6 Subscription Services That Have to Give You a Discount If You Mention These ‘Magic Words’

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When it comes to getting a good deal on subscription services, you may have more power than you think.

While most users believe that the price offered for various products is non-negotiable, the truth is that in many instances, you can end up getting a better price. Understanding the economics of subscription providers can give an insight into why this is the case.

Imagine you sign up for a subscription service at the full, advertised price. After a year or however long, you decide not to renew. Do you think the company would rather see you simply leave and stop paying, or keep you on as a customer even at a reduced rate? In many cases, it’s the latter. Part of the reason is that it costs much more money for a company to acquire a new customer than to retain an old one. Also, if you have already tried a service and don’t feel it’s worth paying for any more, there’s little a company can do to get you to stay — except potentially reduce your price.

Of course, companies aren’t dumb either. They understand that if it’s advertised that they’ll offer lower prices to anyone who asks, they’re unlikely to get a large number of full-paying subscribers either. That’s why you’ll have to dig around on message boards like Reddit to find out where and how to get some bargains.

In most cases, simply asking for a lower price isn’t the ticket to getting one. Generally speaking, the way to re-subscribe at a discount is to call or message your provider and ask them how you can cancel your subscription. At that point, you’re likely to get some offers, at least if the provider is willing to at all. And once the negotiation process has begun, you may be able to drive the price down even further, depending on the provider. 

With that in mind, here’s a list of subscription services that have been known to give discounts to prevent cancellation, according to various posters on Reddit. Understand that your mileage may vary with these offers and that they may or may not apply in your specific circumstance.

If you do subscribe to any of these services and are looking to save a buck or two, it might be worth asking about their cancellation policy just to see if you’re offered any deals. Here’s how.

SiriusXM

Satellite service SiriusXM is one of the most notorious discounters for those willing to cancel. As a publicly traded company, SiriusXM does all it can to reduce customer churn, which is a fancy word for cancellations. This is because subscriber count — and growth — is one of the metrics by which investors value the company. Thus, the more customers it can keep, the higher the valuation it can maintain on its stock.

Numerous Redditors report that offering to cancel the service typically kicks the retention team into high gear, offering lower and lower prices until you may end up paying only a few dollars per month instead of $20-plus. 

Audible

If you have any type of online presence at all, you’ve likely been pestered by Audible.com to “sign up now and receive one free audiobook,” or perhaps as many as three with a 30-day free trial. But according to the online community at Reddit, that’s not the only type of freebie you can score with Audible.

Numerous posters suggest that after you begin using the service and ask to cancel, Audible’s retention department will offer you an additional free book to continue using the service. Even if you try to cancel again in the future, you will often be offered a discount, if not another freebie.

Paramount+

Some streaming services, like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+, have been reported to hold the line when it comes to discounting prices for those willing to cancel. However, Paramount+ seems to go in the other direction, according to Reddit. Various posters suggest you can get several months for free if you call to cancel.

New York Times / Washington Post (online)

The New York Times charges $25 per month for an online subscription after the initial $4/month rate for the first six months. But if you try to cancel after the trial period, you can usually get the $4/month rate extended. 

The Washington Post charges just $29 for the first year of a subscription, already a huge discount off its $120 retail price. If you try to cancel after that promo year, some Redditors have said they can get an additional year for $39, although others said they were offered a $60 rate. 

Adobe

Access to all apps on Adobe’s creative cloud retails for $59.99 per month. Redditors say you can knock that down to just $16/month if you call to cancel.

Cable Companies

Spectrum, Comcast, Infinity, Rogers and Cox Cable all reportedly lower subscription fees for customers who show a willingness to cancel.

Various Others

The above companies are commonly cited on Reddit and other message boards as offering discount opportunities. However, other anecdotal stories suggest there’s a wide range of additional companies that the “cancellation strategy” might work for, including the following:

• Starz
• Peacock 
• Discovery+ 
• Wall Street Journal
• Kindle Unlimited 
• Noom!
• Instacart
• Match.com
• HelloFresh
• LinkedIn premium
• Zoom

Remember, your mileage may vary, but it’s worth a shot with these and any companies to see if you can score a better deal by being willing to cancel. 

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