How to cancel Character.AI: c.ai+, refunds and account deletion

Desk research: this article is based on the published pricing, help pages and terms of the services named, checked in September 2026. AI Companion Radar takes no money from any app and uses no affiliate links.

You cancel a Character.AI subscription wherever you bought it: in your App Store or Google Play subscription settings, or, for web purchases, through the Stripe customer portal reached from your account settings. It takes a few minutes, and the plan stays active until the end of the billing period you have paid for.

Before you cancel

• Check where the plan is billed. Go to Settings, then Account, then Manage. The help centre says the page shows whether your plan is managed by an app store or on the web.

• Note your renewal date. Character.AI’s published offer terms say cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period and that no partial refunds are issued for unused time. Discounted first periods renew at the standard rate.

• Spend your Charms. The Charms FAQ says they are tied to your account, cannot be transferred and are not redeemable for money.

• Export your data. On the web: Profile, Profile Settings, Account, Manage Account & Data, Export data. In the app: open your Profile, tap the settings icon and select Export my data.

How to cancel your Character.AI subscription (web)

These steps are from the help-centre article on managing or cancelling c.ai+.

1. Log in at character.ai and go to Settings, then Account, then Manage.

2. If your plan has a Manage button, click it to go to the Customer Portal. If the page says the plan is managed by an app store, use the iPhone or Android steps below instead.

3. Enter the email address associated with your Character.AI account.

4. Open the email you are sent (check the spam folder) and click Log in to your Customer Portal.

5. Cancel the subscription in the portal.

The help article stops at the portal and does not describe the screens inside it, so we cannot confirm the label on the cancel button. Two other help pages describe different routes: the (c.ai) lite FAQ tells web subscribers to submit a support request and select “Payments and purchases”, and the older c.ai+ FAQ mentions a “Cancel My Subscription” option in your profile. If the portal fails, the support ticket is the fallback.

How to cancel Character.AI on iPhone

A subscription bought in the iOS app is billed through your Apple account and must be cancelled with Apple. Character.AI’s help centre simply refers you to Apple Support, whose steps are:

1. Open the iPhone’s Settings app and tap your name.

2. Tap Subscriptions.

3. Tap the Character.AI subscription.

4. Tap Cancel Subscription. You may need to scroll down to find it.

If there is no cancel button, or an expiry message appears in red, Apple says the subscription is already cancelled.

How to cancel Character.AI on Android

1. Open Google Play and go to your subscriptions (profile icon, then Payments & subscriptions, then Subscriptions).

2. Select the Character.AI subscription.

3. Tap Cancel subscription.

4. Follow the instructions.

Google states that uninstalling an app does not cancel its subscription, and that you can keep using the subscription for the time you have already paid for.

What happens to your Charms

Charms are Character.AI’s virtual currency, earned through quests such as the daily log-in and spent on extra Imagine images, skipping slow mode and bypassing ads. The US App Store listing also showed Charms packs from $0.99 to $49.99 in September 2026. The Charms FAQ does not say what happens to a balance when a subscription ends. It does say that Charms cannot be exchanged for money and that Character.AI may discontinue them at any time, with or without notice. The bonus Charms that come with c.ai+ pack purchases are a subscriber perk, so expect that to stop.

Refunds

Where you bought decides who you ask. For App Store and Google Play purchases, the help centre says refunds follow Apple’s or Google’s policy and are requested from them directly. For web purchases made through Stripe, it says to submit a request through the support page, choose “Payments and purchases” and include your purchase details. The published c.ai+ offer terms add that no partial refunds are issued for unused time within a billing period. We could not load the full terms of service to check for any further conditions, so read them before assuming a refund is due. If a web charge is wrong and support does not resolve it, a dispute with your card issuer is the remaining option; the App Store lists the seller as Character Technologies, Inc.

How to delete your Character.AI account

The help centre states that deletion is permanent and cannot be reversed.

1. On the web, go to your Profile.

2. Click Profile Settings.

3. Go to Account.

4. Open Manage Account & Data.

5. Select Delete Account.

In the mobile app, open your Profile, tap the settings icon and select Remove Account. The deletion article does not mention subscriptions at all, and neither Apple nor Google cancels a subscription because an account inside an app has gone. Cancel first, confirm it, then delete.

Why people leave

The content filter is the most common reason: Character.AI prohibits sexually explicit content, and users who want adult roleplay find the redirects frustrating. The second is friction on the free tier, where ads, slow mode at busy times and limits on regenerating replies have been added, as reported in September 2026. The third is model changes; the April 2026 rollout of a new default chat style drew sustained complaints about repetitive replies, again as reported. Note that the cheaper (c.ai) lite plan reduces ads and does not remove them.

What to switch to

For fewer restrictions: Janitor AI

Janitor AI offers free text roleplay with a very large character library and permits adult content between adult characters. It has no images or voice, and the free model’s context is short. It is for adults only and has age checks in some countries.

For one companion that remembers: Nomi AI

Nomi AI is built around a single persistent companion with editable long-term memory and voice calls included. It costs $15.99 a month or $99.99 a year, as listed in September 2026, and does not refund payments.

For a similar character library: Talkie

Talkie has a large library of user-made characters and a firmly SFW policy. It also has long video ads on the free tier and a card-collecting layer, and its store availability has been interrupted more than once, so check that it is listed where you live.

Questions people ask

Can I get a refund from Character.AI?

For app purchases, only through Apple or Google. For web purchases, submit a support request under “Payments and purchases”. The published offer terms rule out partial refunds for unused time.

Does deleting the Character.AI app cancel my subscription?

No. Subscriptions bought in the app are billed by Apple or Google and continue until you cancel them in the store.

Do I keep c.ai+ after I cancel?

Yes, until the end of the billing period you have paid for. After that the account returns to the free plan, which still includes unlimited messaging.

How much does Character.AI cost?

In the US, c.ai+ is $9.99 a month or $94.99 a year, and (c.ai) lite is $4.99 a month or $2.49 a week. Prices vary by region.

Can I get my chats back after deleting my account?

No. Deletion is permanent, so export your data before you delete.