How to Cancel The New York Times

The New York Times does not issue partial refunds for unused subscription time. Cancelling stops the next charge but you keep access until the billing period ends.

If you were charged at full price after a promotional period ended and did not realize it, contact customer support at 1-800-698-4637 or customercare@nytimes.com. Explain the situation — agents can sometimes apply a retroactive discount or credit to your account, though an outright refund is uncommon.

If you were billed through Apple or Google Play, request the refund through that platform instead.

After cancelling, your NYT access continues until the end of your current billing period. The exact end date is shown on the cancellation confirmation screen and in the confirmation email.

After access ends, you can still read a limited number of free articles per month (the NYT free-article meter varies). Your account, saved articles, and game progress (Wordle streaks, Crossword stats) are preserved and accessible if you resubscribe.

If you had a Games-only or Cooking-only subscription, cancelling that standalone product does not affect any other NYT subscriptions you may have.

If you want to keep Wordle and NYT Games without the full subscription, the Games standalone plan is approximately $5/mo — significantly cheaper than All Access.

For general news, many high-quality outlets (Reuters, AP News, NPR, BBC) are free. The Washington Post ($4/mo introductory) and The Atlantic are popular paid alternatives.

For recipe content, free alternatives include AllRecipes, Serious Eats, and Budget Bytes. For sports, ESPN+ ($11.99/mo) or The Athletic (included in NYT All Access, but also available separately) are options.

• Check your billing provider. If you subscribed through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, you must cancel through that platform — the NYT website cannot cancel third-party billing.
• Retention offers. The New York Times is well known for presenting discounted rates when you attempt to cancel. These can be as low as $1–2/week and are often better than the standard rate you're currently paying. If price is the main reason you're leaving, it may be worth accepting a retention deal.
• Introductory pricing trap. Many subscribers sign up at promotional rates ($4/mo for 6 months is common) and are surprised when the full price kicks in ($25–50/mo). Check your Subscription Overview to see when your promo ends and what the renewal rate will be.
• Phone and email alternatives. If you have trouble cancelling online, call 1-800-698-4637 or email customercare@nytimes.com and request cancellation. Keep a record of the conversation.
• Library access. Many public libraries offer free NYT digital access through 72-hour passes. Check your library's website before paying — you may not need a personal subscription at all.