The Ultimate Step by Step Guide to Cancelling a DreamHost Subscription or Membership (dreamhost.com)
By
Bella K.
|
Published
July 17, 2025
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Updated
July 1, 2025
DreamHost is a company that provides various web hosting services, such as shared hosting, VPS, dedicated servers, and WordPress hosting. Customers usually pay for these services on a subscription basis, with options for pre-paid yearly plans or monthly billing. Payments can be made using credit cards, PayPal, checks, or money orders, and the company offers an AutoPay feature to automatically renew services on a set schedule. So, if you see a charge from DreamHost, it's likely for hosting your website or managing your online services.
Canceling a DreamHost subscription involves multiple steps including navigating the Manage Account page, clicking the Close Account button, completing an exit survey, selecting services to keep, settling any balances, and confirming closure. While the process is straightforward and guided through their interface, the need to make payments if balances exist and multiple confirmations lowers the ease of cancellation, but it is not difficult overall.
Estimated Time
On average, it takes 10 minutes0010 minutes to cancel a DreamHost subscription.
How to Cancel DreamHost: Step by Step
If you purchased through DreamHost directly:
Log in to your DreamHost panel.
Navigate to the Manage Account page.
Click the Close Account button in the top right of the page.
Create any necessary backups of your data.
Complete the exit survey and click the Next: Product Summary button.
Select any services or domains you'd like to keep and click the Next: Review Balances button.
Pay any outstanding balance to proceed.
Click Next: Finalize Closure button after ensuring all is settled.
Review and confirm the summary of services and domains to close the account by clicking the red Confirm button.
A confirmation email will be sent to the email address on file.
If you purchased Google Workspace through DreamHost:
Log in to your DreamHost panel.
Navigate to the Google Workspace page.
Click the Manage Plan button next to your domain.
Click the Cancel Plan button.
Type in the word DELETE and then click Confirm to cancel.
You will receive a success message confirming your cancellation.
Set up billing directly with Google to avoid service interruptions.
How to Contact DreamHost
If you need assistance, here's how you can get in touch with DreamHost's support team.
Use the DreamHost control panel: Go to Billing and Account > Manage Account > Active Plans > Manage and select "Cancel Plan" then "Start Account Closure" to officially stop charges.
Manually cancel plans: Deleting domains or emails does not stop subscription auto-renew; you must manually cancel the hosting plan.
Backup all data: Use plugins like Duplicator or WPVivid Backup to save your WordPress files and databases before cancellation to avoid data loss.
Migrate before cancelling: Purchase new hosting, move your site using migration plugins, update domain DNS, then cancel DreamHost to avoid downtime.
Be persistent with support: If you want refunds, send daily emails, open support chats frequently, and document interactions publicly on social media to escalate your issue.
Escalate to managers: Politely ask to speak to a manager if initial support denies refunds or issues; persistence and polite pressure can sometimes yield partial refunds.
Time your cancellation: Cancelling within the first 97 days may qualify for a full refund on shared hosting.
Use clear cancellation language: State you want to "stop all charges immediately" and that you are "closing your account permanently" to avoid ambiguity.
Know domain vs hosting: Cancelling hosting does not cancel domain registration; domains must be managed separately through your domain registrar.
Understand the billing setup: Autopay may be enabled by default; confirm it is disabled or cancelled to prevent further charges.
Public exposure: Posting calmly on Reddit and Twitter about poor customer service and billing issues has sometimes prompted faster responses.
Why Do People Request Refunds from DreamHost
Cancellation within refund period: Customers want refunds because they canceled shared hosting within the first 97 days.
Confusion about auto-renewals: Plans may not automatically cancel after deleting domains or emails, leading to refund requests due to manual cancellation requirements.
Billing for unused services: Users were billed for hosting or email services they did not use or intended to cancel but were still charged.
Difficulties with cancellation process: The manual and non-intuitive process to cancel accounts or plans leads to accidental charges and refund requests.
Refund policy limitations: No refunds on monthly VPS, dedicated plans, or certain products, causing dissatisfaction when refunds are requested.
Automatic renewal issues: Customers request refunds after being billed for automatic subscription renewals they were unaware of or forgot to cancel.
Domain and service non-refundable: Domain registrations, renewals, and transfers are not refundable, which causes conflicts when users expect refunds.
DreamHost Refund Script
Script
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Dear DreamHost, Support, I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to request a refund due to a billing issue that arose recently. I noticed an accidental charge on my account that I do not recognize, and I believe it may have been a mistake. I would greatly appreciate your assistance in processing this refund at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response. Best regards,
DreamHost Refund Policy
DreamHost offers a full refund on Shared Hosting plans if canceled within the first 97 days of account opening, and yearly plans can be refunded if canceled within 30 days of renewal. Refunds are automatically processed upon account closure and may take up to 30 days. Other services like VPS, Dedicated Hosting, and DreamPress have specific refund windows, but services like DreamCompute and SSL Certificates do not offer credits or refunds upon cancellation.
The Easiest Way to Get a DreamHost Refund
If you’re frustrated trying to cancel your subscription, membership, or bill from DreamHost—or if you didn’t even realize you were being charged—Chargeback can help. Chargeback is a personal subscription manager that automatically detects hidden, recurring charges like Netflix, Hulu, and hundreds of others. With one click, we can cancel unwanted subscriptions, flag suspicious billing, and even initiate refund requests on your behalf. No more waiting on hold or navigating confusing help pages. Just connect your bank or email account, and we’ll take care of the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
DreamHost offers a 97-day money-back guarantee for shared hosting services, allowing full refunds if canceled within that period, but after this window, cancellation only stops future billing without refunds for unused time. There is a minimum 30-day contract period, and services automatically renew at the end of each contract term unless canceled before the renewal date, which could catch users off guard. Additionally, non-refundable charges, domain registrations, and add-ons like SSL certificates are not refunded, and payments via non-credit card methods are harder to get refunded. Cancellation requires account closure and refunds are issued only after confirmation, which can take up to 30 days. Be aware of potential automatic renewals, a 14-day written notice for termination, and a $50 fee for rejected charges, which are some of the finer print details to watch out for.
Cancellation within refund period: Customers want refunds because they canceled shared hosting within the first 97 days.
Confusion about auto-renewals: Plans may not automatically cancel after deleting domains or emails, leading to refund requests due to manual cancellation requirements.
Billing for unused services: Users were billed for hosting or email services they did not use or intended to cancel but were still charged.
Difficulties with cancellation process: The manual and non-intuitive process to cancel accounts or plans leads to accidental charges and refund requests.
Refund policy limitations: No refunds on monthly VPS, dedicated plans, or certain products, causing dissatisfaction when refunds are requested.
Automatic renewal issues: Customers request refunds after being billed for automatic subscription renewals they were unaware of or forgot to cancel.
Domain and service non-refundable: Domain registrations, renewals, and transfers are not refundable, which causes conflicts when users expect refunds.
DreamHost account login credentials (primary email address and password, or Google SSO, and possible MFA code)
Selection of the specific service/plan you wish to cancel (e.g., shared hosting plan, VPS, DreamPress, domain only, etc.)
Review of billing status and any outstanding balances (balances must be paid before finalizing cancellation; check payment method on file)
Backups of all important data (website files, databases, emails) saved before cancellation—these will be deleted after account/service closes
Completion of any required exit survey within the cancellation workflow
Selection of which domains/services to keep or delete during cancellation
Understanding of refund eligibility and timing (depends on plan type, payment method, and cancelation window)
Valid payment method to pay for any balance due or domain registration fees (if plan includes free domain with hosting, you must pay for the domain before closing)
Confirmation email sent after completing the process (keep this as cancellation documentation)
Contact with support may be needed for manual payment methods or for special billing/refund cases
Before cancelling your DreamHost subscription, be aware that closing your account will end all hosting services and plans associated with it, causing loss of access to those services and any related content. It is important to create backups of your data before proceeding, as the closure is final for the services. Domain registrations you purchased will remain active until their expiration period, and you can still manage them separately. Refund eligibility depends on your hosting plan and specific circumstances, and if you breached the Terms of Service, no refund will be issued. After cancellation, your account can be reactivated by contacting DreamHost support if needed.
DreamHost offers a full refund on Shared Hosting plans if canceled within the first 97 days of account opening, and yearly plans can be refunded if canceled within 30 days of renewal. Refunds are automatically processed upon account closure and may take up to 30 days. Other services like VPS, Dedicated Hosting, and DreamPress have specific refund windows, but services like DreamCompute and SSL Certificates do not offer credits or refunds upon cancellation.
To cancel your DreamHost subscription, you generally need to log in to your account, which means you will need your password. The process involves going to the Manage Account page and clicking the Close Account button, completing a few steps, and confirming the cancellation. If you don't remember your password, you can reset it at this URL: https://panel.dreamhost.com/login/forgot.cgi?return_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpanel%2Edreamhost%2Ecom%2Findex%2Ecgi. This is important because the cancellation process is done through your account dashboard, and you need access to it.
We've actually written a step by step guide on how to get a refund from DreamHost. Check it out!
The cancellation process typically takes about 10 minutes to complete. However, the actual time may vary depending on your account settings and whether you need to contact customer service. Most cancellations are processed immediately, but some may take up to 24 hours to take effect.
After canceling your DreamHost subscription, you'll typically have access to the service until the end of your current billing period. You won't be charged for the next billing cycle, and your account will be deactivated once the current period ends. Make sure to download any important data before cancellation.
Yes, you can usually reactivate your DreamHost account by logging back into your account and resubscribing. However, you may need to go through the sign-up process again and provide payment information. Some services may offer special reactivation deals for returning customers.
If you're unable to cancel DreamHost online, contact their customer service directly using the phone number, email, or website provided above. You can also use our refund script to help you communicate effectively with their support team. In some cases, you may need to provide additional verification or documentation.
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