How Much Does DIRECTV Charge to Cancel Service?

Canceling DIRECTV can cost anywhere from nothing to several hundred dollars. Customers on month-to-month plans or past their contract commitment pay no DIRECTV cancellation fee, while those still under a 24-month agreement can owe up to $480 in early termination charges, plus separate fees for equipment that isn’t returned on time.

How Much the Early Termination Fee Is

The early termination fee (ETF) is the single biggest cost of leaving DIRECTV, and it only applies if you’re still inside a contract commitment. New customers sign a 24-month term. Existing customers who have new equipment shipped to them sign a 12-month term.¹

For new customers on a 24-month term, the maximum ETF is $480, prorated at $20 for each month left on the commitment.² Cancel after 14 months with 10 months to go, and you owe $200. Cancel after two months, and you owe $440.

Existing satellite customers who added or upgraded leased equipment pay a lower rate: $10 for each month remaining on the commitment.²

Not sure whether you’re still under contract? Sign in and look under Billing & Payments, then Upcoming Charges, for your commitment end date.³

When You Don’t Owe an ETF

Several situations sidestep the fee entirely.

No-contract plans. DIRECTV’s Streaming App Only plans and Genre Packs are billed month to month with no annual contract, and the Terms of Service list ETF provisions only for Streaming App + Equipment customers with a term commitment and for satellite customers. The free MyFree DIRECTV tier has no term commitment either.²

The 14-day window. Cancel within 14 days of purchasing service and there’s no ETF. For DIRECTV Stream customers with equipment, the window closes at 7 p.m. Eastern on the 14th day. Satellite customers can cancel any time before installation without a fee.²

Expired contract. Once your 12- or 24-month commitment ends, canceling is free.

Military orders. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act was amended in 2018 to prohibit pay TV providers from charging cancellation fees to servicemembers who deploy or receive orders to change duty stations.⁴

Programming changes. If DIRECTV changes packages or prices, you have the right to cancel. The Terms of Service, however, state that the company “may” still charge an ETF in that scenario, so this isn’t an automatic waiver.²

Suspension instead of cancellation. Suspending service pauses the commitment clock, and the end date is pushed back by the length of the suspension.³

What You’ll Owe if You Don’t Return Equipment

Non-return charges are separate from the ETF and apply whenever leased equipment isn’t sent back in time, or comes back damaged.

DIRECTV Stream customers have 14 days from cancellation to return the device, with a non-return fee of $120.⁵ Satellite customers have 21 days from the effective cancellation date to return leased receivers.²

Satellite non-return fees vary by device:⁶

Genie HD DVR, Genie 2, DVR Receiver, or HD DVR Receiver: $135 each
Gemini or Gemini Air: $120 each
Genie Mini, DIRECTV Receiver, or DIRECTV HD Receiver: $45 each

Satellite equipment can be dropped off at a FedEx Office location (bring your account number) or shipped via USPS using a label obtained by calling 800-531-5000. Stream devices go back via USPS with the label that came in the box; a replacement label is available at 888-809-2464.²⁵

A different rule applies to devices bought on an installment plan, such as some Gemini purchases. If you cancel service, any remaining installment balance is charged to the payment method on file under the retail installment agreement. This equipment is considered “owned” and can’t be returned for a refund after the first 14 days.²

Your Final Month Won’t Be Prorated

DIRECTV does not prorate the last month of service. Cancel mid-cycle and you’re billed for the full month, though you can keep using the service through the end of that cycle.² The policy took effect in January 2019, when AT&T (then the owner of DIRECTV) stopped issuing prorated credits for the final month.⁷

Accounts in California, Illinois, and New York are exempt, and the Terms of Service include a general carve-out where proration is “prohibited by law.”⁷² Free-trial cancellations aren’t charged at all and take effect immediately. Cancellations within 14 days of purchase get a full refund of fees paid, provided equipment is returned on time.⁵

How to Cancel

The right method depends on the type of service:

Streaming App Only (no equipment): sign in at directv.com and select “Cancel service,” use online chat, or call 800-531-5000.²
Streaming App + Equipment: call 800-531-5000. Customers in New York, Illinois, or Colorado may be able to cancel online.²
Satellite: call 800-531-5000.²
MyFree DIRECTV: no call needed; just uninstall the app.²

DIRECTV Stream customers who want to handle it online can sign in at directv.com/accountoverview, go to Manage my TV Subscription, select Cancel my subscription, and follow the prompts.⁵

Cancellation takes effect on the last day of the current billing cycle. After that, stop using the service, uninstall the app, and return any leased equipment.²

Watch Out for a Restarted Commitment

Certain account changes reset the contract clock. Upgrading equipment, moving service to a new address, or accepting a promotional offer can each trigger a brand-new 12- or 24-month commitment. That means a customer who thought they were near the end of their contract may be closer to the start of a fresh one, with a full ETF back on the table.³ Before you cancel, check your commitment end date so you know which numbers actually apply to you.

1
DIRECTV. DIRECTV Equipment Lease Agreement
2
DIRECTV. DIRECTV Residential Terms of Service
3
DIRECTV. DIRECTV Programming Commitments
4
U.S. Senate. Servicemembers Can Be Charged Cancellation Fees When They Deploy – Cantwell, Fischer Secure Fix
5
DIRECTV. DIRECTV STREAM Cancellation Policy
6
DIRECTV. DIRECTV Equipment Lease Agreement
7
Ars Technica. AT&T Makes It More Expensive to Cancel DirecTV or Internet Service