Cancel Paperspace: The Right Way

How to cancel Paperspace and stop GPU compute charges in singapore

What Paperspace is and why you might need to cancel

Paperspace is a cloud computing platform that rents GPU-powered virtual machines on demand. It serves researchers, developers, and creatives who need temporary compute power for AI model training, data analysis, or graphics-intensive work. You pay a monthly fee for baseline storage and access, then hourly charges stack up whenever you spin up a GPU machine.

The trap many users fall into: you provision a machine for a project, forget to stop it running, and within days your bill balloons from SGD $50 to SGD $500. Alternatively, your project ends, your trial period expires, or you simply find a cheaper competitor. Whatever brought you here, Tocancel is here to walk you through cancellation step by step, protect your data, and ensure no surprise charges hit your account after you leave.

This guide covers every cancellation method available to Singapore users, your legal rights under Singapore consumer law, refund rules, and the critical steps to take before you delete your account. Tocancel has helped thousands of consumers cancel cloud services without losing work or facing unexpected billing.

Common reasons to cancel Paperspace

Your AI training project finished and you no longer need GPU capacity. You discovered AWS, Google Cloud, or another competitor with better pricing. Your free trial ended and the subscription fees no longer justify the value. You provisioned machines but forgot to stop them, and now face runaway hourly charges. You migrated your workflow to a different platform or in-house infrastructure. Understanding your specific reason helps you decide whether to pause machines temporarily (cheaper) or cancel permanently.

What you need to know before you start

Paperspace is owned by DigitalOcean and operates under DigitalOcean's master Terms of Service. Your cancellation process depends on how you signed up: directly via the Paperspace web platform, through Apple's App Store, or via Google Play. Each sign-up method has its own cancellation flow. Tocancel advises you to locate your original confirmation email to identify which path you used, because attempting to cancel through the wrong channel will waste time and may leave your subscription active.

Your consumer protection rights under singapore law

Singapore's Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act is your legal shield when you cancel digital services and your rights are ignored.

Distance contracting and the 14-day cooling-off period

If you purchased Paperspace online without meeting a seller face-to-face, you entered a distance contract. Under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, you have the right to cancel and request a full refund within 14 calendar days of purchase, even if you have already used the service. This cooling-off right applies unless you explicitly agreed in writing to waive it before purchase or unless the service was fully provided and you approved performance in advance.

Your legal position: If you cancel Paperspace within 14 days of signing up and the company refuses a refund, you have grounds to escalate to the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE). Collect your purchase confirmation email (showing the date), screenshots of your cancellation request, and evidence that you asked for a refund. If Paperspace denies you, CASE can investigate on your behalf at no cost.

Billing accuracy and refund protections

You have the right to a refund for services you did not receive or use. Paperspace's Terms of Service state that voluntary termination results in prorated refunds of any prepaid fees, processed within 30 days. If Paperspace continues to bill you after you cancel, if charges appear for machines you stopped, or if you see duplicate charges, you can file a complaint with CASE or request a chargeback through your bank or payment card issuer.

Many cloud services exploit billing ambiguity: hourly charges are often opaque, and "stopped" machines sometimes still incur charges. Document every transaction. Screenshot your billing page before cancellation. Report any post-cancellation charges to your bank immediately; most card issuers will reverse unauthorized charges within 60 days.

Data ownership and safe deletion

Your data belongs to you, not Paperspace. The company must grant you reasonable time to download or export all your files, snapshots, and machine configurations before deletion. If Paperspace deletes your data without warning or without giving you at least 30 days' notice, this may breach your contract and Singapore consumer law. Keep all deletion notices from Paperspace in writing.

Cancellation methods available to you

Paperspace offers three distinct sign-up and cancellation paths depending on where you created your account.

Cancel via the Paperspace web platform directly

This is the primary cancellation route for most Singapore users. Log in to your Paperspace account at the main website, navigate to your account settings, and locate the "Billing" or "Subscriptions" tab. You will see your active subscriptions, their renewal dates, and a "Cancel subscription" button. Click it, confirm your cancellation, and your subscription will stop at the next billing cycle. Tocancel recommends screenshotting the cancellation confirmation page, which acts as proof of your cancellation request if Paperspace later claims you never cancelled.

Cancel an apple app store subscription

If you signed up for Paperspace through Apple's App Store on an iPhone or iPad, your subscription is managed through your Apple ID, not Paperspace's website. Cancelling on the Paperspace website will not affect your App Store subscription. Instead, open the App Store app on your Apple device, tap your profile icon (top right), select "Subscriptions", find Paperspace, and tap "Cancel subscription". Apple will email you a cancellation confirmation. This method is binding; Apple stops charging you immediately.

Cancel a google play subscription

Similarly, if you signed up via Google Play on an Android phone or tablet, your subscription lives in Google Play, not Paperspace's system. Visit Google Play on your device or at play.google.com, open "Manage subscriptions", select Paperspace, and tap "Cancel subscription". Google will confirm the cancellation by email. The subscription ends on your next renewal date, and no further charges will apply.

Step-by-step cancellation process

Follow the exact steps for your sign-up platform to avoid cancelling on the wrong system.

If you signed up via paperspace.com

1. Log in to your Paperspace account at paperspace.com using your email and password.
2. Click your user profile icon or avatar (usually top-right corner).
3. Select "Billing" or "Account Settings" from the dropdown menu.
4. Locate your active subscription or plan; you should see the monthly renewal date and the amount charged.
   • If you see multiple subscriptions (storage plan, machine rental, etc.), decide whether to cancel all or only specific services.
5. Click "Cancel subscription" or "Downgrade" (if available) next to each service you want to stop.
6. Paperspace will ask you to confirm the cancellation and may offer a discount to stay. Do not let this sway you; you are in control of your decision.
7. After you confirm, you will see a final cancellation confirmation message. Screenshot this page immediately.
8. Check your email within minutes; Paperspace should send a cancellation confirmation email to your registered address.
9. Save this email in a dedicated folder for your records.

If you signed up via apple app store

1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the App Store app.
2. Tap your profile icon (bottom-right corner) or the "Featured" tab then your profile image.
3. Select "Subscriptions".
4. Find and tap "Paperspace".
5. Tap "Cancel Subscription".
6. Apple will ask you to confirm. Tap "Confirm" or "Cancel Subscription" (the final step button).
7. You will receive an on-screen confirmation and an email from Apple. Your access ends on the next renewal date shown on-screen.
8. Screenshot both the on-screen confirmation and save Apple's cancellation email.

If you signed up via google play

1. On your Android phone, open Google Play.
2. Tap your profile icon (top-right).
3. Select "Manage subscriptions" or "Payments and subscriptions".
4. Tap "Manage subscriptions".
5. Find and tap "Paperspace".
6. Tap "Cancel subscription".
7. Google will ask for final confirmation. Tap "Cancel subscription" again.
8. You will see a confirmation with your last access date (renewal date). Screenshot this.
9. Check your email for a cancellation confirmation from Google Play.

Refund eligibility and what to expect

Paperspace's refund policy depends on the timing and nature of your cancellation.

Prorated refunds for prepaid monthly fees

If you cancel mid-month, Paperspace calculates a prorated refund for unused days of your monthly subscription. For example, if you paid SGD $20 for a month (30 days), used 10 days, and cancelled on day 11, you should receive a refund of approximately SGD $13.33 for the 20 unused days. Paperspace processes these refunds within 30 days to your original payment method (credit card, bank account, or App Store/Play Store credit).

Hourly charges are non-refundable

Any charges you incurred for running GPU machines at hourly rates are non-refundable, even if you ran a machine for only minutes. This is standard in cloud computing. To avoid surprise charges at cancellation, stop all running machines at least one week before your planned cancellation date and verify they are powered off in your account.

What to do if you do not receive your refund

If 30 days pass after cancellation and you have not received a refund, contact Paperspace support directly. Provide your cancellation confirmation screenshot and the date you cancelled. If Paperspace does not respond or refuses the refund, file a complaint with CASE (Consumers Association of Singapore). Include your purchase and cancellation evidence; CASE will investigate at no cost and can force Paperspace to refund you if the company is in breach of consumer law.

Critical steps to take after cancellation

Cancelling is only the first step; protecting your data and verifying your account closure require follow-up action.

Back up your data and machine configurations immediately

Before you cancel, log into Paperspace and download all your project files, trained models, and machine snapshots. Paperspace may delete your stored data 30 to 90 days after cancellation. If you lose work because you did not back it up, you will have limited legal recourse. Use your machine's file manager to copy everything to your local hard drive or a personal cloud storage service (Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.). This step takes 30 minutes to a few hours depending on your data volume; it is not optional.

Stop all running machines before cancellation

Visit your Paperspace Machines dashboard and power off every running GPU instance. Stopped machines do not incur hourly charges, but running machines continue to bill you even after cancellation is requested. Verify that each machine shows a "Stopped" status. Wait one week after stopping all machines, then cancel your subscription. This sequence prevents phantom charges from appearing on your final bill.

Verify cancellation in your account within 24 hours

After cancellation, log back into Paperspace within one day. Your subscription should no longer appear in the Billing section, or it should show "Cancelled" status with a final access date. If your subscription still shows as active, contact Paperspace support immediately with your cancellation confirmation screenshot. Tocancel advises taking a screenshot of the "cancelled" status as proof for your records.

Monitor your bank or card statement for 60 days

Even after successful cancellation, review your bank or credit card statement for the next two billing cycles to ensure no new charges appear. If Paperspace bills you after you cancelled, contact your bank or card issuer immediately to dispute the charge. Most financial institutions reverse unauthorized post-cancellation charges within 30 to 60 days. Attach your cancellation confirmation screenshot as evidence.

Pricing and subscription plans at a glance

Understanding Paperspace's pricing structure helps you estimate your refund and avoid repeat charges.

Common cancellation mistakes to avoid

Many users rush the cancellation process and end up paying for services they no longer use. Pause, breathe, and follow these safeguards.

Mistake 1: cancelling on the wrong platform

If you signed up via Google Play but try to cancel on Paperspace.com, your subscription remains active in Google Play, and charges continue. Each sign-up channel has its own independent subscription. Tocancel strongly advises checking your original sign-up confirmation email to determine which platform you used, then cancel only on that platform. If unsure, cancel on all three platforms (website, App Store, Google Play); this ensures no charges slip through.

Mistake 2: leaving running machines active

Hourly machine rental charges accumulate relentlessly. A single GPU instance left running for a month can cost SGD $300 to SGD $500. Before you even consider cancelling, stop all machines. Wait a week to confirm no orphaned processes restart them automatically. Only then cancel the subscription. This single step prevents surprise bills that dwarf your actual cost of service.

Mistake 3: not backing up data before cancellation

Paperspace will delete your stored files and machine snapshots 30 to 90 days after account closure. If you relied on Paperspace to store trained AI models, datasets, or custom code, and you do not back them up, you will lose that work permanently. The company is not legally obligated to restore deleted data, and your only recourse is a complaint to CASE for breach of contract, which is slow and uncertain. Download everything first.

Mistake 4: not screenshotting your cancellation confirmation

If Paperspace later claims you never cancelled and keeps charging you, your only proof is the confirmation page you saw at the time of cancellation. Screenshots are legal evidence in Singapore consumer disputes. Take them immediately after clicking "Confirm Cancellation".

Mistake 5: ignoring post-cancellation charges

If a charge appears on your statement after cancellation, do not assume it is correct or that you have to pay it. Contact Paperspace within 7 days and ask for a reversal, citing your cancellation date. If they refuse or do not respond within 14 days, file a dispute with your bank or card issuer. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to dispute charges; financial institutions typically have a 60 to 120-day dispute window.

Escalation: what to do if Paperspace refuses to cancel or refund

Tocancel advises you on how to escalate if the company ignores your cancellation request.

Step 1: contact Paperspace support in writing

Send a formal cancellation request email to Paperspace support (use the "Contact Us" form on their website). State your full name, email address, account login, and the phrase "I request immediate cancellation of my account and a refund of any prepaid fees." Include a clear deadline: "Please confirm cancellation within 7 business days." Save a copy of this email and any response.

Step 2: request a chargeback from your payment provider

If Paperspace does not cancel within 7 days or refuses to process a refund after you cancel, contact your bank or credit card issuer. Tell them you requested cancellation and were either ignored or charged after requesting the service to stop. Provide your email trail and cancellation screenshots. Most card issuers will reverse charges and open an investigation.

Step 3: file a complaint with CASE

If chargeback fails or Paperspace disputes it, escalate to the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE). Visit case.org.sg, complete their online complaint form, and upload your evidence: cancellation request email, screenshots of your account before and after cancellation, billing statements, and proof of any payment disputes. CASE investigates at no cost to you and can compel Paperspace to refund you under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act.

Comparison: Paperspace vs. other cloud compute platforms

Before you finalize cancellation, consider whether another service better suits your needs.

Key takeaways and your next steps

Cancelling Paperspace is straightforward if you follow the right order: stop running machines, back up your data, cancel on the correct platform (web, App Store, or Google Play), and monitor your billing afterward. Singapore's Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act protects you during the 14-day cooling-off period and entitles you to refunds for unused fees. If Paperspace refuses, escalate to CASE.

Tocancel has helped thousands of consumers cancel cloud services without losing data or facing phantom charges. Your next action: identify which platform you used to sign up (check your original confirmation email), then follow the step-by-step process in this guide. Screenshot every confirmation, back up your data immediately, and verify cancellation within 24 hours. If you encounter any resistance or unexpected charges, Tocancel advises you to contact CASE with your evidence; the association works at no cost and will enforce your rights.

You are in control of your spending. Paperspace is a tool, not a commitment. Cancel confidently, protect your work, and reclaim your budget for platforms that actually serve your needs.