How Do I Cancel BetterHelp? (2023)
Canceling BetterHelp is easy. Just follow these steps:
- Click on the drop-down arrow next to your name and profile photo, then select “Account Settings.”
- Under “Payment Settings,” click on “Change Plan/Quit Counseling.” A pop-up menu opens that lists different choices for changing your subscription.
- Select the final choice on the list (“Quit Counseling”). This opens a questionnaire for you to fill out explaining why you’re quitting.
- Fill out the questionnaire and click on “Quit Counseling.”
After you cancel, you’ll be able to use the service through the end of your current pay period.
What Discounts Are Available for BetterHelp?
You can get 20 percent off your first month by clicking the link below:
How Much Is BetterHelp?
BetterHelp is a subscription service that bills every 4 weeks and costs between $240 and $360 (updated 2/20/2023). How much you pay depends on where location, preferences, and therapist availability.
Pro Tip!
BetterHelp offers income-based financial aid. If you qualify for financial aid, it can reduce your cost significantly.
To apply for financial aid, follow this link. When you enter your payment details, look for the “Apply for Financial Aid” link and click it. Next, answer a few questions about your income and ability to pay. Any discount you receive is instant and based on a good-faith representation of your finances.
Note that you get the most value out of your BetterHelp subscription if you get weekly video sessions (which is our recommended way of using BetterHelp).
Is BetterHelp Easy to Cancel?
Yes. BetterHelp is easy to cancel. You only need to make a few quick clicks and answer a few quick questions. (Your exit questionnaire helps BetterHelp understand why you’re leaving.) See the step-by-step guide above for details.
One of the benefits of BetterHelp is that their platform makes it easier to get in and out of therapy. What used to take multiple phone calls, consultations, and trips back and forth to an office can now happen with just a few clicks or taps on your phone.
We recommend an optional step: tell your therapist you’re planning to quit, especially if you’ve had a good (or at least a decent) experience with them. (If they were unethical or just plain bad, or you only saw them once or twice, it’s totally understandable to skip this part and just quit.)
It’s not always easy to have this conversation, but it can help you and your therapist wrap things up and achieve a satisfying sense of conclusion instead of leaving things hanging.
There’s no reason to feel bad about quitting therapy—in fact, it can feel really good if you take the time to talk it over with your therapist and reflect on the progress you’ve made.
What Is BetterHelp's Cancellation Policy?
BetterHelp’s cancellation policy is simple: you can cancel any time, for any reason you want.
BetterHelp's Official Policy
From the official BetterHelp Terms of Service: “You can cancel the subscription to the service at any time for any reason. Your membership must be canceled before it renews in order to avoid the next billing cycle.”
The only additional detail to keep in mind is that your cancellation is not effective immediately but is based on the BetterHelp billing cycle.
In other words, when you cancel, your subscription stops at the end of the current pay period. If you cancel two days before your subscription renews, you have BetterHelp for two more days. On the other hand, if you cancel 21 days before your subscription renews, you have BetterHelp for three more weeks.
Keep this in mind and plan your cancellation accordingly to avoid paying for time you don’t want to use.
Can I Get a Refund from BetterHelp?
BetterHelp sometimes gives refunds. It depends on why you’re asking.
If something was out of your control, there’s a good chance you’ll get a refund.
Pro Tip!
In our experience at OpenCounseling, BetterHelp tends to give refunds rather easily if technical problems with the site or logistical issues cause you to be unable to start therapy right away.
For example, if you get matched with a therapist, only to find they can’t start working with you for another couple of weeks, reach out to customer service and they may offer you either a refund to your payment source or extend your current subscription period by two weeks.
You may also be able to get refunded if your first therapist is a poor match and it takes some time to get matched with another therapist.
BetterHelp is less likely to give you a refund just because you don’t want to use the rest of a particular subscription period (they expect you to understand the subscription model when you sign up), though it’s not impossible, depending on the reason you’re canceling early.
They may refund you if you reach out to let them know that your experience with a particular BetterHelp therapist was particularly unsatisfactory, but it will depend on how long you were seeing them and how much time you’re asking to be refunded for. (They may be hesitant to refund you if you see a therapist for a year, then tell customer service that whole year was really bad and you want all your money back.)
Can I Pause BetterHelp or Suspend My Subscription?
Yes, you can pause or suspend your BetterHelp subscription.
It’s not unusual to need to take a week or two off of therapy because you’re going on vacation, have a hectic schedule, or for other personal reasons. BetterHelp understands this and is willing to work with you when it happens.
Pro Tip!
The easiest way to pause your subscription is to reach out to BetterHelp’s customer service team by emailing your request to [email protected]. That way, you’ll avoid having to go through the steps of cancelling and restarting your subscription (though that is what you’ll need to do if you want to pause or suspend your account for more than three weeks).
Often, the BetterHelp customer service team deals with a pause request by extending your current subscription for the amount of time you’ve requested to take off.
For example, if you request a two-week pause, they may just advance your next billing date by two weeks so that your current subscription period is six weeks instead of four. (The amount you’ll be charged won’t change if they do it this way; you’ll just get more time for the same amount of money.)
You can also go to “Account Settings” and cancel or stop your subscription using the steps listed above, then reactivate your subscription when you’re ready to return. (Make sure to notify your therapist and ask them to hold your spot.)
Pay Attention to Your Pay Period
Note that if you cancel, your subscription will still be active through the end of the current pay period. This means that you may still end up paying for the week you’re pausing, depending on when the current period ends.
Also note that when you cancel and resubscribe, there can sometimes be a delay in reconnecting with your therapist (especially if you haven’t communicated clearly with them about it beforehand). It’s a lot easier just to go through customer service.
How Can I Reach BetterHelp Customer Service?
The best way to reach BetterHelp’s customer service is to email them at [email protected]. You can also use the contact form on the BetterHelp website.
BetterHelp is a tech company, and like other tech companies, they have set themselves up for email to be the primary form of contact with them. This means that email (or the online form) will probably be a less frustrating way to communicate with BetterHelp than the phone.
When you email BetterHelp instead of call, you don’t have to wait on hold for the next representative. You also get a log of all of your interactions with customer service. This gives you something to refer back to if you need to look up key information, such as how long your account has been paused or how long your current billing period has been extended.
This is the primary way to get in touch with BetterHelp to request a refund, ask to pause or suspend your subscription, or address any other issues that come up when you’re using BetterHelp.
How Long Does It Take for BetterHelp to Respond?
Both therapists and the customer service team at BetterHelp seek to respond to messages and requests within 24 hours. Sometimes, the response can be considerably faster, and sometimes, it can take a little longer.
You’ll want to account for holidays and what your therapist has told you about their workweek and any days off. For example, if your therapist told you she takes Tuesdays off, don’t be surprised if you send a message Monday night and don’t hear back until Wednesday.
Pro Tip!
The best way to anticipate when your therapist will respond is to talk to them about it. Many BetterHelp therapists block out certain times of day (and certain days) to respond to messages and can tell you exactly when to expect to hear back from them.
Most therapists will make every effort to set up a schedule for live sessions and messaging that works for both of you. Setting expectations around communication can greatly enhance your experience on BetterHelp (and with therapy in general).
When it comes to customer service, you can expect a response within 24 hours for most issues. Do keep in mind that there are many things you can do on your own without having to reach out to customer service first, including changing your therapist or cancelling your subscription.