To cancel EarthLink, contact the company by phone at 888-327-8454, by fax at 404-795-1034, or by certified mail to its Atlanta office. Email cancellation is not accepted. Your service continues through the end of the current billing period, EarthLink does not refund partial months, and leased equipment must go back within a tight window or you’ll be billed for it.
The Three Accepted Cancellation Methods
EarthLink’s terms of service list exactly three ways to close an account:
- Phone. Call 888-327-8454. This is the fastest route and gives you real-time confirmation that the request went through.
- Fax. Send a fax to 404-795-1034 that includes your account number and current phone number.
- Mail. Send a letter by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to: EarthLink, LLC Cancel [Name of Service], 1439 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30309. Include your account number and current phone number.
Phone works best for most people. If you send a letter instead, your cancellation date is based on when EarthLink receives it, not when you mailed it, so build in a few days of lead time. The certified mail receipt becomes your proof of the request date if a billing dispute comes up later.
Whichever method you use, EarthLink sends a cancellation confirmation number to your email once the request is processed. Save that email. It is your evidence if charges keep appearing.
What to Have Ready
Before you call, pull out a recent bill and have your account number and the name on the account in front of you. The representative will verify your identity. If you set up a security PIN when you opened the account, keep that handy too.
Also check your service agreement for a fixed-term commitment. Canceling before the term ends triggers an early termination fee if your plan has one. EarthLink’s 5G Home Internet plans are month-to-month with no contract, but other plans may lock you in with a rate guarantee. Knowing your plan type before you call prevents surprises on the final bill.
What Happens on the Call
Expect a retention offer. You don’t owe anyone an explanation; repeating “I’d like to cancel my service” is enough. Write down the date and time of the call and the representative’s name. That level of documentation can resolve a billing dispute in minutes instead of weeks.
Early Termination Fees
Whether you owe an early termination fee depends entirely on your plan. EarthLink’s terms say that if your plan includes one, you’ll be billed the amount specified in that plan when you cancel before the fixed period ends. There is no single universal fee. It varies by plan and promotion.
EarthLink may waive the fee in three situations:
- The company no longer provides service at your location.
- You live in an area designated as a weather or war disaster zone.
- You have been deployed for active military service.
These waivers are at EarthLink’s discretion, so you’ll need to ask and provide documentation. If you’re on a 5G Home Internet plan, none of this applies because those plans have no contract commitment. EarthLink also does not charge an early termination fee when you upgrade to a faster EarthLink plan instead of leaving.
Your Final Bill
Your service runs through the end of the current billing period no matter when in that cycle you cancel. EarthLink does not grant refunds or credits for prior use, including partial use during your last month. Cancel on day five of a 30-day cycle and you still pay for the full month, but you also keep service through the end of it.
A bill can still arrive after you thought the account was closed. Common reasons include an unpaid balance from a prior period, variable charges billed after your last invoice, or an early termination fee triggered by the cancellation itself. If a charge appears after the end of your final billing period and you believe it is an error, your confirmation number is the key to getting it reversed. EarthLink’s terms commit to refunding erroneous charges when you can show proof of cancellation.
Returning Your Equipment
EarthLink sends a prepaid return label after the cancellation is processed. The deadlines and non-return fees differ by service type, and the difference matters.
5G Home Internet
Return the router within 15 days. The non-return fee is $400 plus applicable taxes. EarthLink provides a prepaid UPS label. Return the device in good condition within 30 days of disconnection and you can receive a refund of service charges, minus the non-refundable activation fee and your first month. Refunds typically process about seven days after the router arrives back at EarthLink.
A limited grace period exists: if you return the router in good condition between 31 and 50 days after disconnection, EarthLink can refund the non-return fee. “Can” is not “will,” so don’t rely on the grace period as your plan.
Other EarthLink Services
For non-5G services, EarthLink’s billing FAQ references a 30-day return window for routers. Missing that window results in a non-returned router fee. The exact amount varies by equipment and isn’t published as a single flat figure, so confirm the number with the representative when you call.
Whatever you’re sending back, ship with a carrier that provides tracking. Keep the drop-off receipt and tracking number until you have confirmed EarthLink received the device and no equipment charge shows on your account. Damaged equipment can trigger replacement costs even when it arrives on time, so pack it well.
You Will Lose Your @earthlink.net Email
On the day your service officially closes, you lose access to your @earthlink.net email address and any files stored on EarthLink’s servers. The terms are blunt: no further notice, no grace period.
If you’ve used that address for years, it may be the recovery email tied to bank accounts, medical portals, and other logins. Before you cancel:
- Update your email address at financial institutions, healthcare providers, and any site where you might need password recovery.
- Forward or export every message you want to keep. Most email clients support bulk export.
- Move your contacts to another provider.
Do all of this before the cancellation takes effect. There is no recovering data from a closed account. Some longtime users have reported standalone email plan options in the past, but the current published terms do not reference a paid email-only tier, so don’t assume you can keep the address by paying a small monthly fee. Ask the representative directly whether any email retention option exists at the time you cancel.
Canceling for Someone Who Has Died
If you’re closing an account for a person who has passed away, call the general support line at 844-780-0562. EarthLink does not publicly list a dedicated bereavement department, so explain the situation and ask to be connected to the right team. Have a copy of the death certificate and the account holder’s information available. The mail option to the Atlanta address is also worth considering here because you can include documentation and create a clear paper trail.
After You Cancel
Set a calendar reminder to check your bank or credit card statement during the next two billing cycles. Erroneous charges after cancellation are common enough that EarthLink addresses them in its own terms of service, promising refunds when you can prove the cancellation went through.
If charges continue and EarthLink does not resolve them after you present your confirmation number, dispute the charge with your bank or credit card company. A chargeback backed by your cancellation confirmation and the date it was processed usually settles the matter.
Keep the confirmation email, any tracking numbers for returned equipment, and your call notes for at least six months after the account closes. That is generally long enough for any straggling charges to surface and be resolved.