What to do if a company keeps charging you after cancellation
Cancelling a service and watching money still leave your account can feel like a billing error that will correct itself. It often will not. Gym memberships, mobile plans, streaming subscriptions, software renewals and electricity contracts can keep running because the direct debit remains active, a renewal date was missed, or one department accepted the cancellation while another did not.
The best response is to build a clean record before escalating. Establish when the cancellation took effect, identify exactly what was debited and ask the provider to confirm both in writing. Local payment habits matter here: a gym in Melbourne, a phone plan used around Brisbane or a streaming renewal purchased through an app store can all produce unfamiliar bank descriptions.
Confirm the cancellation took effect
Start with the cancellation terms you accepted. Check the notice period, early termination fee, renewal date and the date on which access should end. Save the relevant page as a PDF where possible, along with the confirmation email, cancellation number and screenshots showing the final status. A request to cancel is not always the same as a completed cancellation.
Note two dates: when you asked to cancel and when the cancellation became effective. A company may have continued charging during a contractual notice period, or may have renewed the service because its deadline had already passed. If the charge relates to a period before the effective cancellation date, ask for an itemised explanation rather than assuming it is a duplicate debit.
If you have no written proof, check your email inbox, text messages and bank statements for cancellation references. When contacting the provider, state the channel you used and the approximate date. If the first cancellation was never recorded, make a fresh request while keeping the original evidence. Keep paying any genuinely valid amount during the dispute, but do not ignore a final invoice simply because you have already cancelled.
Trace every recurring payment
Pull up several months of statements from your bank, credit card and digital wallet. Look for the amount, date and merchant descriptor, then compare them with your cancellation request. A charge may be an annual renewal, a monthly debit, an unpaid final amount or a separate account opened at another checkout.
The descriptor might not resemble the company’s trading name. “GYM 123” could belong to a studio in Perth, while a generic telecommunications entry might cover a mobile plan used while travelling between Sydney suburbs. Check whether you have overlapping services, such as an old mobile plan and a replacement plan, or duplicate subscriptions with the same merchant.
Also identify the payment method. A debit might have come from a direct debit, BPAY payment, bank transfer, PayID request, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal or Afterpay. Knowing this prevents you from chasing the wrong organisation. If the money left through an unfamiliar platform or merchant, move the dispute to that billing party immediately.
Ask for a refund and supporting records
Send a short written request with a clear subject line, such as “Cancellation confirmation and refund request”. State the account or policy number, the cancellation date, the date and value of the debit, and the amount you want refunded. Keep the message factual; a concise chronology is more effective than describing the problem at length.
Ask the company to provide its cancellation confirmation, the date access ended, an itemised account history, the contract clause it relies on and details of any refund already issued. If it claims a final fee, request an explanation of how that fee was calculated. If the service continued after cancellation, request a refund of the post-cancellation charges as well.
Some companies use a third-party billing agent, so ask for the legal entity that actually charged the payment. You may need to contact that company while keeping the original provider informed. Set a reasonable response deadline, such as 10 business days, and record when the request was sent. Keep every email, attachment and call note because the dates and consistency of your account often matter during a dispute.
Use the right Australian complaints channel
The ACCC is a useful national contact when a business appears to be misleading consumers or repeatedly ignoring cancellation requests. Individual refunds are often better handled by the consumer agency in the relevant state or territory, such as Fair Trading NSW, Consumer Affairs Victoria, Queensland Fair Trading or Consumer and Business Services in South Australia. The ACCC can investigate wider conduct, although it generally does not act as a personal claims service.
Telecommunications and energy have specialist complaint schemes. The Telecommunications Ombudsman can consider eligible mobile and internet disputes after the provider has had a chance to resolve them. The Energy Ombudsman handles complaints about electricity and gas retailers, including disputed bills and unwanted contract changes. A lender or other financial service provider may have its own internal process, followed by the Financial Ombudsman Service.
A strong complaint contains the facts in order: the agreement, cancellation attempt, promised effective date, subsequent charge, previous contact and desired remedy. Attach relevant documents rather than sending every unrelated record. If the business is in another state or the issue appears widespread, state or territory agencies may be the more appropriate first escalation.
Challenge the payment with your bank or platform
Contact your bank or card issuer and ask what dispute or chargeback options are available. A chargeback is not guaranteed, particularly when the payment was initially authorised as part of a recurring agreement. If you never authorised the service, or the amount differs from what you expected, say so clearly. Keep the bank’s reference number and request the reason for any refusal in writing.
Debit and credit cards can follow different processes. An EFTPOS debit dispute may need to be submitted in writing through your bank, while credit card purchases usually follow the relevant card scheme’s rules through the issuer. Cancelling a direct debit can stop future payments but does not necessarily erase a valid contractual balance, so do not assume the bank will refund everything automatically.
Platform purchases require the platform’s own process. If you bought through Apple, Google, PayPal or Afterpay, check whether you can cancel or appeal within that platform first. These companies may then contact the underlying merchant for evidence. If you suspect account compromise rather than a billing error, secure the account, change the password and notify the bank promptly.
Understand what Australian consumer law covers
The Australian Consumer Law applies nationally and protects consumers against misleading conduct, unfair terms and failures to provide services with reasonable care and skill. A company that accepted a cancellation and continued billing without a valid contractual basis may be breaching the agreement or engaging in misleading conduct. Keep the original terms because they show what cancellation required and when the final charge became payable.
Not every post-cancellation payment is automatically unlawful. Valid charges can include an amount accrued before cancellation, a fee permitted for early termination, or a renewal triggered because a notice deadline was missed. The stronger your evidence of the effective date, the clearer the difference becomes between a legitimate final account and an improper continuation charge.
The ACL’s do-not-pay rules may also apply when a business demands payment for genuinely unsolicited goods or services. These protections do not automatically cover a subscription you knowingly entered. If the company refuses to explain its charge or provide records, state that fact when contacting a consumer agency. Accurate details make complaints easier to assess and more useful when a problem affects many customers.
Choose the route that fits the charge
The right escalation path depends on what is being billed and which industry regulator covers the provider. Use the merchant or provider first where a valid contract existed, because they may correct the account quickly and provide the evidence needed for a later complaint.
| Type of issue | Best first contact | If it remains unresolved |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile or internet | Mobile or internet provider | Telecommunications Ombudsman |
| Electricity or gas | Energy retailer | Energy Ombudsman |
| Gym, streaming or retail subscription | Merchant named on the account | State or territory consumer agency |
| Credit or debit card purchase | Bank or card issuer | Relevant card scheme dispute process |
| Apple, Google, PayPal or Afterpay | Platform and underlying merchant | Platform appeal process |
| Loan or financial service | Lender or financial provider | Financial Ombudsman Service |
If the money is being taken without any agreement, or your account may be compromised, contact the bank first. Otherwise, begin with the provider and request written confirmation of cancellation and a refund of the disputed payment. Your single next step is to send one dated email today that identifies the cancellation date, the later debit, the exact amount and the refund you are requesting.