Cancel Pandora Premium: How to End Your Subscription

If you want to cancel your Pandora Premium subscription, the exact steps depend on whether you signed up through Pandora’s website or through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. This article explains both cancellation paths, what happens to your account immediately after you cancel, and how to avoid being charged again.

Background: Pandora Premium and Its Billing

Pandora Premium is the top-tier subscription tier of the Pandora music streaming service, launched in 2017. Unlike the free, ad-supported tier or the mid-level Pandora Plus, Premium offers on-demand playback: you can search for and play any specific song, create playlists, and download music for offline listening. It also includes all the features of Plus, such as unlimited skips and offline stations.

Pandora bills Premium subscriptions on a recurring monthly or annual basis depending on the plan you chose at signup. The standard monthly price in the United States is $11.99 per month, with an annual plan available for $109.99 per year. Student and military discounts are also offered, typically at $4.99 per month. These prices have been stable since 2021, but you should always check the current rate in your account settings before cancelling, as promotional pricing can vary.

How Cancellation Works: The Key Rule

The single most important thing to understand is that Pandora does not offer a direct “cancel” button inside the mobile app. You must go to the Pandora website (pandora.com) or to the app store where you originally subscribed. If you subscribed through the Pandora website, you cancel on the website. If you subscribed through Apple or Google, you must cancel through that store’s subscription settings—Pandora cannot do it for you, and vice versa.

When you cancel, your Premium features remain active until the end of the current billing period. You will not receive a refund for the remaining days, and you will not be charged again after the period ends. Your playlists and listening history are retained, but you will lose access to on-demand playback and offline downloads once the period expires.

How to Cancel If You Subscribed on the Pandora Website

1. Go to pandora.com and log in with the account you used for the subscription.
2. Click your profile icon in the top-right corner, then select Settings from the dropdown menu.
3. In the left sidebar, click Membership.
4. Under your Premium plan details, click Cancel Membership.
5. Pandora will show you a “save” offer (e.g., a free month or a discounted rate). If you still want to cancel, click Continue to Cancel.
6. Confirm the cancellation on the next screen. You’ll receive a confirmation email.

If you don’t see a “Cancel Membership” button, it usually means your subscription was billed through Apple or Google, even if you originally signed up on the website. In that case, follow the store-specific steps below.

How to Cancel If You Subscribed Through Apple App Store

1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app.
2. Tap your name at the top, then tap Subscriptions.
3. Find and tap Pandora in the list of active subscriptions.
4. Tap Cancel Subscription and confirm.

You can also do this on a Mac: open the App Store, click your name at the bottom-left, then click “Account Settings” and scroll to “Subscriptions.” On a PC, you can manage Apple subscriptions at appleid.apple.com under “Subscriptions.”

How to Cancel If You Subscribed Through Google Play

1. Open the Google Play Store app on your Android device.
2. Tap your profile icon in the top-right, then tap Payments & subscriptions.
3. Tap Subscriptions, then find Pandora.
4. Tap Cancel subscription and follow the prompts.

Alternatively, you can go to play.google.com/store/account/subscriptions in a browser and cancel from there. If you used a Google Play gift card or a carrier billing option, the cancellation still goes through Google Play.

Common Problems and Misconceptions

“I cancelled but I was still charged.” This usually happens when you cancel in the wrong place. For example, you subscribed via Apple but you cancelled on the Pandora website. Pandora’s website may show a “cancel” button, but it only cancels the Pandora-billed portion; the Apple-billed subscription remains active. Always verify which billing method you used by checking your receipt email or your account’s membership page.

“I cancelled but I still have Premium.” That’s expected. Your Premium access continues until the end of the billing cycle. If you cancelled mid-month, you’ll have Premium until the same day next month, then it will revert to the free tier.

“Can I get a refund?” Pandora’s refund policy generally does not provide partial refunds for unused time. Some users have reported success contacting customer support for a one-time courtesy refund, but it’s not guaranteed and depends on the situation.

“What happens to my playlists and thumbs?” Nothing is deleted. When you downgrade to the free tier, you can still see your playlists and stations, but you can’t play specific songs on demand. If you resubscribe later, your library is exactly as you left it.

What Happens After Cancellation: Immediate Effects

Once your Premium period ends, your account automatically switches to Pandora’s free, ad-supported tier. You will lose:

• On-demand playback of specific songs (you’ll only get shuffled station-based listening).
• Offline downloads (they will be removed from your device).
• Unlimited skips (free tier allows 6 skips per station per hour).
• High-quality audio (Premium streams at 192 kbps; free tier is 128 kbps).

You keep your playlists, stations, and listening history. You also keep the ability to create new stations, though with ads and limited skips.

Alternatives to Cancelling

If you’re cancelling because of cost, consider downgrading to Pandora Plus instead. Plus costs $4.99 per month and removes ads, offers unlimited skips, and allows offline stations, but it does not give you on-demand song selection. You can switch plans on the same Membership page without losing your account history.

If you’re cancelling because you’re moving to another service (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music), you can export your Pandora playlists using third-party tools like Soundiiz or TuneMyMusic. These services copy your songs and playlists to the new platform, usually for free with a limited number of tracks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cancel Pandora Premium on my iPhone? Open Settings → tap your name → Subscriptions → Pandora → Cancel Subscription. You must do this through Apple, not the Pandora app.

How do I cancel Pandora Premium on Android? Open the Google Play Store → profile icon → Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions → Pandora → Cancel. Again, this must be done through Google Play, not the Pandora app.

Will I lose my playlists if I cancel? No. Your playlists, stations, and thumbs are saved indefinitely. You just lose on-demand playback and offline downloads while on the free tier.

Can I cancel Pandora Premium through the Pandora app? No, the app does not have a cancellation button. You must use the website or the app store where you subscribed.

What if I can’t find my subscription in Apple or Google settings? If you don’t see Pandora listed, it likely means you subscribed directly through Pandora’s website. Check your email receipts—if the charge says “Pandora Media” or “Pandora.com,” cancel on the website. If it says “Apple” or “Google,” cancel in the store.

Does cancelling stop ads immediately? No. You keep ad-free listening until the end of your paid period. After that, ads return.

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