How to cancel a phone contract

A phone contract is exactly that - a contract. When you take one out, you’re signing up to an 18 or 24-month commitment with a network. But what happens if the current plan you’re on is no longer for you? Wondering how to get out of a phone contract? Here’s all the info you need to move to another payment plan and what costs you might face.

How to cancel a phone contract early

Thinking about ending your phone contract early? If you request to leave your network, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to but will have to incur a cancellation fee.

How much does it cost to cancel a phone contract?

Costs might vary depending on how far into the contract you are. If you’re only a couple of months in for example, they might be quite steep.

How does buying out your phone contract work?

In most cases you’ll be expected to pay the total remainder of the contract – with a discount applied if you’re lucky.

How to cancel a phone contract without paying

If you’re only 14 days into your contract you might be able to get out of it if there’s a ‘cooling-off period’ in place. That’s usually only common for contracts taken out online or over the phone, as opposed to ones signed in store. You’ll also be able to legally terminate a contract early without a fee if the overall cost goes up.

What happens when a phone contract ends?

Your service doesn’t just switch off. When a contract ends, you’ll just carry on with your old provider on the same tariff until either you or the network get in touch to initiate an upgrade. .

What happens if I stop paying my phone contract?

If you stop paying your phone contract, your account will go into arrears. This means your network could cut your phone off so you won’t be able to make or receive phone calls until payment is received.

How to cancel phone contracts with each network

If you want to cancel your existing contract with your current network, below are the numbers you will need to call.

Ready to cancel your contract and switch networks?