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What is Subscription Cancellation?

Canceling a subscription stops all future billing cycles. Once canceled, the customer won’t be charged again, but past charges remain (unless you issue refunds separately). When customers cancel:
  • They want to stop the service
  • They found a better alternative
  • They can’t afford it anymore
  • They’re dissatisfied with the service
What cancellation does:
  • ✅ Stops future automatic charges
  • ✅ Prevents new invoices from being generated
  • ✅ Preserves history (past invoices and payments remain in the system)
  • ✅ Updates subscription status to “Cancelled”
  • ✅ Takes effect immediately
  • ❌ Does NOT refund past payments (you must do that separately)
  • ❌ Does NOT cancel the current billing period (customer keeps access until the period ends unless you handle it separately)
  • ❌ Does NOT delete data (subscription and invoice history remains)

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API Endpoint

POST {{Api Root}}/api/Subscriptions/{subscriptionId}/cancel
Replace:
  • {{Api Root}} with api.revolv3.com (production) or api-sandbox.revolv3.com (sandbox)
  • {subscriptionId} with the actual subscription ID you want to cancel
No request body required—just send a POST request to the endpoint.

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Example Request

POST {{Api Root}}/api/Subscriptions/2232/cancel
No payload needed—the subscription ID in the URL is sufficient.

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Cancellation Response

When you successfully cancel a subscription, you’ll get a confirmation: 
{
  "subscriptionId": 2232,
  "customerId": 6684,
  "subscriptionStatus": "Cancelled",
  "cancelledAt": "2024-07-11T18:16:33.8785322Z"
}

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Understanding the Response

FieldDescription
subscriptionIdThe subscription that was canceled (confirms which one)
customerIdThe customer associated with this subscription
subscriptionStatusWill be "Cancelled" to confirm cancellation
cancelledAtTimestamp when the cancellation took effect (ISO 8601 format)

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Important Notes About Cancellation

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If You Need to Refund

Cancellation and refunds are separate operations:
  1. Cancel the subscription (stops future charges)
  2. Issue refunds separately if needed (use the Refunds API)
Example: If a customer cancels mid-month and you want to refund the unused portion:
  1. Cancel the subscription
  2. Calculate the prorated refund amount
  3. Issue a refund for that amount

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Real-World Scenarios

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Scenario 1: Customer Cancels, No Refund

Situation: Customer cancels subscription, has already paid for current month, no refund needed Solution:
  1. Cancel subscription via API
  2. Customer keeps access until period ends
  3. No further charges
Code: 
POST {{Api Root}}/api/Subscriptions/2232/cancel

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Scenario 2: Customer Cancels, Prorated Refund

Situation: Customer cancels mid-month, you want to refund unused portion Solution:
  1. Cancel subscription
  2. Calculate prorated amount (e.g., 15 days unused out of 30)
  3. Issue partial refund for that amount
Code: 
# Step 1: Cancel
POST {{Api Root}}/api/Subscriptions/2232/cancel

# Step 2: Refund (separate call)
POST {{Api Root}}/api/Invoices/{invoiceId}/refund
{
  "amount": 14.99  // Prorated amount
}

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Scenario 3: Customer Requests Immediate Cancellation

Situation: Customer wants to cancel immediately and get a full refund for current period Solution:
  1. Cancel subscription (stops future charges)
  2. Issue full refund for current period’s invoice
  3. Revoke access immediately (in your application)

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Best Practices

  1. Cancel before refunding: Cancel the subscription first, then handle refunds
  2. Store cancellation reason: Log why customers cancel (in your system, not Revolv3)
  3. Handle gracefully: Show a friendly cancellation confirmation
  4. Offer alternatives: Consider offering pause or discount instead of cancellation
  5. Follow up: Send a cancellation confirmation email

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Common Questions

Q: Can I undo a cancellation? A: No, cancellations are permanent. You’d need to create a new subscription if the customer wants to resume. Q: What happens to pending invoices? A: Pending invoices remain in the system. They won’t be automatically processed after cancellation, but you may want to cancel or void them separately. Q: Can I cancel and refund in one call? A: No, they’re separate operations. Cancel first, then issue refunds separately. Q: What if the customer wants to resume later? A: Create a new subscription. The old one stays canceled. Q: Does cancellation affect past invoices? A: No, past invoices remain unchanged. Only future billing stops.

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Next Steps