How to stop an antivirus auto-renewal before it charges you
The charge you are trying to avoid is the renewal price, not the price you paid. Across the 10 antivirus plans we track it averages +125% more than the first-year rate, and it arrives once a year rather than monthly, which is exactly why it gets missed. The single step that matters is finding your renewal date before it arrives; everything after that is easier.
What you will be charged if you do nothing
| product | first year | renews at | increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norton Norton 360 Deluxe | $30 | $125.04 | +317% |
| Norton Norton 360 Standard | $24.96 | $95.04 | +281% |
| McAfee Premium (Individual) | $50.04 | $150 | +200% |
| McAfee Advanced (Individual) | $90 | $200.04 | +122% |
| Norton Norton 360 LifeLock Select | $99.96 | $189.96 | +90% |
| Avast Premium Security | $49.08 | $78 | +59% |
| Norton Norton Mobile Security For Android | $20.04 | $30 | +50% |
| Norton Norton Mobile Security For Ios | $20.04 | $30 | +50% |
| Avast Avast One | $69.48 | $99.96 | +44% |
| McAfee Ultimate (Individual) | $200.04 | $279.96 | +40% |
The four steps, in order
1. Find your renewal date. Search your email for the original purchase receipt. The date is
twelve months from that, not from when you installed anything.
2. Sign in on the vendor's website. The auto-renewal switch lives in account or billing
settings there. The desktop app generally cannot turn it off.
3. Turn off automatic renewal, then check it stayed off. Take a screenshot of the
confirmation. This is the step people skip and later regret.
4. Decide what you actually want. If you want to keep the product, compare the renewal price
above against the current new-customer price before you let it roll.
Why this category in particular
Antivirus combines a deep first-year discount with a silent annual charge. A monthly bill gets noticed; a single charge twelve months later, on a card you have forgotten about, does not. That is not an accusation of bad faith, it is simply what the numbers we record every day look like. See the full category record in what antivirus actually costs in year two.
Questions
How do I stop my antivirus renewing automatically?
Turn off automatic renewal in your account settings on the vendor's own website, not in the desktop application, which usually does not expose the billing switch. Do it before the renewal date; cancelling afterwards becomes a refund request instead.
Can I get a refund after an antivirus auto-renewal?
Often yes, within a limited window, and consumer regulators have previously required refunds in this category. It is slower and less certain than cancelling beforehand, which is the practical argument for knowing your date.
How much will my antivirus cost if I do nothing?
The renewal column in the table above. On the plans we track that averages +125% over the first-year price, and reaches +317% on Norton Norton 360 Deluxe.
Is it cheaper to cancel and sign up again as a new customer?
On published pricing, usually yes, that is the uncomfortable arithmetic of this category. We measure and publish the prices; we do not test the products or advise on which to buy.