Cancel Upwork: The Right Way to Protect Your Account

How to cancel your Upwork account and protect your freelancer rights in new zealand

What is Upwork and why freelancers use it

Upwork is a global online marketplace that connects freelancers, agencies and clients for remote work across hundreds of job categories. You can use the platform to find clients, submit proposals, track time on projects, manage contracts and process payments within a single secure workspace designed for remote collaboration.

The platform operates on a freemium model. You can browse available jobs for free, but Upwork offers paid subscription plans such as Freelancer Plus that give you premium features including increased monthly Connects (the credits you use to submit proposals), exclusive job alerts and reduced service fees on direct contracts.

How Upwork charges and why multi-channel billing matters

Upwork charges subscriptions through multiple channels: directly via Upwork.com, through the Apple App Store, or via Google Play. This matters because cancelling a subscription on one channel does not automatically cancel it on another-a common trap that catches many users off guard. If you subscribed through multiple platforms, you must cancel each subscription separately to avoid unexpected charges.

Current subscription plans and pricing in new zealand

Below is a breakdown of current Upwork pricing and features available to freelancers in New Zealand:

Notice that subscription prices vary significantly depending on where you purchase-the same plan costs 40% more through the Apple App Store than directly on Upwork.com. This is why you need to check all three channels before cancelling.

Your consumer rights in new zealand

You have specific legal protections when you subscribe to digital services in New Zealand. Understanding these rights puts you in control of your cancellation and any dispute with Upwork.

Consumer guarantees act protections you can rely on

Under New Zealand's Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, you have the right to services that are provided with due care and skill. If Upwork fails to deliver the features promised in your subscription tier, or if the service is not fit for purpose, you may be entitled to a refund or remedy. Tocancel recommends keeping records of any service failures or billing errors, as these documents strengthen your case if you need to escalate a complaint to the Commerce Commission.

Your legal position is clear: you are a consumer, and Upwork is a service provider. If they breach their promise to deliver the service you paid for, they must fix it.

Cooling-off rights and cancellation protections

Unlike some other services, Upwork does not offer an automatic 14-day cooling-off period for subscription purchases. However, you have the right to cancel your subscription at any time without penalty. If you believe you have been charged incorrectly or the service does not meet the standards outlined in the Consumer Guarantees Act, you have grounds to request a refund through the platform or escalate to the Commerce Commission (the New Zealand regulatory body) if Upwork refuses to act fairly.

The key takeaway: you can cancel whenever you choose, and if Upwork disputes a refund claim, the Commerce Commission will back your consumer rights.

When and why you should cancel Upwork

The decision to cancel depends on your freelance income, job success rate and cash flow. Here are the clearest signals that cancellation makes sense for your situation.

Signs that cancellation makes financial sense

You may want to cancel if you are not landing jobs frequently enough to justify the monthly fee, if you have completed a major project and do not need active bidding for several months, or if you have found alternative platforms that better suit your niche. Tocancel advises reviewing your job success rate and proposal conversion before making a decision-some freelancers find that the Connects and features pay for themselves within a single project, while others accumulate unused credits month after month.

Honest self-assessment: if you have not received a message from a client in more than 90 days, the subscription is likely costing you money rather than earning it.

Alternatives to full cancellation

Before cancelling outright, consider pausing your bidding activity by simply not using your account, or downgrading to the free plan if you want to keep your profile active. You can browse jobs and respond to client invitations without a paid subscription. Many freelancers use this flexible approach to manage cash flow without losing their established reputation and feedback history-the profile itself is your asset.

Smart move: keep your profile live and publicly searchable on the free plan, then upgrade again only when a new project justifies the spend.

Step-by-step guide to cancelling Upwork

Cancelling Upwork differs depending on which platform you subscribed through. Follow the steps that match your purchase channel to avoid leaving active subscriptions in place.

How to cancel Upwork directly on upwork.com

1. Log in to your Upwork account at upwork.com using your email and password.
2. Click your profile avatar in the top right corner and select "Settings" from the dropdown menu.
3. In the left navigation panel, click "Billing" or "Payment methods".
4. Locate your active subscription plan (Freelancer Plus).
   • If it shows as active, click "Manage subscription" or "Cancel subscription".
5. Review the cancellation notice and any retention offers Upwork displays.
   • Upwork may offer a discount or pause option-choose whichever suits your situation.
6. Click "Cancel subscription" or "Confirm cancellation" to finalise the action.
7. Upwork will display a confirmation message and send you a confirmation email within minutes.
8. Save your confirmation email for your records in case you need to dispute a future charge.

Timing: cancellation takes effect immediately. You will retain access to your account and profile, but your paid features and Connects will no longer refresh on the next billing cycle.

How to cancel a subscription purchased through apple app store

1. Open the Apple App Store app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.
2. Tap or click your profile icon in the top right corner (or bottom right on Mac).
3. Select "Subscriptions" from the menu.
4. Find "Upwork" in your active subscriptions list and tap it.
   • If Upwork does not appear, you have no active app store subscription.
5. Tap "Cancel subscription" or "Edit subscription".
6. Confirm the cancellation by tapping "Confirm" or "Yes, cancel".
7. Apple will display a confirmation and send you a confirmation email to your Apple ID account.
8. Your access will end at the end of your current billing period-Apple does not refund partial months.

Important: cancelling through the Apple App Store does NOT cancel your Upwork.com subscription if you have both active. You must cancel each channel separately.

How to cancel a subscription purchased through google play

1. Open the Google Play Store app on your Android device.
2. Tap your profile icon in the top right corner and select "Manage your Google Account".
3. Navigate to the "Payments and subscriptions" tab.
4. Tap "Subscriptions" and find "Upwork" in your list.
   • If Upwork does not appear, you have no active Google Play subscription.
5. Tap "Upwork" and select "Cancel subscription".
6. Review the cancellation notice and any retention offers.
7. Tap "Cancel" to confirm.
8. Google will send you a confirmation email to your Google account within moments.
9. Your access will end at the end of your current billing period.

Reminder: like the Apple store, cancelling on Google Play does not cancel your Upwork.com or Apple App Store subscriptions. Check all three channels after cancelling to ensure no duplicate charges occur.

How to request a refund from Upwork

If you believe you have been charged unfairly or the service did not meet the Consumer Guarantees Act standard, you have the right to pursue a refund. Tocancel advises acting quickly and documenting your case in writing.

Refund eligibility and timelines

Upwork does not offer an automatic refund period. However, you may request a refund if you can demonstrate one of the following: you were charged after cancellation, you were charged without consent, the service was not fit for purpose (for example, the platform was unavailable during your billing period), or you cancelled within minutes of purchasing by mistake. Tocancel recommends submitting your refund request within 30 days of the charge to maximise your chances of success.

How to submit a refund request

1. Log in to your Upwork account and navigate to "Settings" > "Billing".
2. Find the charge you dispute in your payment history and click "View details" or the transaction itself.
3. Look for a "Report an issue" or "Request a refund" link on the transaction details page.
4. If no link is visible, use the Help Center search function and search for "request a refund".
   • This will direct you to the refund request form or the support contact page.
5. Fill out the refund form with clear details: the transaction date, the amount charged, the reason for the refund request and any evidence (screenshots, service outage records, cancellation confirmation).
6. Submit the form and save the ticket or reference number Upwork provides.
7. Upwork typically responds within 5 to 10 business days.

If Upwork denies your refund request, you have the right to escalate the complaint to the Commerce Commission, which will review whether Upwork breached the Consumer Guarantees Act.

Common mistakes to avoid when cancelling Upwork

Many freelancers stumble at the final step and end up paying for subscriptions they no longer use. Here are the traps Tocancel sees most often, so you can sidestep them.

Forgetting to cancel subscriptions on all platforms

The biggest mistake is cancelling only on Upwork.com and forgetting the Apple App Store or Google Play subscriptions you set up months ago. You will continue to be charged NZ$48-55 per month on those channels even after you have cancelled elsewhere. Before you consider yourself fully cancelled, log into all three purchase channels and confirm that Upwork shows as inactive on each one.

Assuming cancellation means immediate access loss

If you cancel through the app stores (Apple or Google), your subscription runs until the end of your current billing cycle-you do not get refunded the unused portion of the month. On the other hand, Upwork.com cancellations take effect immediately. Know which platform you subscribed through before you cancel, so you understand when access actually ends.

Not saving your cancellation confirmation

Upwork sends a confirmation email when you cancel. Save this email, screenshot it or print it. If Upwork charges you again in error, this proof that you cancelled will be essential when you file a refund request or escalate to the Commerce Commission.

After you cancel: what happens to your account and data

Cancelling your subscription does not delete your Upwork account or erase your freelancer profile, reviews and work history. Here is what changes and what remains.

Your profile and reputation after cancellation

Your freelancer profile will remain live and visible to clients on the free plan. All your completed projects, client reviews, ratings and work samples stay on the platform indefinitely. Clients can still invite you to apply for jobs and send you messages. This means you can re-subscribe later without losing your reputation or credibility history.

When to consider deleting your entire account

If you want to remove your profile and all associated data from Upwork entirely, you will need to request account deletion through the Help Center. Account deletion is permanent and cannot be undone-all projects, reviews, messages and earnings history will be wiped. Only choose this option if you are certain you will never use Upwork again. Tocancel advises saving an export of your portfolio and client testimonials before requesting deletion, since they will vanish from the platform.

Refund comparison and what you can realistically expect

Your refund prospects depend on why you are seeking one. Below is a guide to realistic outcomes under New Zealand consumer law:

Your realistic takeaway: refunds are most likely if you can show a clear error (duplicate charge, charge after cancellation) or a service failure. Requests based purely on change of mind rarely succeed.

If Upwork refuses your refund

If Upwork denies your refund request and you believe they have breached the Consumer Guarantees Act, you can lodge a complaint with the Commerce Commission at comcom.govt.nz. The Commerce Commission will investigate whether Upwork failed to provide the service with due care and skill or misled you about the subscription terms. This escalation is free and does not require a lawyer.

Final checklist: have you cancelled Upwork completely?

Before you assume you are fully cancelled, work through this checklist to ensure no subscriptions slip through:

• Cancelled your subscription on Upwork.com (check Settings > Billing).
• Cancelled your subscription on Apple App Store (if you ever subscribed via iOS app or Mac App Store).
• Cancelled your subscription on Google Play (if you ever subscribed via Android app).
• Received and saved confirmation emails from all platforms you cancelled on.
• Confirmed that your next billing date is no longer listed in any of the three accounts.
• Waited 24 hours and logged back into each account to verify cancellation status (active subscriptions sometimes take a few hours to deactivate).
• Set a reminder on your calendar to check your bank statement in 10 days to confirm no charge appears.

If you have ticked all seven items, you are fully cancelled and Tocancel confirms you can move forward confidently.

Why thousands of new zealand freelancers trust tocancel

Cancelling a digital subscription should be straightforward, but platforms often hide cancellation options behind multiple clicks and multiple channels. Tocancel has guided thousands of New Zealand consumers through cancellations on Upwork and dozens of other platforms, ensuring they reclaim refunds, avoid duplicate charges and understand their rights under consumer law. Whether you are cancelling because your cash flow has tightened, you found a better platform, or you simply need a break, Tocancel walks you through every step with clarity and confidence. Visit tocancel.com today to access step-by-step guides for hundreds of services, read real cancellation stories from New Zealand users and find resources to help you stand firm if a company refuses to let you go.

Your right to cancel is not a favour-it is a legal protection. Tocancel believes every consumer should exercise it without confusion or delay.

Contact Upwork for account or billing disputes

If you cannot find a cancellation option or disagree with a charge, contact Upwork support through the Help Center at upwork.com/en/help. Upwork does not publish a New Zealand postal address for complaints. All account management and cancellations occur through your online account or via the Help Center ticketing system. If you do not receive a satisfactory response within 14 days, escalate your complaint to the Commerce Commission at comcom.govt.nz or call 0800 943 600.