How to Cancel AT&T Wireless: Porting, Final Bill, Refunds

To cancel AT&T wireless service, call 800-331-0500, use the chat tool on att.com, or visit a corporate-owned AT&T store; the call itself usually takes under 30 minutes.¹ The catch is financial, not procedural. AT&T doesn’t prorate your last billing cycle, and any remaining balance on a financed phone becomes due immediately on your final bill. Time the call right and know what you owe before you make it.

Gather This Before You Call

Pull up your AT&T account number from the upper-right corner of your bill or the account overview in the myAT&T app. You’ll also need your account passcode, which is separate from the password you use to sign in online. Forgot it? Reset it in your online profile or bring a photo ID to a corporate store.

Only the primary account holder or an authorized user can close an account or remove a line. If the line belongs to someone else, that person has to be on the call or you need to be added to the account first.

Then check your device installment balance in myAT&T. When a line cancels, the full remaining installment balance comes due, including any accessory financing.¹ If you’ve been getting promotional bill credits that offset the monthly device payment, those credits stop the moment you cancel, so the number you owe is higher than the running balance you may have been watching.² Someone 12 months into a 36-month plan on a $1,000 phone could see $650 or more show up on that last statement.

How to Cancel

By Phone or Chat

Call 800-331-0500, dial 611 from your AT&T phone, or start a chat from the AT&T support site.¹ The representative will likely offer retention discounts or plan changes. That’s routine. If you’re decided, say so and ask them to process the cancellation.

Be specific about scope. On a multi-line family plan, removing one line runs through the same call, but shutting the whole account down requires the primary account holder.

Online

Online cancellation is available only if you live in Illinois, Massachusetts, or New York and originally ordered service online. Everyone else uses phone or chat.¹

In a Corporate Store

You can also cancel in person, but only at a corporate-owned AT&T location. Authorized retailers, which are a large share of AT&T storefronts, generally can’t close accounts. Check the store locator on att.com to confirm the location type before you go. The advantage of the in-person route is walking out with a receipt.

Time Your Cancellation to the Billing Cycle

AT&T does not prorate the final bill. Cancel on day three of your billing cycle and you still owe the full month.¹ Current AT&T single-line plans run roughly $50 to $90 per month before taxes.³ Wait until near the end of your cycle and cancel then. You can keep using the service through the period you’ve already paid for.

Keep Your Number: Port Before You Cancel

If you want to take your phone number to another carrier, don’t cancel first. Canceling the AT&T line before the new carrier pulls the number over will kill it permanently. Start the transfer at the new carrier’s end.

You’ll need a Number Transfer PIN from AT&T. Generate one by dialing *PORT (*7678) from your AT&T handset or through the myAT&T app.⁴ You’ll need your account passcode to complete the request, and the PIN arrives by text. Give the PIN and your account number to the new carrier. Once the port completes on their side, the AT&T line closes automatically. Keep AT&T active until then; if the line is already dead, there is nothing to port.

What the Final Bill Will Include

Your closing statement typically arrives about 30 days after the account closes. It bundles the full monthly service charge for that cycle, the remaining installment balance for any financed devices, and any outstanding fees or usage. Promotional device credits stop with the cancellation, so review the installment line before you agree to anything on the call.

AutoPay Doesn’t Stop on Its Own

Closing the account does not revoke your AutoPay authorization. AT&T’s terms state that cancellation does not end the payment authorization for remaining amounts due, including installment balances, cancellation fees, and equipment non-return fees.⁵ AT&T can still charge the card or bank account on file for your final bill. Confirm the final charges are correct, then revoke AutoPay through your online account or by calling support.

Refunds on a Credit Balance

If your account closes with a credit balance, AT&T takes up to 45 days to process the refund. Payments made by credit or debit card go back to that card. Bank draft and check payments carry a 14-day hold, though a bank statement showing the original payment cleared can shorten that. If nothing has arrived within 60 days of cancellation, follow up with AT&T.⁶

Unlocking the Phone for Another Carrier

To use your AT&T phone on another network, submit an unlock request at att.com/deviceunlock. AT&T requires that the device has been active on their network for at least 60 days, the account is in good standing with no past-due balance, and any installment plan is fully paid off. Prepaid devices need six months of active service.⁷ If you paid off an installment plan early, wait 24 hours before submitting the request. Military members with deployment orders are exempt from the installment payoff requirement.

Alternatives and Special Situations

Return the Device Within 14 Days

If you activated a new device in the last 14 days, AT&T’s buyer’s remorse policy lets you return it and cancel the line. The device must be in like-new condition with all original packaging and components. Corporate store returns may carry a restocking fee of up to $55; online purchases returned within the 14-day window are not subject to that fee.⁸

Suspend Instead of Cancel

If the reason is temporary, ask about suspension. AT&T offers holds for vacation or other personal reasons for a monthly fee, and the account has to have been active at least 30 days first. Suspension keeps your number and account intact. If a natural disaster is the reason, suspension is free by calling 800-331-0500.⁹

Active-Duty Military

The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act lets active-duty members cancel a wireless contract without early termination fees when they receive orders for a relocation of at least 90 days to a location the contract doesn’t support. The contract has to have been signed before the orders were issued.¹⁰ Provide AT&T with written notice, a copy of the orders, and the requested termination date, either by uploading through your AT&T account or faxing to 847-513-5954. Include the account name as it appears on the bill, account number, phone numbers to cancel, deployment date, and the service member’s full name.¹¹

AT&T waives the remaining device installment balance for qualifying deployment orders, provided the installment plan was entered before the orders arrived and you’re past the 14-day return window.¹¹ Advance fees are refunded within 60 days of termination.¹⁰ If your relocation lasts three years or less and you re-subscribe within 90 days of returning, you can reclaim your original phone number.

Closing the Account of Someone Who Died

Call 800-331-0500 with the deceased person’s mobile number and either their Social Security number or account password. AT&T can waive early termination fees, but any outstanding balance stays with the estate. Ask for a final bill to document the closing balance.

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