper right corner, then move down to Account. Click that.
On the next screen, click Manage membership.
On the next screen, scroll down to the big scary red letters that say Cancel Membership.
Now, Netflix gives you several options: Cancel, Pause for a Month, Change Plan, or Return to Watching.
If you choose “Pause for a Month,” you’ll still have full Netflix access until your next billing date, but then you’ll lose it. You can restart at any time if you don’t want to wait a full month.
When the pause is over, Netflix will resume charging your payment method and you’ll be back on Netflix like nothing has happened.
Read: Save 15% on Netflix with Discounted Gift Cards
How to Pause Netflix Longer Than 1 Month
If you know you won’t be watching Netflix for a longer period of time, it makes sense to cancel your ongoing subscription. But don’t worry! Netflix will save all your membership details like watch lists, history, and recommendations. As long as you restart your subscription before 10 months, you’ll rejoin Netflix and everything will be just the way you left it.lt!
Follow the same instructions above, but when you get to that last screen, choose Cancel.
Remember, Netflix wants you to come back! So when you rejoin, it’s a very easy process.
Why ‘Soft-Canceling’ Netflix is a Good Idea
Too many of us keep returning to Netflix as our default streaming option. We know it’s great. It’ll always be great. It’ll always have a rotation of good movies and shows.
But when you stick with Netflix only, you’re missing out on a ton of other great streaming content.
If you have Netflix’s Standard plan ($17.99/month), you could switch to the bundle of Disney+, Max, and Hulu for just $16.99/month and get access to 100 years of great entertainment for toddlers, big kids, teenagers, and adults. This combo has tons of movies that will never appear on Netflix. It’s a great way to refresh your entertainment lineup.
$16.99/mo.
Another great choice is to fire up Prime Video and choose any of 130+ add-on streaming services. The monthly cost is almost always lower than a full Netflix plan and you can usually get 7 days free of any streaming service. Prime Video itself has the largest on-demand library of any streaming service. But those channels let you explore other interests like fitness, music, international entertainment, documentaries, horror, faith-based entertainment, extreme sports, Black entertainment, and even kung-fu movies!
$8.99/mo.
One of the best options during a short-term Netflix breakup is to explore the world of great free streaming options. There are so many great choices packed with movies and shows for every interest.
If you’re like me, I usually rotate between one or two streaming services at a time, even if I’m paying for others. When I get sucked into Max or Kanopy or Hulu, I’ll sometimes forget about Netflix entirely. The smart thing to do is to pay for those streamers only when you need them.
You could pause or soft-cancel Netflix now and rejoin when “Squid Game” drops June 27. In the meantime, it’s worth evaluating all the other streamers out there while saving money!
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